A new three level building at Rotorua Hospital, marking the completion of stage one of an $83-million redevelopment, was opened by Health Minister Tony Ryall on Friday.
The $36 million building is a huge improvement on existing outdated facilities and is designed to meet the needs of the community for the next 20 years, says Tony.

Health Minister Tony Ryall.

All specialist outpatient clinical services are housed on the ground floor.

'Previously these services were spread in several locations on the hospital grounds, leading to many late arrivals and no shows for appointments,” says Tony.
New surgical and orthopaedic departments are on the first floor while intensive care, coronary care and medical wards are on the top floor.
'People needing to stay in hospital will also have a better, more comfortable environment.

'There are more single-bed rooms than current facilities as well as four bedded rooms.”

Carrying out the redevelopment held some design challenges. The new premises are designed in an earthquake to float on mud – should that be required.

The new building has foundations described as a raft rather than piles, and the basement is sealed against Rotorua's famous gases.

'Engineers have another term for it, but I understand the equivalent of a giant film of gladwrap was used to keep the gases on the outside,” says Tony.

The building's heating is steam driven from the hospital's own thermal steam bore.

'I understand the temperature underneath the MRI unit will be as hot as the tea we will soon be drinking (90 degrees),” says Tony.

'The concrete foundation there requires its own constant water cooling.”

A new thermal bore, a fumarole was discovered under the current mental health services block – explaining the moisture and heat in that block, and the sagging wooden floor.

The next stage of the Rotorua redevelopment will see the number of theatres increasing from four to five as well as a 16-space procedure unit for patients having day surgery.

Rotorua's emergency department will also be expanded, more than doubling the number of cubicles available to treat patients from fifteen to thirty-two.

The National government has approved several hospital capital projects, totalling more than $500 million in the last two and a half years, including:

Middlemore Hospital Future Growth Stage 1 $208.68m

Lakeview Emergency Care Centre at North Shore Hospital $48.65m

Dunedin and Wakari Hospital upgrades $24.4m

Whangarei Hospital Redevelopment Stage 1 $25.11m

Capital & Coast DHB – Equipment and ICT Systems upgrades $37.90m

Tauranga Hospital – East Wing development $27m

Auckland Hospital car park approx $15m

Greenlane surgical centre upgrade estimated $24m

Whakatane Hospital $65m

Waikato Hospital rehabilitation hub $40m

Taranaki Base Hospital redevelopment $80m

While in Rotorua the Minister congratulated the Lakes District Health Board for achieving 100 per cent in the ‘Better Help for Smokers to Quit' preventive health target, in the last quarter.

The national target is that 90 per cent of hospitalised smokers get advice and support to quit, and the Lakes is the first DHB to achieve 100 per cent for a quarter.

'In the last three months, 1154 smokers were admitted to Lakes DHB hospitals, and every single one of them was offered brief advice to quit,” says Tony.

'Advice from a health professional plus ongoing support such as nicotine replacement therapy, doubles the chance of a successful quit attempt. And these numbers equate to 433 years of life added back to this community.”

On average, people who smoke will die 15 years younger than non-smokers.