November 1, 2025 • 10 mins
The Government has announced 140 new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure on emergency departments.
These beds will be part of new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington, and Nelson hospitals, alongside the new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier in the year.
Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational funding for the 350 extra staff that will be needed, has already been approved.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I'd be now the government has announced one hundred and
forty new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure
on emergency departments. Now. These beds will be part of
new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson hospitals, along
with the new Hawk's Bay ward which was announced earlier
in the year, and Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational
funding for the three hundred and fifty extra staff that
will be needed has already been approved. And Health Minister
(00:33):
Simeon Brown's with me now, good.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Look, if I was to deliberately be cynical, I would
be I'd wanting to be wanting to ask you. You were
planning three wards, but we found that we could pay
for four. Did you sort of deliberately over promised so
you could under promise so you could over deliver.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We went through a competitive process to ensure we've got
value for money. I think that the reality what we're
doing here is we're building these wards differently from how
we would typically build a home hospitals. These are modular
builds being built off site and then brought to site,
So I think it'd be fair to say we weren't.
We had an indication around what level of funding was required,
(01:16):
but we're able to go through a process and get
value for money for the taxpayer who's ultimately making the
investment in these new wards. And it's similar to the
work that we're doing with classrooms, which Erica Stanford is leading,
doing modular builds off site, bringing them to site and
installing them, meaning we can actually build them faster and cheaper,
ensuring that people can get the care that they need
(01:36):
through these new wards sooner, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Were they always going to be modular or was it
the choice to go modular that enabled the money to
go further as well as that procurement process.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, ultimately we wanted these to be built rapidly. We
know that these hospitals are under a significant amount of
pressure Middlemore, Waikatau, Hawks Bay, Nelson, Willington under significant pressure
in the emergency department, so we needed these built as
quickly as possible, and I think that leads to our
modular type design and build being the cheapest and most
(02:10):
and quickest way to be able to deliver these new wards,
so the decision, but this is an opportunity to be
able to show we can build things fast and as
you get them delivered here in New Zealand, which means
we can get the care for those patients. And also
it supports the frontline clinicians in those hospitals who have
more capacity to be able to deliver the care that
they need.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What's the future for the modular model? Do you think
are we going to be doing more of this as
opposed to the sort of significant sort of buildings that
are built to last for I don't know how long,
but you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Well, I think the first point is are these are
built to last the standard fifty year life of a
building built to the Building Code, So there's a long
lasting proper buildings that will be there to be able
to deliver that care. But at the same time, I
think it's going to be both major builds that we
need to do, such as what we're doing in Dunedin.
(03:03):
We're doing a major rebuild of Nelson and Wellington at
the moment, but we also need to look at if
where we need capacity quickly, modular builds can help support that.
But even for some of them the larger type builds.
You know, if we can build things faster and cheaper,
but also to a higher standard through modular off site
build and then bring it to site and construct it,
(03:26):
we should be open to that because ultimately, what people
care about is the care that they're getting inside modern infrastructure,
and we need to be open to different ways of
doing that as quickly and as cost effectively as we can.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Are you confident with the dates of completion for these projects, Yes, And.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
We've got self base as the contractor, who's who's been,
who won the tender to do this. They're very motivated
to deliver these on time and within the budget. And
so look, we're very focused now on making sure that
we deliver it and get these up and running so
that we can provide that care that these hospital the
patients in these hospitals need.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I mean, obviously they want to be more about it
just to do a good job, but as part of
the motivation the fact that we might do more of.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
This, well absolutely, I mean the raality is we've got
a big infrastructure pipeline in health. We've got a large
number of major projects either underway or coming down the pipeline.
We announced a billion dollars of health infrastructure funding in
the budget, which includes the rebuild of Nelson Hospital, major
upgrade of Wellington Hospital, other projects across the country. So
(04:30):
there's a big pipeline of health projects coming down the
pipeline and I think there's around seven billion dollars of
actual projects under construction and planning at the moment. So
there's a lot of a lot happening in the health
infrastructure space right now and it will continue to be
as we invest in our health infrastructure, which is we
(04:50):
know is critically important to delivering health services, so that
will certainly be motivating contractors to want to be part
of it. And ultimately, how we're also very focused on
making sure that they do deliver within those time prames
so that patients will get the care they need in
this hospitals.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
How challenging will it be to get the staff that
we'll need for it, and how confident are you?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I guess well, hewth New Zealand's approved the operational funding
which enables those districts and regions to be able to
hire the staff for these new wards. Ultimately they'll go
through a process, they'll be able to start planning now
to be able to do that. We're confident they'll be
able to be able to deliver the additional staffing required
(05:30):
within those timeframes. And I think that the way this
government's been funding our health we've been able to fund
the increases in a health budget over a three year period,
which means that we've already indicated what the uplift will
be for Health New Zealand and next year's budget, which
is one point thirty seven billion dollars, and that actually
enables Health New Zealand to start planning now knowing that
(05:51):
that funding has already been pre allocated for them to
be able to go and make these decisions to increase
the delivery of services in these hospitals.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Can you give us some context for what those extra
one hundred and forty beds mean, given that I think
the number I heard in terms of the total hospital
beds in the country, it's abound eleven thousand, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Around eleven thousand hospital beds across our hospital network. These
one hundred and forty beds will be as effectively five
new wards, so one ward per hospital, and they're very
much focused on how do we make sure that we're
able to improve the speed of care or access to
(06:29):
care in our emergency departments, and so that's where supporting
the flow of patients through our hospitals becomes really important.
And so what the ward will be used for in
each hospital will be slightly different, but ultimately it's about
making sure that patients are able to get more timely
access to care. So, for example and Middlemore, it'll be
helping to improve the flow through the hospital. In why
(06:52):
cut will be more around the diagnostics a bit attached
to the emergency department, Nelson, It's about making sure that
there is another ward which will enable earthquake strengthening to
the existing building in preparation for a major new inpatient
unit which was also funded in the budget. So each
of them will have a slightly different purpose, but they
(07:14):
are focused on improving flow through the hospitals. So patients,
particularly patients that they come to themg's department, are able
to be seen faster and that's really important.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Have you any feedback from the coal face, you know,
the doctors and nurses who work at the coal face
in our health system in terms of how we're going
to judge success of this.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well, I think you know, I meet with doctors and
thises across the country regularly when I'm traveling around the country,
and what they say to me is they really want
to make sure that there is a real focus on
you know, that modern, reliable infrastructure, but also that flow
of patients through the hospitals. And so the choice of
where these are going has been driven by decisions in
(07:53):
the regions, but where those hospitals are which are under
the most pressure, and so no doubt this will make
a big difference for those frontline doctors and nurses.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Look, just to shift a subject briefly, because obviously you're
getting updates on the measles what's your latest advice on that,
and how confident are you that we can keep a
lid on this measles outbreak reality.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Here that's still very concerning. We've now thinking around seventeen
cases in this most recent outbreak with around two thy
six hundred close contacts, so it's a significant number of
close contacts. But the key message really is that immunization
is our best protection against the spread of measles. Two
(08:34):
doses of the measles vaccine provides I think a ninety
nine percent immunity, a chance of immunity which is incredibly
effective and ultimately it's free for anyone over the age
of one. You can get it at a pharmacy through
your GP holder. Marti and Pacific providers are also providing
(08:55):
option opportunities for additional vaccines, but ultimately go to book
my Vaccine dot health dot z and you can find
the nearest place delivering measles vaccines. That's our best protection
and we just encourage you to take up the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, are we noticing that there is enthusiasm for people
to get inoculated now that we've got these lines.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Been a significant increase in the number of immunizations. The
most recent numbers on Friday, there are over two thousand
measles immunizations delivered and to put that in context, that's
the highest number of highest daily number since twenty nineteen
we've had our last outbreak. And also the average normal
average weekly immunizations measles around three thousand per week, So
(09:38):
people are certainly heeding the message. We're trying to increase
the number of opportunities people have for to receive the vaccine,
and also we're running Health New Zealand we're running a
Measles immunization week this week, which we're about promoting the
opportunity and the need for increased measles immunization, but not
(09:59):
only just measles immunization. It's actually increasing immunization rates for
a range across a number of diseases. And that's why
we put the health target back in place because we
know how important that is. Keep on top of our
braks like this.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Just again, so where would you want people to go
if they're going on to finish net Internet to find
out information about vaccines? Was it book? My vaccine? Was
that the website vaccine.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Dot health dot m Z and you can and you
can find the nearest place where you can receive a
vaccine right there.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Great, Hey, I really appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
The pharmacies are open generally a lot of pharmacies we
open around the weekends, gps open during the week so
lots of opportunities and we'll be promoting healthy ze promoting
that significantly through this week.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Excellent, Thanks so much for your time, Simon, really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
That is Simeon Brown, Health Minister.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
For more from the Weekend collective, listen live to news
Talk ZB weekends from three pm or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I'd be now the government has announced one hundred and
forty new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure
on emergency departments. Now. These beds will be part of
new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson hospitals, along
with the new Hawk's Bay ward which was announced earlier
in the year, and Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational
funding for the three hundred and fifty extra staff that
will be needed has already been approved. And Health Minister
(00:33):
Simeon Brown's with me now, good.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Afternoon, Good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Look, if I was to deliberately be cynical, I would
be I'd wanting to be wanting to ask you. You were
planning three wards, but we found that we could pay
for four. Did you sort of deliberately over promised so
you could under promise so you could over deliver.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We went through a competitive process to ensure we've got
value for money. I think that the reality what we're
doing here is we're building these wards differently from how
we would typically build a home hospitals. These are modular
builds being built off site and then brought to site,
So I think it'd be fair to say we weren't.
We had an indication around what level of funding was required,
(01:16):
but we're able to go through a process and get
value for money for the taxpayer who's ultimately making the
investment in these new wards. And it's similar to the
work that we're doing with classrooms, which Erica Stanford is leading,
doing modular builds off site, bringing them to site and
installing them, meaning we can actually build them faster and cheaper,
ensuring that people can get the care that they need
(01:36):
through these new wards sooner, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Were they always going to be modular or was it
the choice to go modular that enabled the money to
go further as well as that procurement process.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, ultimately we wanted these to be built rapidly. We
know that these hospitals are under a significant amount of
pressure Middlemore, Waikatau, Hawks Bay, Nelson, Willington under significant pressure
in the emergency department, so we needed these built as
quickly as possible, and I think that leads to our
modular type design and build being the cheapest and most
(02:10):
and quickest way to be able to deliver these new wards,
so the decision, but this is an opportunity to be
able to show we can build things fast and as
you get them delivered here in New Zealand, which means
we can get the care for those patients. And also
it supports the frontline clinicians in those hospitals who have
more capacity to be able to deliver the care that
they need.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
What's the future for the modular model? Do you think
are we going to be doing more of this as
opposed to the sort of significant sort of buildings that
are built to last for I don't know how long,
but you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Well, I think the first point is are these are
built to last the standard fifty year life of a
building built to the Building Code, So there's a long
lasting proper buildings that will be there to be able
to deliver that care. But at the same time, I
think it's going to be both major builds that we
need to do, such as what we're doing in Dunedin.
(03:03):
We're doing a major rebuild of Nelson and Wellington at
the moment, but we also need to look at if
where we need capacity quickly, modular builds can help support that.
But even for some of them the larger type builds.
You know, if we can build things faster and cheaper,
but also to a higher standard through modular off site
build and then bring it to site and construct it,
(03:26):
we should be open to that because ultimately, what people
care about is the care that they're getting inside modern infrastructure,
and we need to be open to different ways of
doing that as quickly and as cost effectively as we can.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Are you confident with the dates of completion for these projects, Yes, And.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
We've got self base as the contractor, who's who's been,
who won the tender to do this. They're very motivated
to deliver these on time and within the budget. And
so look, we're very focused now on making sure that
we deliver it and get these up and running so
that we can provide that care that these hospital the
patients in these hospitals need.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
I mean, obviously they want to be more about it
just to do a good job, but as part of
the motivation the fact that we might do more of.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
This, well absolutely, I mean the raality is we've got
a big infrastructure pipeline in health. We've got a large
number of major projects either underway or coming down the pipeline.
We announced a billion dollars of health infrastructure funding in
the budget, which includes the rebuild of Nelson Hospital, major
upgrade of Wellington Hospital, other projects across the country. So
(04:30):
there's a big pipeline of health projects coming down the
pipeline and I think there's around seven billion dollars of
actual projects under construction and planning at the moment. So
there's a lot of a lot happening in the health
infrastructure space right now and it will continue to be
as we invest in our health infrastructure, which is we
(04:50):
know is critically important to delivering health services, so that
will certainly be motivating contractors to want to be part
of it. And ultimately, how we're also very focused on
making sure that they do deliver within those time prames
so that patients will get the care they need in
this hospitals.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
How challenging will it be to get the staff that
we'll need for it, and how confident are you?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I guess well, hewth New Zealand's approved the operational funding
which enables those districts and regions to be able to
hire the staff for these new wards. Ultimately they'll go
through a process, they'll be able to start planning now
to be able to do that. We're confident they'll be
able to be able to deliver the additional staffing required
(05:30):
within those timeframes. And I think that the way this
government's been funding our health we've been able to fund
the increases in a health budget over a three year period,
which means that we've already indicated what the uplift will
be for Health New Zealand and next year's budget, which
is one point thirty seven billion dollars, and that actually
enables Health New Zealand to start planning now knowing that
(05:51):
that funding has already been pre allocated for them to
be able to go and make these decisions to increase
the delivery of services in these hospitals.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Can you give us some context for what those extra
one hundred and forty beds mean, given that I think
the number I heard in terms of the total hospital
beds in the country, it's abound eleven thousand, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Around eleven thousand hospital beds across our hospital network. These
one hundred and forty beds will be as effectively five
new wards, so one ward per hospital, and they're very
much focused on how do we make sure that we're
able to improve the speed of care or access to
(06:29):
care in our emergency departments, and so that's where supporting
the flow of patients through our hospitals becomes really important.
And so what the ward will be used for in
each hospital will be slightly different, but ultimately it's about
making sure that patients are able to get more timely
access to care. So, for example and Middlemore, it'll be
helping to improve the flow through the hospital. In why
(06:52):
cut will be more around the diagnostics a bit attached
to the emergency department, Nelson, It's about making sure that
there is another ward which will enable earthquake strengthening to
the existing building in preparation for a major new inpatient
unit which was also funded in the budget. So each
of them will have a slightly different purpose, but they
(07:14):
are focused on improving flow through the hospitals. So patients,
particularly patients that they come to themg's department, are able
to be seen faster and that's really important.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Have you any feedback from the coal face, you know,
the doctors and nurses who work at the coal face
in our health system in terms of how we're going
to judge success of this.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well, I think you know, I meet with doctors and
thises across the country regularly when I'm traveling around the country,
and what they say to me is they really want
to make sure that there is a real focus on
you know, that modern, reliable infrastructure, but also that flow
of patients through the hospitals. And so the choice of
where these are going has been driven by decisions in
(07:53):
the regions, but where those hospitals are which are under
the most pressure, and so no doubt this will make
a big difference for those frontline doctors and nurses.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Look, just to shift a subject briefly, because obviously you're
getting updates on the measles what's your latest advice on that,
and how confident are you that we can keep a
lid on this measles outbreak reality.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Here that's still very concerning. We've now thinking around seventeen
cases in this most recent outbreak with around two thy
six hundred close contacts, so it's a significant number of
close contacts. But the key message really is that immunization
is our best protection against the spread of measles. Two
(08:34):
doses of the measles vaccine provides I think a ninety
nine percent immunity, a chance of immunity which is incredibly
effective and ultimately it's free for anyone over the age
of one. You can get it at a pharmacy through
your GP holder. Marti and Pacific providers are also providing
(08:55):
option opportunities for additional vaccines, but ultimately go to book
my Vaccine dot health dot z and you can find
the nearest place delivering measles vaccines. That's our best protection
and we just encourage you to take up the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah, are we noticing that there is enthusiasm for people
to get inoculated now that we've got these lines.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Been a significant increase in the number of immunizations. The
most recent numbers on Friday, there are over two thousand
measles immunizations delivered and to put that in context, that's
the highest number of highest daily number since twenty nineteen
we've had our last outbreak. And also the average normal
average weekly immunizations measles around three thousand per week, So
(09:38):
people are certainly heeding the message. We're trying to increase
the number of opportunities people have for to receive the vaccine,
and also we're running Health New Zealand we're running a
Measles immunization week this week, which we're about promoting the
opportunity and the need for increased measles immunization, but not
(09:59):
only just measles immunization. It's actually increasing immunization rates for
a range across a number of diseases. And that's why
we put the health target back in place because we
know how important that is. Keep on top of our
braks like this.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Just again, so where would you want people to go
if they're going on to finish net Internet to find
out information about vaccines? Was it book? My vaccine? Was
that the website vaccine.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Dot health dot m Z and you can and you
can find the nearest place where you can receive a
vaccine right there.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Great, Hey, I really appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
The pharmacies are open generally a lot of pharmacies we
open around the weekends, gps open during the week so
lots of opportunities and we'll be promoting healthy ze promoting
that significantly through this week.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Excellent, Thanks so much for your time, Simon, really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
That is Simeon Brown, Health Minister.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
For more from the Weekend collective, listen live to news
Talk ZB weekends from three pm or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio,
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