The centre, regarded as a crucial part of the future hospital complex, has been envisaged as a partnership between the university, the Southern District Health Board and Otago Polytechnic.
Although all parties are understood to remain supportive of the idea of the centre, it is believed that no formal commitments have been made to the project as yet, apart from $17million from the Government.
The project was alluded to in a Cabinet paper on the detailed business case for the $1.47billion hospital project, which was released last week.
The Otago Daily Times has since seen an unredacted version of the paper, which said the centre was budgeted to cost $51million.
"A separate business case is being prepared for an Inter-professional Learning Centre (estimated to cost $51million),’’ the paper said.
"The New Dunedin Hospital Project budget includes a $17million Crown contribution to this project.’’
Dunedin Hospital is a teaching hospital, and the complex includes lecture theatres and academic spaces, used both by the university’s School of Medicine and polytechnic nursing students.
When the new hospital site master plan was released in 2019 it was mooted that the new building could potentially house the hospital’s professional development unit, teaching spaces, lecture theatres, simulation facilities, and socialisation space for SDHB staff and for students.
It was proposed that it be sited on the corner of Hanover and Cumberland Sts, next to the smaller outpatient day surgery building.
At the time, SDHB chief executive Chris Fleming said the centre would future-proof both the hospital development and the wider health system.
“We know that the health system will undergo profound changes in the next decades, so ongoing staff training and development will be vital.”
The project is listed as progressing "as planned’’ among the university’s asset expansion programme in the agenda for the university council’s May 25 capital development committee meeting.
The university’s $20million budget allocation was an estimate based on possible square metres required, Mr Willis said.
"It is not based on any design or confirmation of areas and as such the estimate has a low confidence rating and subject to change as the project evolves.’’
The University, SDHB, Otago Polytechnic and the Ministry of Health were working together on finalising a possible operating model and concept for the centre, he said.
"This would then require all parties to agree and approve then commit to the project through their respective entity approvals process.
"This would include determining how the proposed facility would be funded during and after development.’’ — Additional reporting Hamish Maclean
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How many more of these "concept designs" will we have to survive through before the work even starts? Three years and a half and all we have is a concrete floor from a demolished site with some fences around last time I checked. And why should the uni with all its shoe-string budget talks put the money when is is normal that any modern hospital have a research centre?
The university should put money into the hospital because their Dr, Nurses, Physios, OT's and many other health professionals train there and they need a place to study, teach and learn, We patients don't mind helping with sit-in students on our medical examinations, so why not the university contribute to what is their responsibiity and which they are paid for. They put money into an oversized sports stadium for students sake.