Wakefield Hospital

Wakefield Hospital is the largest private hospital in the Wellington region. More than $166m has been committed to extensively redevelop the campus to create a resilient, state-of-the-art medical facility for the Wellington community. 

Located on a 5.5-acre site south of Wellington’s CBD, the facility is being rebuilt with base isolators and accelerometers, all designed to exceed the latest seismic codes and standards. It means that, in the event of a major earthquake, the Hospital can continue to operate without interruption to its services. 

The project is being rolled out in three stages to minimize disruption. Stage two will see five levels built: four will be home to a 37-bed inpatient ward, 10 ICU beds, a cardiac cath lab, seven operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, and reception; a fifth level will be a future-proofed shell, ready to fit out to meet demand for additional healthcare services in the region. 

RCP has brought all of its healthcare experience to bear on this complex job, which it is project managing. A tight program meant most of the in-ground work was completed during the winter. RCP’s role was coordinating and leading the solutions to some of the inherent challenges posed by wet weather conditions.  

An ongoing challenge was managing construction in a live hospital environment. RCP has adeptly coordinated the works with the medical and administration staff to ensure they can continue to deliver care and services to patients while also making sure that construction progresses smoothly.