It comes after leading clinicians wrote to Health Minister David Clark in July, urging him to intervene to progress slow-moving plans for new facilities at the Christchurch Hospital campus.
They warned any further delays would lead to service failures in the future, as the city’s population is predicted to increase to almost 600,000 by 2022-2023.
Previously, Canterbury District Health Board CEO David Meates said the new $485m Acute Services Building, which is expected to open early next year, will not provide any extra capacity due to the population growing faster than predicted.
The CDHB made a call to tender on November 4, for parties to apply to build or lease a central city site that could accommodate endoscopy facilities and a primary birthing unit.
It’s endoscopy facilities are already stretched after an increase in the number of people being referred for colonoscopies in recent years has left the CDHB struggling to meet national wait time guidelines.
Currently, endoscopy facilities at the hospital lack capacity to meet current demand, leading to outsourcing to private companies.
Next year, the CDHB is expected to roll out the National Bowel Screening Programmeand aims to have the service running by May or June.
Previously, Mr Meates told the Ministry of Health the programme would pose “significant challenges” to the DHB, which is already cash-strapped and struggling to meet wait time guidelines.
Earlier this year, the CDHB confirmed it was reviewing its services as it faces a forecast $180 million deficit for the 2018/2019 year, up from a $109m deficit in 2018-19.
The CDHB is now looking for one site in the central city, which could house both endoscopy facilities and a primary birthing unit, either in one building or separate buildings.
“Our most immediate pressure is related to space for endoscopy services, and as such, we will also accept registrations of interest from respondents wishing to deliver a facility able to accommodate the endoscopy service alone.
“The Canterbury DHB invites any party who could build and lease (in the case of a new build) or lease (in the case of an existing build) such a facility or facilities to register their interest,” said the tender, which closes on December 2.
The programme offers free screening for people aged between 60 and 74.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world and is currently trailing behind other countries in its national screening services.
