Auckland City Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auckland City Hospital |
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| Te Whatu Ora - Te Toka Tumai Auckland | |
The new 2003 section of the hospital
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| Geography | |
| Location | Grafton, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Organisation | |
| Funding | Public hospital |
| Hospital type | General, Teaching |
| Affiliated university | University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Yes |
| Helipad | Yes |
| Beds | 1,171 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1846 |
Auckland City Hospital is a large public hospital in Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. It is the biggest hospital in New Zealand. It is also one of the oldest medical places in the country. The hospital has over 1,100 beds for patients.
It started in 2003 by bringing together four different hospitals. These were Auckland Hospital (for adults), Starship Hospital (for children), Green Lane Hospital (for heart and lung care), and National Women's Hospital (for mothers and babies). Since 2022, public hospitals in Auckland have been run by Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand.
Contents
Why Auckland City Hospital is Important
The hospital's emergency room is very busy. It helps tens of thousands of patients every year. The Starship Hospital children's emergency room is right next to it. Together, they make the campus one of the busiest in Australasia.
This hospital is also a place for research and teaching. It trains future doctors, nurses, and other health workers. People with rare or complex medical problems from all over New Zealand might come here for special care. The hospital is very close to Starship Children's Health. This is a separate hospital for kids on the same land. The hospital is also next to the Auckland Medical School.
History of the Hospital Buildings
Early Buildings
The first Auckland Hospital building was made of wood. It was on the same spot from 1846 to 1877. It had four rooms, each with 10 beds. Frederick Thatcher, a famous architect, designed it. The hospital cared for both European and Māori patients. Thomas Moore Philson was in charge of the hospital from 1859 to 1883.
In 1877, a new building was built for about £25,000. It was designed in an Italianate style by Philip Herepath. This new hospital helped many people who could not pay. But it was often too full and did not have enough staff. The training for staff was also not very good. This changed when Annie Crisp became the new matron in 1883. She had learned from Florence Nightingale's new ideas. Annie Crisp helped turn the hospital into a proper place for nurse training. She was given the Royal Red Cross award in 1894.
Current Hospital Buildings
The old Herepath building was taken down in 1964. A new building, designed by Stephenson & Turner, was finished in 1967. This building is still part of the hospital today.
In the early 1990s, the New Zealand health system changed. Auckland Hospital was run like a business, aiming to make a profit. It was called Auckland Crown Health Enterprise then.
The hospital facility we see today opened in 2003. It brought together four hospitals into one big place. These were Auckland Hospital (for adults), Starship (for children), Green Lane Hospital (for heart and lung care), and National Women's Hospital (for mothers and babies).
The newest part of the hospital cost NZ$180 million to build. It was built between 2000 and 2003. It has nine floors, plus one for machinery. This is five floors fewer than the older part of the hospital. The new building is very large, covering 75,575 square metres. It is one of New Zealand's biggest public buildings. Jasmax and McConnel Smith and Johnson Architects Sydney designed it. Fletcher Construction built it.
From 2001 to 2022, Auckland City Hospital was part of the Auckland District Health Board. On July 1, 2022, Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora – Māori Health Authority became the new national health groups. The Auckland District Health Board then became part of Health New Zealand.
What's Inside the Hospital
Here is a look at what you can find on each floor of the main hospital building:
- Level 01: Stores for patient records and medical waste.
- Level 02: Emergency rooms for both children and adults.
- Level 03: Wards for heart patients.
- Level 04: Seven operating rooms, one special hybrid operating room, and intensive care units.
- Level 05: X-ray and imaging centre, and a special unit for stroke patients.
- Level 06: Wards for general medicine, skin problems, infections, cancer, and blood conditions.
- Level 07: Wards for general surgery, injuries, bone problems, joint problems, stomach issues, kidney problems, and breathing problems.
- Level 08: Thirteen operating rooms, wards for brain and nerve problems, and critical care.
- Level 09: Four operating rooms, care for mothers before and after birth, and special care for newborn babies.
- Level 10: Rooms for air conditioning and other building systems.
The older part of the hospital is now called the support building. It holds offices, cleaning services, and physical and occupational therapy. It also has a special ward for bone marrow transplants. Some patient services and teaching areas are there too. The support building is connected to the new building by a skywalk.
See also
- List of hospitals in New Zealand
- Starship Children's Health
- Westpac Rescue Helicopter
- University of Auckland, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
