Hon Tony Ryall
Minister of Health

30 April 2013

New $22m mental health unit for Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay Hospital is to get its long awaited new mental health facility – marking a big step forward for the district’s mental health services.

Health Minister Tony Ryall announced the go-ahead for the project today, which will cost up to $22 million and replace an ageing facility that is no longer fit for purpose.

“The current mental health facilities in Hawke’s Bay are challenging and while staff have done an extraordinary job in such a constrained environment, an upgrade is overdue,” Mr Ryall says.

“The replacement unit will better support the future of inpatient mental health services in the Hawke’s Bay.”

The Government will contribute $5 million directly towards the rebuild, with the remainder being met by Hawke’s Bay District Health Board (DHB).

The new building will replace the existing acute mental health inpatient, and transition and rehabilitation care units at Hawke’s Bay Hospital and bring them all together onto the one site. Currently services are disparate and do not provide a suitable environment for optimal care of clients.

“I commend the DHB for not only looking at improving the building, but also at the way it cares for patients, so they can use beds more efficiently and flexibly. They are looking at more appropriate care pathways with better connections to community-based services,” Mr Ryall says.

Clinicians from the mental health team were heavily involved in establishing the way forward for how services will be delivered for the Hawke’s Bay people.

Work is expected to begin on the site next financial year.

The Government has approved five hospital capital projects, totalling over $700 million in the last 12 months, including:
• Kaikōura health facility
• Christchurch Hospital and Burwood Hospital rebuild
• Taharoto mental health unit
• Hawke’s Bay mental health unit
• West Coast hospital redevelopment group and emergency repairs

ENDS

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