Health New Zealand and the Dunedin City Council are excited to see plans for the New Dunedin Hospital inpatient building coming together to provide certainty for staff and the community.

The new hospital will be a modern, fit-for-purpose health facility that enhances clinical safety and enables new and innovative models of care.

New Dunedin Hospital Clinical Transformation Group Chair Dr Sheila Barnett says the design of the hospital has been informed by updated and standardised bed modelling for regional hospitals.

“This was based on a predicted shift towards more outpatient and community-based care and a greater alignment with other Australasian bed modelling benchmarks.

“Overall, the New Dunedin Hospital will provide a similar total number of beds as was outlined in the Detailed Business Case, but there is a change in the mix of bed types required and the timing of when they may be needed.”

The new hospital will include a total of 424 overnight beds, including 43 spaces earmarked for future fit out and 10 ICU bed spaces fitted out as interim workspace. In addition, the sixth-floor space included in the hospital design will provide for further expansion over time.”

Health New Zealand has utilised the expertise of local clinicians to help inform the hospital design and how it will function for patients and the community. We continue to engage with our key community stakeholders to provide updates on the project’s progress.

The outpatient building is also continuing at pace, with the exterior now virtually complete. Front access points on each level have been left open to allow large equipment and materials to be installed.

With the heavy lifting now complete, the 260-tonne crawler crane has left the site and been replaced by a smaller crane. The internal fitout of services, framing, and wall linings is on schedule, with rooms starting to take shape. The team will complete the fitout of two clinic rooms in the next few weeks to facilitate final checks and refinements of the design and building techniques.

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich says having a new, fit-for-purpose hospital in the city will transform the patient experience for the people of the south.

“I’m pleased the southern community has been heard, and that the inpatient building is being built on the right site with the right number of floors.

“Within the large envelope of the building, which is more than 70,000 square metres, there is flexibility to add or change services and technology as needed in the future.

“In the current economic climate, this is a great result for our residents, clinicians, and hospital workers.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown says the Government is delivering on its promise.

“In January, I gave the people of Dunedin a clear commitment: this Government will build a new Dunedin Hospital on the old Cadbury site that secures the future of healthcare in the region.

“We also confirmed an additional $290 million for the project, bringing the total funding to $1.88 billion – one of the largest health infrastructure investments in New Zealand’s history. This is not just a commitment to a building, but to better health outcomes and a stronger health system for generations to come.

“The new hospital will be a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the needs of a growing and changing population. It will support faster access to care, enable modern models of service delivery, and improve working conditions for health professionals – helping us attract and retain the workforce we need.

“We’ve listened to Dunedin, and we remain firmly committed to delivering the hospital that local people need and expect. This is about ensuring the people of Dunedin, Otago and Southland can access timely, high-quality care – not just today, but for decades into the future.”

Further details on the hospital design can be found here:

New Dunedin Hospital: Capacity Comparison Tables [PDF, 261 KB]