The New East Wing Building (NEWB) will enable the relocation of the following core clinical services: Emergency Department, Radiology, Laboratory, Maternity services, Neonatal, and Intensive Care Unit, incorporating High Dependency Unit and Coronary Care Unit.
In addition, site-wide infrastructure upgrades will improve the resilience of the hospital campus with the addition of a second emergency power generator, increased water storage, replacement of the oxygen storage facility, provision of a new services routes for critical building services and the replacement of the secondary computer server room.
The expected outcomes include:
- compliance with Earthquake Prone Building Amendment Act
- compliance with NZ Building Code
- reduced clinical risk
- improved resilience of Taranaki Base Hospital, including post-disaster provision of emergency medical and surgical response
- improved models of care that enable Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Taranaki to manage acute demand by the improvement of patient pathways in the Emergency Department (ED).
- the development of an Acute Assessment Unit to reduce hospital admissions
- improved equity of access for Māori via the inclusion of a Primary Birthing Unit adjacent to the Secondary Care Maternity Unit
- improved patient transfer times with the inclusion of a rooftop helipad with direct access to the ED, Intensive Care Unit and theatres.