Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Health

Wellington Regional Hospital is set for a major upgrade, with a new emergency department and 126 additional beds and treatment spaces to be delivered as part of the Government’s $1 billion Budget 2025 hospital infrastructure investment, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.

“This is a major investment in emergency and acute care for the Wellington region, delivering a modern, expanded emergency department to better meet the needs of patients,” Mr Brown says.

“Wellington’s ED is currently one of the poorest performing in the country, with outdated infrastructure that is no longer fit for purpose. The current layout is contributing to long wait times and people leaving without receiving care.

“Our Government is determined to deliver better for patients, including those in Wellington and the wider region, and this investment is a key part of that. The new, larger emergency department will include 34 additional treatment spaces – boosting capacity from 53 to 87 – to reduce crowding and ensure more patients are seen promptly, especially during peak demand.

“The redevelopment will also provide 36 new inpatient beds to ease admission bottlenecks and enable smoother transitions from ED into appropriate care. Another 36 new outpatient consult and treatment spaces will improve access to follow-up care and ease pressure on acute services by supporting earlier intervention and faster recovery.”

The project also includes critical upgrades to other key hospital facilities:

• Refurbishment of the Old Children’s Hospital, transforming the historic building into a modern environment for clinical and non-clinical staff to support service delivery.
• Expansion of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) by four beds to strengthen the hospital’s ability to treat the most critically ill patients and enhance its emergency and pandemic response.
• Expansion of the short-stay Medical and Surgical Assessment and Planning Units, providing 16 more additional spaces to support efficient and effective patient flow.
• Fit-out of refurbished floors in the Clinical Services Block, bringing underutilised areas back into service to support frontline care and reduce treatment delays.

“These upgrades are essential to ensure Wellington Hospital can deliver timely, high-quality care now and into the future. They’ll relieve pressure on services, improve patient flow, and support modern models of care, while also creating a better working environment for frontline staff.”

The previously funded $40 million design and enabling works for the new emergency department are well underway, laying strong foundations for the next stage of construction in 2026. The ICU expansion is expected to be delivered by 2027, ahead of the new emergency department becoming operational in 2029.

“Improving hospitals is a top priority for this Government. We are committed to delivering the infrastructure needed to support high-quality, accessible healthcare for all New Zealanders.

“This project is about future-proofing Wellington’s emergency care – ensuring that as demand grows, the system is ready to meet it,” Mr Brown says.

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