Christchurch Hospital

Christchurch Hospital is the largest tertiary hospital in the South Island of New Zealand. The public hospital is in the centre of Christchurch city, on the edge of Hagley Park, and serves the wider Canterbury region. The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) operates the hospital with funding from the government.

Christchurch Hospital
Canterbury District Health Board
Christchurch Hospital buildings viewed from the southeast
Location in Christchurch
Geography
LocationRiccarton Avenue, Christchurch, New Zealand
Coordinates43.5344°S 172.6255°E / -43.5344; 172.6255
Organisation
FundingGovernment (District Health Board)
TypeGeneral
Affiliated universityUniversity of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine
Services
Emergency departmentYes
Beds600-650
HelipadICAO: NZJC
History
Opened1 June 1862
Links
Websitehttp://www.cdhb.govt.nz/chc/
ListsHospitals in New Zealand

Christchurch Hospital is the major trauma centre for northern and central Canterbury, and the tertiary major trauma centre for the wider Canterbury and West Coast regions.[1] The hospital is home to one of New Zealand's four burns units, primarily serving the Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southland regions.[2]

The Christchurch School of Medicine is on the hospital campus, the school provides teaching for fourth, fifth and sixth year medical students, and is part of the University of Otago.

The hospital has a helipad (ICAO: NZJC) in Hagley Park, 500 m (1,600 ft) to the southwest along Hagley Avenue.[3]

History

The Provincial Government voted £1,500 to building the hospital in Christchurch in 1861. The initial building was a two-storied "barn-like structure" on Hagley Park at Riccarton Avenue. It opened on 1 June 1862, after "Hands off Hagley" protests by citizens.[4] The last of the original buildings were demolished in 1917.[5]

In 2009, the CDHB announced a NZ$400 million proposal to replace some of the hospital buildings, including a new 450-bed hospital, a rooftop helipad and additional operating theatres. The construction was due to start in 2011, and be expected to take three years.[6]

The hospital received criticism for not being environmentally friendly when it heated the new Acute Services Building with a coal fired boiler in 2015.[7]

Following the earthquakes, construction plans were scrapped and over the next five years, the Burwood Health Campus and the Christchurch Hospital will undergo a $650 million redevelopment. This is the biggest ever investment in public health facilities in New Zealand. At Christchurch Hospital, the new Acute Services building will have:

  • additional operating theatres,
  • around 400 beds, including purpose-designed spaces for children,
  • an expanded intensive care unit,
  • state-of-the-art radiology department,
  • an emergency department, and
  • a rooftop helipad.

The Burwood Health Campus will have:

  • 230 new inpatient beds,
  • a new front of house area including a new main entrance, café and reception,
  • a new back of house area comprising a new hospital kitchen, clean and dirty loading docks, supply and distribution area and the plant to support these areas,
  • an extended radiology department,
  • and a new outpatient department able to manage 80,000 outpatient visits a year.

[8]

The hospital played a key role in treating casualties of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, admitting 164 people with serious injuries.[9] The quake also caused the evacuation of one ward.[10]

The hospital also played a key role in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings, admitting 49 people with injuries from the shooting, two of which would later die in the hospital.

See also

References

  1. "New Zealand Out-of-Hospital Major Trauma Destination Policy -- South Island Area" (PDF). National Trauma Network/Te Hononga Whētuki ā-Motu. February 2017.
  2. "New Zealand National Burn Service". www.nationalburnservice.co.nz. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  3. "Christchurch Hospital Heliport aerodrome chart" (PDF). AIP New Zealand. Civil Aviation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  4. "Christchurch Chronology 1862". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  5. "Original Christchurch Hospital, Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch". Christchurch City Libraries. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  6. Thomas, Kim (17 September 2009). "$400m plan for Christchurch hospital". The Press. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  7. Broughton, Cate (17 July 2015). "New Christchurch Hospital building to be heated with coal". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  8. Thomas, Kim (17 September 2009). "Facilities Development Project". CDHB. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  9. "Christchurch earthquake: Rescue teams switch focus to grim task". The New Zealand Herald. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  10. Harper, Paul (25 February 2011). "Christchurch earthquake: What you need to know". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
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