The small-scale refurbishments are designed to deliver quick practical benefits, Brown said.
“We are backing our hospitals with the upgrades they need – expanding clinical spaces, addressing urgent problems, and ensuring facilities are fit for purpose both now and into the future."
Labour health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall has dismissed the signifigance of the funding boost
“The Government put less into hospital infrastructure in their last Budget than Labour did.
“Today’s announcement is a bundle of routine maintenance and minor upgrades but insufficient to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population.
“Hospital infrastructure will continue to get worse under Christopher Luxon.”
As part of the funding, a new oncology infusion centre at Manukau Health Park will almost double treatment capacity and improve access to cancer care for the South Auckland community, Brown said. The care will also be expanded beyond breast cancer to provide treatments for conditions such as respiratory and bowel cancers.
“Every project will make a real difference for patients and staff – whether that means shorter emergency waits, faster cancer treatment, more timely elective surgery or improved access to services."
Alongside the hospital upgrades, nine remediation programmes across hospital facilities will be funded.
“These works will strengthen the critical infrastructure that keeps hospitals safe and reliable – including heating, power, hot water and air conditioning," Brown said.
Most projects will be delivered next year, with some extending into 2027.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton told the Herald a lot of the projects announced are long overdue and “sorely needed”.
“All of the things that are being signalled are necessary to keep our hospitals open and safe.
“A lot of them are really overdue. They’re just basic stuff around, power and hot water and ventilation and that kind of thing, that you would just expect would be safely maintained in all hospitals.”
What is covered
Whangārei Hospital: Upgrades to outpatient rooms to enable them to be used for minor procedures, which will free up capacity in the hospital’s eight large theatres. Reconfiguration of an empty service space. Replacement of a gas-fired boiler with an electric heat pump solution.
Greenlane Clinical Centre: Relocation of capacity from Auckland City Hospital to improve cancer care delivery. Additional car parks.
Auckland City Hospital: Electricity repairs to mitigate the risk of a power surge/failure.
Manukau Health Park: New infusions space.
Waikato Hospital: Relocation and improvement of pharmacy space to improve support for cancer treatment.
Hawke’s Bay Hospital: Lab refurbishment to improve efficiency. Upgrade of two intensive care unit (ICU) isolation rooms. Efficiency upgrades to oncology facilities.
Whanganui Hospital: Additional emergency department (ED) clinic rooms for fast-track services. Repurposing of shower area into clinical space to increase capacity. Relocation of discharge lounge.
Palmerston North Hospital: Creation of ED room for mental health patients. Upgrades to clinical spaces and permanent location of a transit lounge.
Hutt Hospital: Relocation of transit lounge to improve patient flow and capacity. ED reception reconfiguration.
Burwood Hospital: Design of satellite oncology unit.
Ashburton Hospital: Maternity Services upgrade.
Lakes District Hospital: ED expansion.
