Stroke patients to benefit from rehabilitation unit at Auckland City Hospital

The new facility, to be built within existing space at the hospital, will create an extra 41 beds, help meet future demand, and enable the DHB to deliver equitable outcomes for patients.

Thousands of stroke patients will benefit from better care at a new integrated stroke and rehabilitation inpatient unit at Auckland City Hospital Health Minister David Clark says.

The new facility, to be built within existing space at the hospital, will create an extra 41 beds, help meet future demand, and enable the DHB to deliver equitable outcomes for patients.

“Stroke is the third largest killer in New Zealand after cancer and heart disease and outcomes tend to be worse for Māori and Pacific people,” David Clark said.

“While we are making progress in tackling the contributors to stroke, demand for stroke care in Auckland is rising due to population growth and demographic changes. There’s a pressing need to expand these services. That’s why the Government has approved $30m in funding for this new facility.

“Stroke care is currently delivered in different parts of Auckland City Hospital with acute care split between two wards and rehabilitation provided elsewhere. 

“Co-locating these services in a new purpose-built unit will help to improve continuity of care for patients and reduce the overall time spent in the hospital,” David Clark said.

The new facility has been designed with dedicated spaces for targeted rehabilitation, a central dining area, gym, and other shared spaces for patients and whānau. 

The project is part of the $750 million infrastructure investment in Budget 2018. Construction is expected to start later this year and is due to be completed by mid-2020.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)