National Party leader, Bill English and current minister of health visited Dunedin on Saturday to announce a billion dollar rebuild of Dunedin's public hospital.

The visit wasn't without protest with members of the New Zealand nurses association remaining outside, while the official announcements were made before an invited audience.

The National Party says if elected the rebuild will happen within 10 years, and cost between 1.4 and 1.8 billion dollars.

Dunedin North MP and Labour health spokesman David Clark says the time-frame for the build is too slow, and if elected Labour would begin construction in its first term.