• Hawke’s Bay Hospital will increase patient capacity with $28.3 million funding confirmed for a new 28-bed inpatient unit.
• Health Minister Simeon Brown says the unit will improve patient flow and reduce emergency department stays.
• The funding is an interim solution while planning for the hospital’s longer-term redevelopment continues.

Patient capacity is set to increase at Hawke’s Bay Hospital after Health Minister Simeon Brown confirmed a boost in funding.

The $28.3 million, announced on Friday, will deliver a new 28-bed temporary inpatient unit at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, enabling the hospital to meet current capacity demands while planning for longer-term development, Brown said.

“Acute services at Hawke’s Bay Hospital are currently under pressure due to high inpatient occupancy rates and lack of capacity,” Brown said.

“This is having a significant effect on hospital flow and the ability to admit patients from the emergency department to the wards, resulting in longer stays in ED.”

Brown says the new unit will result in better management of patient volumes and help patient flow through the hospital, freeing up beds in the emergency department as a result.

Health Minister Simeon Brown meets with Hawke's Bay Hospital staff ahead of his announcement of the hospital's radiology refurbishment and expansion project. Photo / Jack Riddell

“Improving patient flow means ED patients can be discharged or admitted more quickly, and elective surgeries are less likely to be delayed or deferred,” he said.

“This supports the Government’s health targets to achieve shorter stays in ED and reduce wait times for elective treatment.”

Despite the announcement, Brown says there is a lot of future work to be done to ensure Hawke’s Bay Hospital can meet the growing needs of the region, but he recognises the need for an ‘interim remedy’.

“This interim remedy will allow the hospital to increase capacity quickly while working on a permanent solution as part of the hospital’s wider redevelopment,” he said.

This announcement follows last month’s approval for a $29.3 million expansion to radiology services at the hospital and $37.2m for the first Linear Accelerator in the district.

Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd said Brown was listening to the health needs of the region and delivering to ensure better outcomes for Hawke’s Bay patients and families.

“Our government is committed to Hawke’s Bay and the regions and investing in better health outcomes,” she said.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.