‘Small-scale’ fixes: Whangārei Hospital gets outpatient upgrade, heatpumps
Three construction projects at Whangārei Hospital,touted by the Health Minister as making a difference to patients, have been described as small-scale by Health NZ.
On Sunday, Health Minister Simeon Brown released a list of 21 improvement projects in hospitals nationwide, to expand and modernise clinical spaces and support services.
Three of the projects were at Whangārei Hospital: an outpatient upgrade, a reconfiguration of the integrated operations centre and a boiler replacement.
The 21 upgrades, along with a remediation programme to strengthen essential hospital infrastructure, are part of the $100 million investment announced as part of Budget 2025.
Brown said the projects were about backing hospitals with the upgrades they need, but Labour’s Dr Ayesha Verrall dismissed the significance of the funding, saying it was routine maintenance and insufficient to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the projects are long overdue and are needed simply to keep the lights on in hospitals.
Information from Health NZ Te Whatu Ora shows the three Northland projects will be completed over the next 18 months.
Regional head of infrastructure northern Chris Cardwell called the projects “small-scale” and said they are all within the existing hospital campus, as opposed to being part of the hospital development.
“These projects have been identified by the region, reflecting priorities set by Health New Zealand’s local leadership, and each supports improvement to local clinical services.”
He was unable to specify the cost of each individual project due to commercial sensitivity.
The upgrade to Whangārei Hospital’s outpatient rooms will enable them to be used for minor procedures, freeing up capacity in the hospital’s eight theatres.
The integrated operations centre reconfiguration involves upgrading an empty space to accommodate the integrated team, improving patient flow and efficiency in the hospital.
Whangārei Hospital’s gas-fired boiler will also be replaced with an electrical heat pump solution.
Cardwell said the Budget 2025 announcement also includes a remediation programme to enhance the resilience of facilities at all 87 hospitals, which will be rolled out over the next two years, he said.
Meanwhile, building of Whangārei Hospital’s new $35m child health unit continues, as part of the redevelopment programme known as Pihi Kaha.
Health NZ is now searching for a civil contractor to create an extra 552 car parks, extending carpark 14 near Tohora House, between Hospital Rd and Raumanga Stream.
The lack of car parking at the hospital has been exacerbated by the child health unit construction, causing patients to miss appointments and forcing staff to arrive hours early for their shifts.
The Pihi Kaha project steering group urged Health NZ to pay for extra parking out of the project’s depreciation funding, identifying the carpark 14 extension as the best use of funds.
Health NZ has started the process to select a civil contractor for the parking extension, with a request for tender process having closed on Monday.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.