140 new hospital beds coming in 'rapid-build' wards

Sunday, 2 November 2025

“Rapid-build” wards will add 140 new beds to hospitals across the country, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

Brown, in an announcement on Sunday, said the Government plans to provide the modular 28-bed wards to five hospitals: Middlemore in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Nelson, and Hawke’s Bay.

Funding allocated to these interim wards, within the $1 billion health infrastructure spend at the 2025 Budget, was initially expected to go to three new wards, in addition to Hawke’s Bay. However, a “competitive” procurement process had meant four additional wards could be built.

Brown said the new wards would be built off-site, and be installed and operational in the second half of 2026.

“Not only is this cost effective, but it means that we can increase capacity rapidly to support our hospitals at this time,” Brown said.

“These are some of our busiest hospitals, and this is about an increase in capacity so people can be seen quickly, treated quickly, and get the care that they need in a timely, quality manner.”

Modular building firm Southbase, which says it has completed more than 50 school building projects, won the contract to build the wards, which Brown said could be relocated in the future if needed.

The wards would be built to a 50-year standard, he said.

“They're designed to the most modern standards. When you walk into the wards, once they're constructed, it'll look just like walking into any other ward.”

At Middlemore Hospital, the new ward would be used to relieve pressure on the emergency department. At Waikato, the ward will be an assessment and diagnostic area placed near the emergency department.

The Wellington ward would expand in-patient capacity.

At Nelson, the ward would at first help with the relocation of services while seismic strengthening work is undertaken on existing hospital building, before being used for additional inpatient capacity until a new building is constructed.

The ward for Hawke’s Bay would be used for short-stay surgical patients and surgical assessments.

Each ward would have 28 beds.

Brown said about 350 additional staff would be needed for the new wards, and this had also been funded.

“The operational funding has been approved, and that funding will mean that the additional nursing and medical staff for these wards will be able to be recruited, and that recruitment will get under way, so as soon as they become operational, those staff will be in place.”

The total cost of the new wards has not been disclosed. The four additional wards were to be funded within the $1b funding envelope in the 2025 Budget.

Brown previously announced the Hawke’s Bay ward would cost $28.3 million.