New $70m Hawke’s Bay-owned elective surgery facility announced
A new $70 million Hawke’s Bay-owned and operated world-class elective surgery facility has been announced by a group of senior doctors, who are focused on improving access to quality healthcare for people living in their region.
The senior Hawke’s Bay doctors, under the entity Westside Healthcare Ltd, today launched their plans to lift elective surgery capacity in the region by another 5000 operations a year.
Westside Healthcare’s managing director Dr Colin Hutchison said the group is extremely excited to announce the largest healthcare development for Hawke’s Bay in a generation, which will feature four new operating theatres and employ up to 100 staff.
The world-class elective surgery facility will be built on a light industrial zoned greenfield site at Canning Road, Hastings, which is next to the Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Westside Healthcare has lodged a resource consent application for earthworks with the Hastings District Council and plans to start next month.
“Westside Healthcare is the result of a group of senior doctors who together want to improve healthcare facilities and access to quality healthcare for people living in our region and for the future,” Dr Hutchison said.
“We started back in March 2018 and over the past two years we have been working to successfully secure local investment and support.
“All of the founding doctors have recognised the barrier to elective surgery that’s limited by healthcare facilities in Hawke’s Bay both in the public and private sector where we work.
“We believe our new world-class facility will have a hugely positive impact on meeting the growing demand for elective surgery in our region. It will bring major benefits for both private patients and those going through the public health system.”
The first stage of the project includes four operating theatres, full pre-op and recovery areas (including 5 overnight beds), along with 150 carparks. The build is expected to take about 18 months and is planned to open in January 2022. The second stage, which is still under development, will be announced as the project progresses.
“As a group we are very excited about improving access to healthcare and facilities in Hawke’s Bay and we are keen to explore the opportunity for future collaboration between Westside Healthcare and the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board,” Dr Hutchison said.
“At a time when the DHB is facing challenges of growing public waiting lists for elective surgery, we are going to be in a position to help by providing our additional theatre facilities which enable extra capacity for surgery in Hawke’s Bay.
“Another major benefit is that having a new world-class elective surgery facility based in Hastings will ensure Hawke’s Bay is able to attract and retain more specialist doctors, who can work across both the private and public sector,” he said.
Westside are planning to undertake an international and national recruitment drive for new staff in 2021.
