It has happened. 

Nearly a decade since it was first proposed for the old Cadbury building site, the doors are open for the new Dunedin hospital outpatient building. 

There are some final aspects to get through to ensure the full transfer of staff and eventually patients into the building, but as Health Minister Simeon Brown told the media stand-up on Friday, this part of the project at least has been completed.

At the ribbon cutting for the new Dunedin Hospital outpatient building, from left, are: Community Voice Committee Chair Marie Wales; Ūpoko - Ōtākou Rūnaka Edward Ellison; Health Minister Simeon Brown; Health NZ Southern Disability Committee Chair John Marrable; and Health NZ Board Chair Mark Darrow.

Asked about the long road to get to this point, Mr Brown said: “Look, the first thing I did when I became Minister of Health [in January 2025] was to come to Dunedin and to give certainty about the inpatient building,” Mr Brown said.

“To say, look, it will be built on the old Cadbury site. Construction is now underway.You can see it right behind you. Three cranes in the sky, steel being lifted up. This completed outpatient building is the start of this project.”

The brand-new MRI scanner at the new Dunedin Hospital outpatient building

The $440 million, five-storey, 15,000 square metre outpatient building brings specialist  and diagnostic services together under one roof, including children’s and women’s health, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, respiratory medicine, radiology and imaging, and day surgery.

“There's been many people who have been involved in the project, teams and clinicians who have had a range of roles in getting us to this point,” Mr Brown said. 

“But the key thing now is operationalising it and ensuring that the patients get the benefit. We can focus on patients, reducing wait times, reducing wait lists and unlocking the benefits that this new piece of infrastructure provides to the Lower South Island.”

The new Dunedin Hospital will be the most digitally-enabled in the country. Photo: Gregor Richardson

Clinical input was vital in terms of the final layout of the outpatient building, Mr Brown said.

“Dr Sheila Barnett has played a really important role in bringing the clinicians on board for the journey. The clinical input is critically important to making sure this building delivers for the health workforce, but also for patients.”

Mr Brown also spoke of how technology would play a role in the future of the outpatient building and eventually inpatient building. 

“Digital enablement is a big part of this hospital in terms of how people navigate the building, how bookings are done, and a range of other ways in terms of how it supports clinicians to do their work more efficiently . . . My expectation of Health New Zealand is they take the lessons from the digital enablement of this building to look at the other hospitals that are being built around the country.”

Minister Simeon Brown new Dunedin Hospital outpatient building. In the background is progress on the inpatient building. Photo: Gregor Richardson

A number of outpatient services will move from the current Dunedin Hospital campus in October, with the remainder expected to relocate in early 2027. Additional clinical and support staff are being recruited for phase one.

"Having a more modern facility will mean that this can drive more efficiency, and ultimately that means reduced wait lists and wait times for patients,” Mr Brown said.

Taieri MP Ingrid Leary said on Friday it was a “fantastic day” for Dunedin and the region.

“All power and tribute to the 35,000 Dunedin and Lower South Island people who marched to get the hospital happening.

“Let's be clear, the reason that we have got here [today] is because of the tenacity and advocacy of local people and it is going to probably take that to ensure the inpatient building is also achievable in the right way.

“We need to get the hospital happening in its full completion.This is half of it. Fantastic, let's get the other half.”