New Oakville Hospital

April 14, 2010

As our delegate was not able to make a presentation at either of the Council Meetings on this matter, we thought it expedient to send you a copy of our presentation (click here), highlighting our concerns regarding the cost of the hospital.  We hope you find the information useful.

• The citizens of Oakville want/need a new hospital
• The new hospital is going to cost (at least?) $1.5 billion
• The structure will be 1,620,000 square feet
• The total local share will be (at least?) $530 million
• The Town of Oakville has been asked to contribute $200 million
• HHS proposes to generate $270 million in revenues, and $60 million through the Capital Fundraising Campaign

• How many beds will actually be paid for with this funding, and when they will be available
• What facilities/services will be available on completion
• What are the possibilities for the disposition of the existing hospital property?
• How the revenues equaling a present value of $270 million are to be generated, and what is the “reasonableness” of this assumption (given that this revenue projection is 10 times greater than that of the Niagara Health Complex – see attached)
• Who pays for any shortfall in revenues or fundraising (and what is the cost of funding any shortfall)?  Will any shortfalls result in a reduction in service, staff, equipment, and/or completion of the project?
• Why this hospital is going to cost so much more than any other new-build in Ontario (see attached)
• Why the local share is so much higher than other new-builds under the same funding model (see attached)
• What happens/who pays what if the estimated costs rise significantly after tendering?  ( A major problem regarding the AFP process as outlined by the Ontario Health Coalition)
• Why is the Town to bear the entire cost for “shelled in space”?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to plan for an addition, which would likely include provincial funding?