Five of New Zealand’s busiest hospitals will gain from the government’s accelerated hospital wards initiative, providing a total of 140 new beds in 2026.
“As part of Budget 2025, we expected to deliver at least three wards. A competitive procurement process has now allowed four wards to be delivered within the same funding, alongside the fifth ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital announced in February,” Health Minister Simeon Brown said.
The new wards, set to open at Middlemore Hospital, Waikato Hospital, Wellington Regional Hospital, Nelson Hospital, and Hawke’s Bay Hospital, are all scheduled to start operating in the second half of the coming year.
Funding for operations has also been approved, and planning is in progress to make sure the workforce is ready when the new wards open.
“This investment is about delivering practical solutions to meet growing demand.”
“By getting these new hospital wards built quickly through modular design and construction, we’re strengthening hospital capacity so patients can get the care they need when they need it.”
The rapid-build wards will be prefabricated off-site and then installed at hospital locations, allowing for quicker and more cost-efficient delivery, with the added flexibility to relocate units to other hospitals if needed.
“These new wards will make a real difference for both patients and staff. They will ease pressure on emergency departments, support faster admissions and discharges, and improve patient flow right across the hospital.”
At Middlemore Hospital, the new ward will increase general medicine capacity to ease pressure on the emergency department and support achieving the target for shorter stays in ED.
Waikato Hospital will function as an assessment and diagnostic zone adjacent to the emergency department, offering short-term observation and treatment separate from the main wards.
At Wellington Regional Hospital, the ward will increase inpatient capacity to improve acute patient flow by treating lower-acuity patients and assist in achieving the shorter stays in ED target.
At Nelson Hospital, the ward will allow services to be moved during seismic strengthening of existing buildings. After the work is finished, it will offer extra inpatient capacity to help ease current bed shortages and enhance patient flow until the new inpatient tower is constructed.
At Hawke’s Bay Hospital, the ward will accommodate short-stay surgical patients and surgical assessments, helping to streamline care for these patients and free up surgical and medical inpatient beds in other parts of the hospital.
“These investments are about making sure our hospitals and frontline health workers have the space, resources, and flexibility they need to meet demand and deliver the best care for patients,” Brown said.