30 July 2008
Taranaki to benefit from $80 million hospital revamp
Minister of Health David Cunliffe today signed off on an $80 million revamp of Taranaki Base Hospital that will include
two new surgical theatres and increase the number of hospital beds.
Stage one of the proposal will see a new combined theatre, ambulatory service and inpatient ward block, that will be
funded from $43 million of government equity and the remainder from Taranaki DHB.
“This is an exciting new project that will benefit the people of the Taranaki region for many years to come,” Mr
Cunliffe said.
Associate Minister of Health Mita Ririnui holds the delegation to the Taranaki District Health Board and is also
delighted with the news that the proposed development for the Taranaki Base Hospital will go ahead.
“As with other DHB’s throughout the country, the Taranaki DHB boundary covers a large geographical area and a large
proportion of that is rural. It is important to ensure that the Taranaki Base Hospital is well equipped and prepared to
deliver all the necessary services required by the people living in their area to prevent transferring patients to
larger cities such as Auckland, Waikato and Wellington wherever possible” said Minister Ririnui.
Mr Cunliffe said the decision to approve the redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital was part of the largest hospital
building and redevelopment campaign that New Zealand could remember with over $1.5 billion committed so far.
“New Zealanders from Kaitaia to the deep south have benefited from this government’s massive investment in hospital
infrastructure.”
Seven new hospitals have been built since 2000. Eight hospital campuses have had major refurbishments or been
significantly redeveloped since 2000. In addition, ten specialist facilities have been built, three redevelopment
projects are almost complete and a further four major capital projects for hospital redevelopments have been approved
and are underway.
"The capital program of the last nine years has been very comprehensive. It has kept pace with demographic pressure in
Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, substantially rebuilt New Zealand’s provincial hospitals and provided a network of
modern mental health facilities around the country, Mr Cunliffe said
New buildings
1. Seven hospitals have been built since the year 2000, as follows:
- Auckland Hospital, Auckland DHB - $447M, major rebuild of base hospital Opened in late 2003
- Southland Hospital, Invercargill – $69.7M, new base hospital, opened in late 2004
- Wairarapa Hospital, Masterton – $29.5M, new base hospital, completed in March 2006
- Christchurch Women’s Hospital - $80M, new hospital on new site, opened in March 2005
- Hawera, South Taranaki - $6.0M, opened in March 2002. A 26 bed hospital with 21 inpatient beds, four maternity beds, a
fully equipped birthing room, 24-hour emergency department (ED) and after hours general practitioner (GP) care,
outpatient and community services
- Dunstan, Central Otago - $7.6M, opened in June 2005. Essentially a new hospital made possible by Crown funding. Owned
by the Otago DHB but operated by a community trust. Services include emergency, inpatient medical beds, maternity and
community services, visiting specialists
- Horowhenua Health Centre and hospital - $16.1M, opened in June 2007. Provides hospital and primary health care
services, including GPs, pharmacy, laboratory and radiology care.
Hospitals refurbished
2. Eight hospital campuses have had major refurbishments or have been significantly redeveloped, since the year 2000, as
follows:
- Burwood Hospital redevelopment, Canterbury DHB - $21.5M. Key components included operating suite of four theatres,
recovery area including an eight bed post anaesthetic care unit, post-operative orthopaedic ward facility and
enhancement of orthopaedic outpatients
- Kenepuru Hospital redevelopment, Capital and Coast DHB (part of larger regional hospital redevelopment project, see
paragraph 8 below). The redevelopment included a paediatric assessment unit, child development unit; extension of the
radiology facility, Allied Health facilities for outpatients and specialist rehabilitation, expanded outpatient services
and new facilities for the psychogeriatric service
- Kaitaia Hospital, Northland DHB - $11.9M. Included new GP centre, day surgery, renovated maternity unit, renovated and
upgraded general ward, new accident and medical centre and a new after-hours facility
- Waitakere and North Shore Hospitals, Waitemata DHB - $125M. Major development and redevelopment of both campuses,
focusing on acute personal health care facilities
- Nelson Hospital, Nelson-Marlborough DHB, $35M (approved prior to 1999)
- Palmerston North Hospital, MidCentral DHB, $55M campus upgrade (approved prior to 1999)
- Counties Manukau facilities modernisation programme, this included the new Kidz First children’s hospital and major
improvements to ED, Counties Manukau DHB, $160M.
Redevelopment projects
3. Three redevelopment projects are almost complete. These are:
- Whanganui Hospital, Whanganui DHB - $33.8M. Focused on redeveloping hospital to integrate and consolidate services,
enable the DHB to deliver new, modern models of care, and to meet current seismic code requirements
- Core consolidation projects, Counties Manukau DHB - $64.9M and $39.8M. Involves a significant upgrade of the previous
poor hospital facilities.
The redevelopment of Tauranga hospital (Bay of Plenty DHB) has been substantially completed ($139.3M).
4. A further five major capital projects for hospital redevelopments have been approved and are currently underway. One
project is awaiting final approval.
Capital and Coast Regional Hospital, Capital and Coast DHB - $346M (includes Kenepuru hospital redevelopment now
competed)
Hutt Hospital, Hutt Valley DHB - $81.9M. Includes new theatres, emergency department, parking, utilities and
infrastructure development (most recent redevelopment).
Wairau Hospital, Nelson-Marlborough DHB - $36.7M. This consolidates the hospital into a compact, flexible health
operation that meets seismic and other code compliance requirements and enables delivery of modern models of care.
Includes new ED, ambulatory care and medical imaging facilities.
Lakes Health Services Improvement Project, Lakes DHB – major redevelopment of Rotorua Hospital and Taupo Hospital,
$51.3M
Waikato and Thames Hospitals, Waikato DHB, $214.9M.
New specialist facilities
5. Ten specialist units have been built or redeveloped using Crown equity or new lending since the year 2000, including:
dementia unit, West Coast DHB - $3.8M
breast screening unit, Waitemata DHB - $3.3M
breast screening unit, Waikato DHB - $0.7M
high containment laboratory for drug resistant organisms, pandemic or bioterrorism samples, Canterbury DHB - $0.9M
burns unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Counties Manukau DHB - $42.0M
Intellectual Disability Secure Services Unit, Capital and Coast DHB - $6.5M
Regional Intellectual Disability Secure Services Unit, Waitemata DHB - $8.6M
Forensic Mental Health Unit, Waitemata DHB - $6.3M
Te Atarau medium secure Mental Health unit, Waitemata DHB - $14.8M