Prebble delivers Wellingtonians' views on hospital site

Wellington Central MP Richard Prebble will carry the weight of public opinion
to the Health Ministry this afternoon, as he delivers box-loads of responses to
his questionnaire on the site of Wellington's new hospital. The responses
form part of his submission to the Ministry's 'Wellington Hospital Project',
which is weighing up the best site for a future hospital for Wellington.

The majority of respondents (710 out of 727) wanted the hospital at Newtown.

Mr Prebble said the economic effect on Newtown of removing the tertiary
hospital would damage employment, housing, service industries and retail.
"Over time it would affect the two private hospitals and other specialist
health services. It's unlikely that the medical school would survive if the
site of the tertiary hospital was Porirua," Mr Prebble said.

The Wellington Central MP said the site issue only arose because the Porirua
City Council and Porirua Labour MP Graham Kelly wanted to try and get a major
employer into their area. "While I can understand their desire to improve the
employment prospects for their own patch, that is no way to make health policy
for the whole region,' Mr Prebble said.

Mr Prebble said moving the hospital to Kenepuru would put the future of
Wellington as a medical centre at risk. "Already, Labour's interfering has put
Wellington in the queue behind Auckland and delayed funding for the
Welllington region. This plays right into the hands of those bureaucrats who
want to downgrade medical services in the Wellington region."

Mr Prebble said he wanted endorsement for an immediate start to a tertiary
hospital at Newtown covering not just existing specialist services but also
extending services by better coordination with tertiary hospitals elsewhere.

ENDS

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