Private hospital plans expansion

Braemar Hospital has announced plans for a multimillion dollar expansion on a new Hamilton site.

The private hospital has bought a 1.6ha site from the Salvation Army.

Chief executive Paul Bennett said plans were being finalised for a new hospital there.

It was expected to be one of New Zealand's largest private surgical developments on a greenfields site.

"We are currently in the concept stage and expect to begin building in about a year to 18 months . . . we need to make decisions such as how many beds, how many theatres and so on."

Mr Bennett said the purchase price was confidential, but confirmed it was a multimillion-dollar deal.

Major Lindsay Chisholm, the Salvation Army's divisional commander, said the sale of the site would not reduce its commitment to Waikato families in need.

"The arrangements that we have concluded with Braemar Hospital allow us to continue to occupy part of the current site for a number of years while we consider our options for a new site."

The site was large enough to accommodate both The Salvation Army Community and Family Service programmes (The Nest) and the first phase of Braemar's new hospital, Major Chisholm said.

"For us to continue as leaders of these types of services in the Waikato, we know we will need to update the facilities from which the Community and Family Services are provided," he said.

"The sale of this land will allow us, in time, to develop the type of purpose-built facilities we will need in the future."

Mr Bennett said the new hospital would be developed in two stages.

Braemar Hospital is owned by the Braemar Charitable Trust, a non-profit Hamilton-based organisation.

The hospital operates at two sites.

- nzpa