Rodents were spotted in the ceiling space of a theatre in Whangārei Hospital, one of many issues in the ageing hospital. Main photo / NZME
Rats spotted in a theatre ceiling, leaking roofs and patients crammed into store areas show the desperate need for Whangārei Hospital’s redevelopment.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora said it was trying to make the best use of space, but admitted it would be a challenge until the redevelopment, Pihi Kaha, opens in 2031.
The Northern Advocate understands a patient about to have an operation saw rats in the ceiling space of a theatre from their prone position.
The incident happened about a year ago. Health NZ said it responded quickly to eradicate the rodents and there had been no recorded sightings since.
But Whangārei Hospital staff are also dealing with cramped, leaky wards in the ageing hospital.
NZ Nurses Organisation delegate Chantelle Thompson said the surgical ward on which she worked was so crammed that a room known as “the cupboard” was used as a contingency space for patients.
The room was used to store items, which had to be covered up before a small bed was squeezed in.
The patient needed to be relatively well because attachments such as an IV drip would not fit.
“It’s not ideal to have a patient in there ... but for the hospital flow of patients and meeting capacity, we’re putting people in there.
“Can you imagine how degrading it is for a patient because we’ve got nowhere to put them?”
Other delegates had raised issues with leaking roofs, including one instance in which a rotted part of a ceiling fell on a patient.
Another NZ Nurses Organisation delegate, Rachel Thorn, said the hospital emergency department (ED) where she worked had not increased in size since 2011.
Over that time, Northland’s population has grown 24%, from 162,500 in 2011 to 201,100 in 2025.
To cope with the added load, extra beds were squeezed in between existing beds, Thorn said.
“This affects patient care, it affects privacy and affects the ability of family and whānau to be there with their family member.
“We [nurses] need to be able to get around patients and get to medications. We manage, but it’s hard.”
Her biggest issue was the lack of staff in the busy ED, where an overload of patients often triggered a Code Red alert.
“If you’ve got enough staff, you can enjoy it and feel like you’re giving good patient care. If you’re understaffed, you’re just racing around under pressure.”
The NZ Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa will hold partial strikes for two weeks later this month to highlight unsafe staffing levels nationwide, with staff refusing to accept redeployment to another ward, extra hours or roster changes.
Health NZ knew Whangārei Hospital needed a new acute services building and ward tower, said Te Tai Tokerau group director of operations Alex Pimm.
Both were being designed and expected to open in 2031, though the 158-bed ward tower was not yet funded.
Efficiencies could be gained, and more contractors would be interested, if the two buildings were done at the same time, he said.
But until those buildings opened, staff had to work in an environment that was not ideal.
“We can’t deny it’s going to be a challenge within the next five or six years. There will be minor, tactical work to ensure that we can cope.”
Planned changes include an outpatient upgrade, a new integrated operations centre in the former laboratory and a boiler replacement, announced by Health Minister Simeon Brown in September.
As many outpatient clinics as possible would be moved off campus to save the hospital for the most acute cases, Pimm said.
Ongoing maintenance was also being done, including replacing roofs if needed and if possible.
Pest management was taken seriously, with controls in place and regular monitoring to ensure health and safety protocols were met.
Pimm said Health NZ took staffing seriously, using a Care Capacity Demand Management tool to ensure there were enough clinical staff on each shift for the number of patients.
At Whangārei Hospital, a “variance response team” was created to ensure a small group of nurses could work in whichever ward they were needed most.
Recruitment was also underway, with a focus on New Zealand nurse graduates and overseas advertising for doctors.
He was unable to provide recent figures but, in August, Health NZ was recruiting more than 4000 fulltime-equivalent health workforce roles and hired 1700 people.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.