North Shore’s biggest private hospital expansion: Southern Cross is spending $190m, hospital with eight theatres will have 15

Debbie Minton, hospital general manager, said about 7500 patients were now treated there annually.

But the extra capacity could be more than 11,000 patients at the hospital annually.

A Southern Cross spokeswoman said: “Our capacity will increase and patient numbers will increase, but we are unable to put a definitive number on patient numbers at the moment.”

White said the expansion would take the footprint to 1.9ha or 19,000sq m.

Minton indicated that could allow about 4000 patients to be treated annually.

White cited growing population and demand for private hospital procedures.

The site is 3.1ha, all zoned for healthcare, which White said allowed for the expansion because the area where the new building is rising is a former open car park, asphalted and on a relatively flat part of the site.

The hospital’s location on a rise overlooking Wairau Valley gave wide views back to the CBD and beyond, so new operating theatres would have windows, White said.

Chris White at the big construction site which will result in the North Shore hospital nearly doubling in size. Photo / Michael Craig

To give it more room, Southern Cross bought two neighbouring residential properties on its boundaries: 200 Wairau Rd towards the front entrance and 26 View Rd at the back or goods entrance.

Houses are on both sites.

About 45 car parks will be developed at 200 Wairau Rd, while no decision has yet been made about 26 View Rd, White said.

It could be kept and used for storage or training, or demolished.

Staff numbers, now 285, could grow to about 400.

Parking spaces will go from the 330 currently to about 380.

Plans for a big expansion of North Harbour Hospital, owned by Southern Cross. Image / Southern Cross Health Trust

Two existing connected buildings on the site will be reconfigured.

“And all this has to happen while the hospital continues to operate,” said White, standing on a walkway, glazed on the side overlooking the construction site.

Sixty-six surgeons now work at the hospital whose management is fully owned by Southern Cross.

But the business plans to form a new management company and allow surgeons and specialists to buy into that.

“This will be a joint venture operation,” White said of that planned new management arrangement.

Southern Cross will, however, continue to fully own the property.

“Joint ventures will be determined over the next six to 12 months as people express interest and we set up the legal entity.

“Those 66 surgeons are working hard, so we would hope some will want to become participants.”

Southern Cross North Harbour Hospital on Auckland’s North Shore at Glenfield is being expanded. Image / Southern Cross Healthcare

The joint ventures give specialist shares and dividends for their capital contributions.

“They can sell those shares. That makes it advantageous for younger surgeons. Partnerships are where everyone is invested in the patients.”

Surgical case mix at the hospital is multi-speciality, including a large number of orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeries. Those include a robotic programme.

Chris White at Southern Cross Brightside Hospital where a $150m expansion is due to begin soon. Photo / Jason Dorday

The expanded hospital will have more inpatient surgical services.

More day-stay and surgical facilities, more specialists and the opportunity for a more co-ordinated healthcare delivery at one site are other aims.

Vehicle access and parking would be changed to make improvements, White said.

Chris White on land in Epsom owned by Southern Cross, where a $150m expansion to Southern Cross Brightside is planned. Photo / Jason Dorday

Across at Epsom, Southern Cross plans a $150m expansion, yet to be signed off by the Environment Court.

All up, the hospital business is spending $340m on the two properties.

White said it was unprecedented. The most it had ever spent on an expansion previously was last year in Wellington with a $90m upgrade of its Newtown site.

Tony Randerson, president of the Eden Epsom Residential Protection Society, said terms and conditions were now being negotiated with a November 30 deadline on the Brightside expansion.

This month, separate business Southern Cross Medical Care Society Group reported paying $1.8b in claims, got $2.1b in premiums and turned last year’s $51.8m deficit into a $146.9m surplus.

Southern Cross North Harbour

232 Wairau Rd, Glenfield$190m expansion under wayEight operating theatres go to 1510,000sq m existing buildings9000sq m additional building now risingBuilding by Savory ConstructionDelivery and build partner by project managers ExpediteDesign by Warren & Mahoney ArchitectsStaff to go from 285 to 400330 car parks go to 3807500 patients annually Could rise to 11,000 patients

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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