Napier Health seismic upgrade

Having recently upgraded the main stairwell at Napier Health Centre, structural work is underway to seismically upgrade the rest of the building.

When: Demolition started in December 2022, while construction started Jan 2023 and runs for 16 months or longer.

Where: Mostly the first floor with minimal out of hours work on the ground floor.

Can I still visit Napier Health?

• Yes. Patients can still visit all Napier Health services as normal including City Medical, the laboratory, pharmacy, specialist clinical appointments, Mental Health and Addictions or Child Adolescent and Family Services.
• For certain first floor services, patients might have to go to a different part of the building. Health professionals will notify patients if so, and our friendly Reception staff can direct people where to go. Signage will also be in place.

Non-patient facing services

Some teams delivering non-patient facing services (i.e. most of Population Health) will temporarily relocate to our Hastings premises. This is to enable us to continue to deliver patient services at Napier Health with minimal disruption. Team leaders and managers have already made those staff who are relocating aware verbally and via email.

We are working hard to minimise disruption. Thanks for your patience while work takes place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is construction work needed?

When Te Whatu Ora re-signed our lease for the premises, we agreed to upgrade the building in line with new building code standards set following the Christchurch earthquake.

How long will the work take?

Demolition started in December 2022 and strengthening work began in January 2023. Overall, construction is expected to take at least 16 months. We will provide more details of expected construction staging and timeframes once confirmed.

What does the work involve?

Structural elements of the work include: steel portal bracing frames, concrete column encapsulation and roof bracing.

In addition, the front entry colonnade leading to the public carpark is to be re-clad with a solid sheet aluminium to match the existing look.

Is the building still safe?

Yes. Napier Health is not earthquake prone, and is still safe to work in and visit. Te Whatu Ora and the building owner are upgrading the building to ensure it meets new building code standards set following the Christchurch earthquake.

Where in the building is the work taking place?

Mostly on the first floor. Ground floor services will continue as normal. However, there will be minimal out of hours work in some spaces on the ground floor. 

Read the media release about the project on ourhealthhb.nz (external link)