The Hawke's Bay District Health Board has approved a $12 million investment to refurbish Hawke's Bay Hospital's operating theatre, which will provide increased surgical capacity from 2019.
The project is designed to increase surgical capacity to meet demand in the short term, and includes building an additional theatre (bringing the total to eight) and the refurbishment of many other theatre services.
Provider Services executive director Sharon Mason said that with the project signed off she expected initial building work to begin late next year, expected to be completed by 2020.
"This will be a short-term solution to meet the growing surgical demands of the community.
"The long-term needs for operating theatre capacity at Hawke's Bay Hospital will be determined with the work of the Clinical Services Plan, which is currently under way."