National may let landlords own public hospitals

The National Party would let private landlords own public hospitals, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

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The National Party would let private landlords own public hospitals, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today.

"National Party leader John Key admits private public partnerships in education could see schools paying rent to private landlords and as the same arrangement is proposed for the health sector does this mean hospitals too would end up paying rent to landlords." Pete Hodgson said.

"In the discussion document released by National last week, it states that new hospital infrastructure could be financed by public private partnerships."

"This means under the National Party crucial health funds could be diverted from treating patients into paying rent to private landlords," Pete Hodgson said.

National have already said "market forces" would set the cost of seeing a doctor one can only assume they intend to apply this philosophy to hospital rents, Pete Hodgson said.