The Prime Minister says raw sewage seeping into the walls of Whangārei Hospital won't be tolerated.
Whangarei Hospital Photo: RNZ/ Samantha Olley
The leaking 'soil stack' runs down six floors in the hospital's medical wing and the Northland District Health Board says it will take two years and $2.8 million to fix, because the piping is surrounded by asbestos.
But the prime minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters this afternoon she was concerned by the leaks - and said the government had worked "quickly" to fix similar problems in Middlemore Hospital, which were found in 2018.
"We worked very quickly to fix those issues, and likewise we'd look to do the same anywhere. That's simply not acceptable."
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said remedial work on the failing piping was underway.
"It is not compromising patient care. However, also there is a need for - I would say - a significant building programme in Whangārei and that is something that is being actively considered."
But the Northland DHB has been in talks with the government since 2015, trying to get that funding to rebuild or redevelop the hospital.
University of Otago pro-vice-chancellor Robin Gauld specialises in health systems and technology, and he thinks the government has underestimated dilapidation at the site.
"It's an indictment and it's really unfortunate - for the healthcare professionals who are working hard to try and deliver services in an efficient and high-quality way, as well as the patients."
In his view, the DHB system has never been a collaborative model, and the government expects DHBs to be "constantly lobbying".
"The government is constantly on guard and has this approach of suspicion. The DHB system was always set up, practically, not to trust the DHBs."
The Northland DHB runs satellite hospitals in Dargaville, Kaitāia and Kawakawa, but Whangārei treats 70 per cent of the patients overall, including those with the most complex needs.
Kaipara mayor Dr Jason Smith said the sewage leaks and funding delays were "simply not good enough".
"No one's under any illusions about the fact that the hospital's very broken."
He and the other Te Tai Tokerau mayors have supported the DHB's bids for a redevelopment.
"We're still waiting for that. And we've got a really critical situation now as we're facing into the Covid storm with a hospital now that is absolutely falling apart, and it's very, very concerning for the people of Northland."
Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai said the leaks were "disgusting".
"Nobody should be working in those conditions."
"The problems with our ageing hospital have been with us for a very long time and we've been pleading with the government to invest," she said.
National's health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kura) who is based in Whangārei, wrote to Health Minister Andrew Little in June, asking him to progress health infrastructure projects proposed in Te Tai Tokerau.
In a press release yesterday, Dr Reti said: "Andrew Little shouldn't have pooh-poohed my letter, instead, he should've got on with what needed to be done."