Patients across Otago and Southland will begin receiving care at the New Dunedin Hospital Outpatients | Whare Mātūtū from Monday 12 October, marking a major milestone in the transformation of healthcare services across the Southern district.
The five-storey, 15,000 square metre facility is the first completed clinical building within the wider New Dunedin Hospital and will bring together a wide range of specialist outpatient, diagnostic, and day procedure services under one roof.
Health New Zealand Southern Group Director of Operations Craig Ashton says extensive planning, testing, and staff preparation has taken place to ensure the facility is ready to safely welcome its first patients.
“Monday represents the culmination of years of planning, collaboration, and hard work by hundreds of people who have helped bring this facility to life.
“While the building was officially opened in August, the period since then has been focused on commissioning staff training simulations and making sure every aspect of the patient journey has been tested and refined.”
The te reo Māori name, Whare Mātūtū, reflects a place of care, recovery, and wellbeing, supporting people through their health journeys.
The building will house a range of outpatient clinics and services, together with radiology and imaging services, day surgery, and procedure rooms.
Patients will benefit from a range of new digital tools, including self-service check-in kiosks, digital wayfinding, patient queue management technology, and improved access to electronic health information. These systems are designed to make appointments easier to navigate while supporting a more connected healthcare experience.
Health New Zealand Southern and South Island Chief Medical Officer Dr David Gow says patients should follow instructions provided in their appointment letters, emails, and texts.
“Patients with appointments from Monday will have been advised if their clinic or service has moved to New Dunedin Hospital Outpatients. Anyone who is unsure should check their appointment information or contact the service they are scheduled to attend.
“We know there will be a sense of excitement for many people visiting the building for the first time and our staff will be on hand to help patients and whānau find their way around.”
There will be some changes in service locations in the current Dunedin Hospital as a result of some outpatient services relocating. There will be clear signage providing guidance regarding changes and staff will be available to assist patients to get to the correct location.
Once fully staffed and operational, the additional capacity provided by the new facility is expected to support about 1700 additional day surgical procedures, 13,300 additional medical imaging appointments, and 2,700 additional medical day stay appointments each year.
New Dunedin Hospital Outpatients is located at 360 Cumberland Street, Dunedin.