Group behind proposed new hospital site near Flaxmere offer Cranford Hospice a space

Multimedia Journalist, Hawke's Bay Today·Hawkes Bay Today·

24 Jul, 2023 11:16 PM3 mins to read

Dan Druzianic, left, says there would be plenty of room for Cranford Hospice at a new hsopital site. Photo / NZME

Cranford Hospice has been offered a new site to build on by the group proposing a new Hawke’s Bay Hospital near Flaxmere.

The hospice had been due to relocate to Chesterhope, on the Heretaunga Plains. But the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, which saw that part of the plains severely impacted by flooding in February, has seen that site abandoned.

Now those behind a bid to see a new hospital built on a 24-hectare plot of land, on the corner of York Rd and the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, say there is enough space for the hospice to move there.

“Cranford Hospice Foundation and its supporters have done a huge amount of work and all isn’t lost,’’ greenfields hospital site spokesman Dan Druzianic said.

“They have raised over $14 million and have designed a modern fit-for-purpose facility that was going to be on a greenfields site, while our vision has always been for a modern health campus that offers more than a traditional public hospital.”

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Druzianic said geotechnical studies indicate the proposed hospital site has a low liquefaction risk. It also sits outside the Civil Defence tsunami zone.

Cranford Hospice Foundation chairman Chris Tremain. Photo / NZME

Cranford Hospice Foundation chairman Chris Tremain was non-committal about Druzianic’s proposal.

“Cranford Hospice Foundation will soon commence a process to identify a suitable site for a new facility. Further information on this process will be shared in due course,’’ Tremain said.

Druzianic, a former member of the old Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, says the York Rd site comes with the bonus of potentially being expanded.

The 24 hectares could become 30, with those behind the new hospital bid having first right of refusal on six hectares of additional land should facilities such as a hospice be housed there as well.

In announcing that Chesterhope was no longer a suitable site for the hospice, Tremain told Hawke’s Bay Today: “The need for a new hospice for Hawke’s Bay remains urgent. More than ever, our community needs a place where we can support our loved ones at the end of life. A place that will provide a hub for palliative care services for generations to come.

“Together with my fellow trustees, I would like to assure our community that we will not rest until this vision is achieved.”

The Government has confirmed that Hawke’s Bay is now part of the regional hospital redevelopment plan, which will determine if the existing site can be significantly refurbished or if a new site - that could include additional services such as hospice care - is required.