New Dunedin Hospital

About Project Whakatuputupu

Project Whakatuputupu, the New Dunedin Hospital, is led by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and includes key stakeholders involved in the planning, design and construction. Aukaha has provided the project with a cultural narrative, Whakatuputupu, that helps inform and guide the design aesthetic, environmental performance and user functionality of our new hospital in Ōtepoti.

Watch: Kia ora koutou from Mana Whenua (external link)

Revolutionising healthcare

The New Dunedin Hospital incorporates modern healthcare design and use of latest technology to deliver greater efficiency of patient flow around the hospital, and timely access to diagnostics and treatment spaces.

Dunedin’s economy will receive a massive boost as a result of this new hospital project, contributing an estimated $429 million GDP. The build will employ thousands of construction workers over the lifetime of the project.

Design incorporates new technology and processes to improve efficiency, enhance patient and staff experience, increase pandemic readiness and benefit generations of people across the Southern region.

Smarter and more efficient

The New Dunedin Hospital will be a modern, efficient and patient-centred teaching hospital.

The new hospital will include 351 beds on opening with the capacity to expand to 404 beds over time, 20 short-stay surgical beds and 58 ED spaces, including a short-stay unit and specilalised emergency psychiatric care.

There will be 22 theatres (with capacity to expand to 24).

Contemporary design principles have been used so that the theatres can be used in a more efficient way, as well as larger day surgery theatres for more complex day surgery cases.

Outpatient Building

Opening late 2026

The first stage focuses on the Outpatient Building, which includes:

Outpatient services
Clinic rooms
Day Procedures Unit
Planned radiology

The building will include:

10,000m2 clinical space
Multi-disciplinary outpatient clinics
Radiology including MRI and CT Services
Integrated digital systems
Public areas with food and retail
Patient drop-Off
Inclusive and accessible for all

Time lapse: Outpatient Building build March to April 2024

Inpatient building

Opening 2031

In the second stage, the construction of the Inpatient Building includes:

Expanded Emergency Department
Operating Theatre Suite and short stay surgical unit
ICU and High Dependency beds
Inpatient wards

Estimated timeline

Key milestones/deliverables

Outpatient Building
Construction	2022-2026
Staff transition	mid-2026
Operational	Late 2026

Inpatient Building
Cadbury site piling	2025
Substructure for the main hospital structure	mid-2026
Main construction	2026-2031
Operational	2031

Frequently asked questions

Why is a PET scanner not being funded?

Currently there are no PET CT scanners in public hospitals within New Zealand. All publicly funded PET scanning is provided in privately run facilities.

‍A private provider – Pacific Radiology - has announced they will have a PET scanner operational in Dunedin in 2025. In addition, a mobile PET CT scanner is in operation across Dunedin currently.

‍A national plan for PET CT provision will identify whether the provision for one in the New Dunedin Hospital would provide more equitable health outcomes for our community. Building a shelled space for a PET CT scanner means the Dunedin Hospital will have the space needed for this equipment as demand for these services are needed.

What car parking facilities will be provided?

There will be a mix of onsite public car parking, drop-off parks, parks for ambulances and other hospital vehicles, and parks for clinical and other staff.

‍We are currently investigating how a car parking building might be included in the surrounding area. This is in the beginning stages, and we will report back later on this.

What consultation has taken place with Kāi Tahu?

There has been significant consultation on the new design, including with local and national clinicians and Aukaha, on behalf of Ngāi Tahu. As part of the co-design process with Aukaha and mana-whenua, the cultural narrative has been integrated into the buildings and landscape design.

What digital infrastructure will be put in place for the new hospital?

When the Outpatient Building opens, modern digital infrastructure will be in place.

‍This includes digital wayfinding services, check in kiosks and information displays, and WiFi connectivity. Building management functions will also be in place meaning for the medical devices that will be used in the new facility.

What services are not in scope for the New Dunedin Hospital build?

A number of services that are accommodated on the current Dunedin Hospital will remain where they are and not be moving into New Dunedin Hospital. For example, BreastCare, NZ Artificial Limb Service, the Gibson Day Unit and childcare services, and corporate functions.

How does the design of the new hospital compare with the Detailed Business Case (DBC)?

The main changes are that the initial DBC in 2021 included 28 theatres, 410 beds and a pavilion. Following a design reset due to cost escalations, there will now be 22 theatres with capacity to expand to 24, 351 beds on opening expanding to 404 over time and ED spaces have been expanded further to 58. ICU/HDU beds in the new design are being phased in as demand requires, to total of 40 beds over time Nationally consistent modelling was used to determine capacity needs now and in the future which is why having some shelled space will allow extra capacity to be added when demand requires.

What Pathology/lab services will be in the new hospital?

‍A review of pathology services has been completed and the proposed way forward is recommended in the Health NZ Executive Leadership Team Board Paper. The Project options report for pathology department is also published on the same page.

View the Board Paper. [PDF, 258 KB]

Will there be enough capacity for Mental Health Services for Older People in the new hospital?

The current design of NDH has 8 acute mental health beds.The proposal for an 8-bed acute pod at the New Dunedin Hospital is based on advice from our national clinical services planning teams that a different model of care is likely to be required in this area in the future, in which more of this care is provided in the community.

What happens at the existing hospital when the new Outpatient building is ready?

Outpatient services such as day medical, specialist clinics and planned radiology will transfer over to the new building (in a phased move).

‍Wards and most surgical theatres will stay put in the current Dunedin Hospital until the Inpatient Building is ready to move into (in 2031).

Publications

We regularly publish information in relation to the New Dunedin Hospital Project.

OIA responses

OIA responses relating to the construction of the New Dunedin Hospital.

OIA responses related to the New Dunedin Hospital (external link)

Our key stakeholders

Health New Zealand is responsible for delivering the new hospital. Project Whakatuputupu, the New Dunedin Hospital, is overseen by a Project Steering Group and a Clinical Transformation Group. Otago’s University, Polytechnic, Workforce Central Dunedin and a local Advisory Group are also involved.

Workforce Central Dunedin is a Jobs and Skills Hub that helps provide the necessary construction skills and labour to build the New Dunedin Hospital.

Doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health staff, technicians, orderlies and clinical administrators are all involved in group sessions led by health planners to design the new hospital.

These discussions help refine how the New Dunedin Hospital can realise the most benefit for staff and patients. Models of care change rapidly within health and bringing together the design team and clinical staff helps shine the light on potential developments or shifts in patient care as the design process continues.

Contact us

For any enquiries or feedback relating to the New Dunedin Hospital Project you can contact us by email: ndh@southerndhb.govt.nz

If you have a procurement query, contact: NDHProcurement@health.govt.nz

For media enquiries, contact us at hnzmedia@tewhatuora.govt.nz

On this page