FAQs

Please contact the Project Administrator/Communications Coordinator if you have any feedback or questions that you would like answered as part of the Wairau Hospital Redevelopment Project

QWhy does Wairau Hospital need a redevelopment?

AThe current site is fragmented and dispersed and with over 20 different entrances into the hospital, offers a risk to security. Some internal areas around the hospital are inappropriate for modern and efficient service delivery.

Q How have we got to where we are now?

A Since 2004, a dedicated team of staff and consultants have been working on the redevelopment of the Wairau Site. In August 2006, the Business Case for the redevelopment was approved and the Ministry of Health allocated $36.6M for the new hospital and the Project Team lead by Martin Ridgway, Project Director was established.

Since then, Architects and Health Planner, Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers, Structural, Civil, Electrical and Fire Engineers, Building Contractors, Change Managers, and Acoustic Consultants have joined the team.

The Architects and Health Planner worked closely with the Project Team and Senior Management to develop a Master Plan (facilities were represented by blocks to illustrate important co-locations, patient and public flows, and gave an aerial footprint for the new site) for the redevelopment using some of the existing buildings which was signed off by the NMDHB Board in February 2007.

Q How was the Preliminary Design developed?

A Upon the completion of the Business case and approval of the Master Plan, Architects and Health Planners worked closely with the DHB staff and  12 clinical user groups across the hospital covering all departments from Peri-Operative to Social Workers and Imaging.

QAs part of the redevelopment project, what are the phases that are worked through?

A The Master Plan which was agreed by the board was gradually turned into a hand drawn ‘Concept Plan’ by the Architect / Health Planner with user groups who focused on the internal configuration of their departments and identified where rooms and entrances would be located. 

User groups then moved into the Preliminary Design phase where more detail was added and the plan was converted into an electronic CAD format, doors and bed spaces were shown on the plan and the departments were drawn to scale.

At this phase of the planning, the DHB provided a Preliminary Design Report to the Ministry to allow for the remaining funds to be released for the remaining project.

Developed Design adds more room layout detail, tables and chairs are shown, and ceiling tracks for curtains, sinks, dirty utility, PC locations and other specialist equipment are included in the plan.

The Detailed Design phase finalises colour schemes, furniture, signage, and the different materials to be used in the fit out of the buildings.

Q What are the Guiding Principles behind the Redevelopment project?

A For the development of the original business case in 2004, the NMDHB decided on some guiding principles that were seen as being important to use for the redevelopment. These are:

• Patient/Client centred - Meet identified community and patient needs
• Staff Supportive - Promote a culture of learning and innovation
• Evidence based - Demonstrate effective integration across continuums of treatment and care
• System minded - Promote collaboration between health service providers and other agencies and sectors.
• Funding Fit - Demonstrate financial accountability

Q What are the design principles that have been used in the Redevelopment of the Wairau Hospital?

A During the development of the Business Case, the important design principles, models of care and criteria were discussed and put forward to help inform the architects and combat the issues with the current site. These design principles include:

• Catalyst for comprehensive health centre
• Larger, more flexible units thus reducing the number of small inefficient units
• Better, closer co-locations with shared support areas
• Increased ambulatory capacity
• More effective utilization of facilities & staff resources
• Reduce risks associated with smaller provincial Hospital
• Streamlined processes
• Facility design based on Australasian standards
• Room for future expansion

Q When did construction start and who is building it?

A Construction commenced in September 2008 and is expected to take a minimum of 21 months to complete. Hawkins Construction is the main contractor for the construction of the facility.

The Hawkins team will be led by Quin Henderson (Regional Manager), Lloyd Robison (Design Team Leader) and Gavin Daeche (Cost Planner and Senior Estimator).

Martin Edwards, Project Manager, is based on site full time and manages the construction works. Mr Edwards has wide-ranging experience in health and has recently completed the Christchurch Women’s Hospital and worked on the construction of the Middlemore Hospital.

Q When will the project be completed and the new hospital opened?

A It is expected that overall completion of the facility will occur in early 2011.

The construction of the project is phased. Stage One was occupied in May 2009, Stage Two was occupied in February 2010, Stage Three will be occupied in November 2010. Stage Four is currently expected to be complete in early 2011.

Q Why is the NMDHB selling the land around the hospital?

A The business case included the sale of some land as part funding the redevelopment. As a Crown Entity NMDHB must follow the requirements of the NZ Public Health and Disability Act and reinvest the proceeds into new health facilities.

The process that will be followed will require the Minister of Health to approve disposal. Following that:

• Clearances then to be sought under
• section 40 Public Works Act
• Office of Treaty Settlements
• Sites of significance
• NMDHB could use Crown Health Financing to assist in the disposal

Q How can staff and the community find out more information on the redevelopment in general?

A A monthly newsletter, entitled Ex-Site, is distributed throughout the community and is available on this website to interested parties. Weekly updates are distributed to staff and press releases are issued to the media.

The Project Administrator & Communications Coordinator is available to contact for any other queries or feedback.

Q What kind of services are going to be offered in the new hospital?

A The new Hospital will provide the same services that are currently provided from Wairau Hospital.

New models of care have been developed that incorporate a continuum of care for the patient and provide improved management and collaboration across the boundaries of primary (GP and community health services), secondary (Wairau Hospital services) and tertiary (specialist hospital like Wellington and Christchurch) care. These models of care help:

• Describe essential service adjacencies and co-locations
• Ensure that the redevelopment reflects the wider community of interest and the cultural needs of Maori.
• Inform the facility planning process

Q Why are co-locations and flows important to get right?

A The co-locations of departments and the design within departments are both informed by best practise, standards and staff experience and expertise.

Co located services like Inpatients (Medical, Surgical and Assessment Treatment and Rehabilitation), outpatients, and allied health services will improve the “way finding” for the public, patients, familiies and whanau.

Co-location of the more ambulatory services like outpatients, laboratory, radiology and day stay surgery close to the front door of the hospital will make access easier for patients and visitors.

Co-location of “like” services also enables similar services to share spaces like utility rooms, equipment storage, waiting areas, and in some areas patient spaces, for example outpatient consultation rooms.

Q What will the provision of car parking be?
A User groups have been consulted on the number of parks required. Car parking will be provided around the perimeters of the buildings and we will be retaining the same number of car parks as presently provided on site.

Q Will there be a Whanau room?
A The Existing Whanau / Family Room will remain in its current position. This will remain as a sleep over facility. There will be additional spaces for relatives, and a multi-faith Chapel has been built in a central area of the new development.

Q What is the allocation of air-conditioning in the new hospital?
A The new hospital facility is to be guided by reducing greenhouse gasses/emissions. Using and installing air-conditioning increases these emissions and therefore air-conditioning will be limited to areas where there is a clinical requirement or departments/rooms that have no access to natural/ventilated air flow. The project team has worked closely with the designers and engineers to ensure that the hospital adopts alternative cooling options for the facility.

Q Where is the library and other support services located?
A These services are located on the upper floor of the Arthur Wicks building.

Q How has the Project Team come to the number of beds required for the new hospital?
A A new bed model was prepared on forecasts using historic patient volumes with future volume increase applied combined with the census analysis, to provide sufficient beds to 2014.

The configuration of the bed spaces will differ in the redeveloped campus, to reflect the changing profile of health care and new models of care. Expansion zones for further beds have also been planned for.

Q Will there be additional storage on site?
A A separate equipment store room has been located on the campus. This room storea loan equipment and other bulky equipment from around the Inpatient, Allied Health and other areas around the hospital.

Q What will happen to the existing landscaping/ memorial trees?
A Trees and shrubs have been re-housed in various locations around the hospital campus that will be safe throughout the redevelopment construction phases. If there are any other memorial trees that the project team may not be aware of, staff are to notify Durham Quigley, Property Manager.

Q What will happen to the surplus land?

A The Project Team has only been briefed to undertake the work to redevelop the hospital within the defined land parameters. The decision around the future of the excess land around the new facility is the responsibility of the NMDHB board. It is noted that proceeds from any surplus land disposal will be invested in the Wairau Site Redevelopment Project. Any decision on the surplus land will be handled in accordance with governmental processes and take into account any future development forecasts.

Q How have the Maori Community and Staff been involved in the Hospital Redevelopment Project?
A As part of the project structure, a Maori Reference Group was established to provide input and advise on the Maori cultural requirements of the new facility. This group is made up of DHB employees and community members.

Some user groups also have Maori representation on them such as the Mortuary / Body hold group, Allied Health and Inpatient groups. The Director of Maori Health and Iwi Health Board Representative are members of the Project Steering Group and there is also Maori representation at the Internal Coordination Group.