# Dunedin / Otago and Southland — patient needing regional specialist care

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 5 · Voter profiles · R08

I live in Dunedin, have a long-term health condition and rely on specialist appointments. I want to know what the new hospital will actually deliver for patients in Otago and Southland.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 4 |
| answers collected | 30 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked from, and nationally | Dunedin |

## What this voter asked

### Question 167: Healthcare

I live in Dunedin, have a long-term health condition and rely on specialist appointments. I want to know what the new hospital will actually deliver for patients in Otago and Southland. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What is actually open and treating patients at the new Dunedin Hospital now, what is still being built or moved, and what are the expected dates for the different stages?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/1d93d228-85e3-47c2-8391-1fc8e7fef3a8.md)

### Question 168: Healthcare

I live in Dunedin, have a long-term health condition and rely on specialist appointments. I want to know what the new hospital will actually deliver for patients in Otago and Southland. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do parties differ on the remaining Dunedin Hospital build, its services and staffing, and which commitments go beyond the current funded programme?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/95e54181-2ae0-4794-a55b-756aa1544a02.md)

### Question 169: Healthcare

I live in Dunedin, have a long-term health condition and rely on specialist appointments. I want to know what the new hospital will actually deliver for patients in Otago and Southland. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose to improve specialist waiting times for patients in Otago and Southland while the Dunedin Hospital project is being completed?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/495f987a-6e86-4b26-a4ec-20657ba2bf36.md)

### Question 170: Cost of living

I live in Dunedin, have a long-term health condition and rely on specialist appointments. I want to know what the new hospital will actually deliver for patients in Otago and Southland. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What support do parties propose for people elsewhere in Otago and Southland who have to travel to Dunedin for specialist treatment?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/170ec231-f70d-4883-9f80-eb48759fc438.md)

## Which parties appeared in the answers

The figures count names in the 30 answers recorded for this situation. Naming a party does not mean recommending it.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 22 | 30 |
| Labour | 22 | 30 |
| Greens | 22 | 30 |
| ACT | 14 | 30 |
| NZ First | 16 | 30 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 14 | 30 |
| TOP | 9 | 30 |

## Party names across this voter’s topics

Each row is one of this voter's topics. Each column is a party. The figure shows how often the party was named in the answers.

This table shows the answers recorded on 23 October. The coloured bars summarise how statements about each party were assessed; select a figure to read the extracts.

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Healthcare | National | 15 | 23 | 16 | 58 | 12 | 1 |
| Healthcare | Labour | 15 | 23 | 29 | 57 | 2 | 3 |
| Healthcare | Greens | 15 | 23 | 16 | 47 | 1 | 2 |
| Healthcare | ACT | 8 | 23 | 6 | 27 | 5 | 1 |
| Healthcare | NZ First | 10 | 23 | 7 | 28 | 1 | 3 |
| Healthcare | Te Pāti Māori | 8 | 23 | 2 | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| Healthcare | TOP | 4 | 23 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 1 |

| Topic | Party | Answers naming the party | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 6 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | TOP | 5 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 |

## How the main answer changed

The Dunedin answer distinguished outpatient services from the unfinished inpatient building. However, it said outpatient care had begun in August, confusing the opening ceremony with the later start of treatment.

That timing error is included in our selected checks. The check does not verify the answer's bed or theatre numbers.

Gemini: “* **December 2030:** Expected construction completion date for the main Inpatient Building.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/1d93d228-85e3-47c2-8391-1fc8e7fef3a8.md) · Answer ID: 219f8d5c-cd85-419b-a9c8-b56bea4db698

Gemini: “* 22 operating theatres and 41 same-day beds.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/5/questions/1d93d228-85e3-47c2-8391-1fc8e7fef3a8.md) · Answer ID: 690bb9a2-7cbc-4d3c-9a67-504c6c6df9d4

## The sources behind these answers

The websites recorded with each assistant’s answers for this voter. Choose a topic to see its sources.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| beehive.govt.nz | 8 |
| healthnz.govt.nz | 7 |
| labour.org.nz | 6 |
| nzrda.org.nz | 6 |
| nzmj.org.nz | 4 |
| greens.org.nz | 3 |
| national.org.nz | 3 |
| odt.co.nz | 3 |
| budget.govt.nz | 2 |
| health.govt.nz | 2 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| nzmj.org.nz | 6 |
| whichparty.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| greens.org.nz | 2 |
| healthpoint.co.nz | 2 |
| infrastructurepipeline.org | 2 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 1 |
| buildingtoday.co.nz | 1 |
| cab.org.nz | 1 |
| cancer.org.nz | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| rnz.co.nz | 8 |
| healthnz.govt.nz | 6 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 5 |
| facebook.com | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 3 |
| beehive.govt.nz | 2 |
| nzmj.org.nz | 2 |
| beca.com | 1 |
| budget.govt.nz | 1 |
| centralotagonz.com | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| beehive.govt.nz | 5 |
| healthnz.govt.nz | 5 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| facebook.com | 2 |
| hdrinc.com | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| whichparty.nz | 2 |
| youtube.com | 2 |
| apex.org.nz | 1 |

Sources count once per answer. Source lists were recorded for 30 of this voter’s 30 answers. Visible links are counted separately. Other websites include unclassified publishers.

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