North Shore Hospital

Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand

This article is about the New Zealand hospital. For the hospital in New York, see North Shore University Hospital. For the hospital in Australia, see Royal North Shore Hospital.

Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand

North Shore Hospital

Te Whatu Ora

View of North Shore Hospital across the adjacent Lake Pupuke

Geography
Location| North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand
Coordinates| 36°46′52″S 174°45′27″E﻿ / ﻿36.781139°S 174.757397°E﻿ / -36.781139; 174.757397
Organisation
Funding| Public hospital
Type| Teaching
Services
Emergency department| Yes
Beds| 663
Speciality| Tertiary care
History
Opened| 1956 as a maternity hospital, 1984 as tertiary hospital
Links
Website| www.waitematadhb.govt.nz
Lists| Hospitals in New Zealand

North Shore Hospital is a large public hospital in Takapuna, New Zealand, serving the northern part of Auckland. Located on Shakespeare Road near Lake Pupuke, it is administered by the Northern division of Te Whatu Ora . The hospital provides health services to residents of the North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney districts. The Emergency Department staff at North Shore see more than 46,000 cases each year.[1]

## Facilities

[edit]

The hospital provides up to 600 surgical and general medical treatment beds. It has twelve operating theatres (one specialised in obstetric care), an emergency department, a 50-bed Assessment and Diagnostic Unit, an intensive care centre, an Elective Surgery Centre[2] and a coronary care [3] as well as a maternity and special care baby unit.[4]

The hospital also provides endoscopy, radiology, pathology, anaesthetic, gynecological, general surgery, a cardiac catheter lab and mental health services through the onsite Marinoto and He Puna Waiora units. Visiting specialists cover a number of further medical sub-disciplines. Two of the wards specialise in assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of older patients over 65 years of age.[4]

## Funding and staffing

[edit]

In 2007, North Shore Hospital repeatedly reported 100% occupancy rates and difficulties in finding enough staff. This is alleged to be partly due to North Shore City's affluence, with the catchment area having some of the highest average incomes in New Zealand, as well as scoring high on other social indicators. As the District Health Board funding scheme distributes money based on these indicators, it has been claimed that it receives much less funding per population served than hospitals in other areas of the country.[5]

The issues with staff shortages and overcrowding, repeatedly discussed in the press during the middle of 2007, have led two North Shore National MPs to inquire into the issue, noting that a 'crisis of confidence' had developed, which was generating more concern from locals 'than anything else in recent times'.[6]

In 2011 North Shore Hospital opened an Assessment and Diagnostic Unit (ADU) designed to improve overcrowding and patient flow through the North Shore Emergency Department, and increase inpatient bed capacity. Waitemata DHB has since made improvements against the NZ Ministry of Health's Shorter Stays in ED target.[7] From July to September 2009 61% of patients were admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours. For the same period in 2013, 95% of patients were admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours.[8] In 2024, the hospital wss struggling to handle demand with emergency department patients having to stay on trolleys in the corridors at times, this was attributed partly to the hospital not having enough inpatient beds available to receive patients from emergency.[9][10] An increase incidents of aggression against staff was also attributed to pressure on resources.[11]

## History

[edit]

Aerial view of North Shore Hospital under construction in 1956

North Shore Hospital was founded in 1956 as a maternity hospital with a small emergency department.

The Main Tower Block of North Shore Hospital with Lakeview Cardiology Centre in the foreground overlooking Lake Pupuke

The main Tower Block of North Shore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand was officially opened on April 2, 1984 by the then Prime Minister, Rt Hon David Lange. The hospital became a general tertiary acute hospital.[12][13]

November 2011 saw the opening of the Lakeview Cardiology Centre.[3]

The Elective Surgery Centre was opened by Minister of Health Tony Ryall in 2013.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Emergency Department (ED) - North Shore Hospital". Retrieved 23 Apr 2019.
2. ^ a b "Elective Surgery Centre Opens". stuff.co.nz. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
3. ^ a b "Coronary Care Unit Opens". stuff.co.nz. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
4. ^ a b North Shore Hospital (database entry on healthpoint.co.nz website. Accessed 2008-06-21.)
5. ^ "Editorial: Hospital funding not fair". The New Zealand Herald. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
6. ^ Hospital worries \- The New Zealand Herald, Thursday 12 July 2007
7. ^ "Hospital bounces back from troubles". 20 April 2012.
8. ^ "How is my DHB performing?".
9. ^ Quinn, Rowan (4 April 2024). "North Shore Hospital ED overflow forces patients to wait in corridors, double-bunk". RNZ. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
10. ^ Quinn, Rowan (9 April 2024). "Unused Auckland surgical centre could be treating more than 15,000 patients a year". RNZ. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
11. ^ Hill, Ruth; Quinn, Rowan (29 August 2023). "Staff at two Auckland hospitals hit panic buttons, called security thousands of times". RNZ. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
12. ^ "North Shore Hospital Comes of Age on 20th Birthday". www.scoop.co.nz. 2 April 2004. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
13. ^ "Shore Hospital has come a long way". www.stuff.co.nz. 31 Jan 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Photographs of North Shore Hospital held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
* The Well Foundation

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Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand

Buildings and facilities|

* North Shore Hospital
* The PumpHouse Theatre
* Sentinel
* Shore City Shopping Centre

Geographic features|

* Lake Pupuke
* Rangitoto Channel
* Shoal Bay
* Takapuna Fossil Forest

Infrastructure|

* Auckland Northern Motorway
* Smales Farm busway station

Historic sites|

* St Mary's Seminary

Government|

* Auckland Council
* Devonport-Takapuna Local Board
* North Shore ward
* North Shore City Council (defunct)

Schools and organisations|

* Carmel College
* Rosmini College
* Takapuna AFC
* Takapuna Rugby Football Club
* Westlake Boys High School
* Westlake Girls High School

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Hospitals in New Zealand

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* Auckland City
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Private|

* Braemar
* Southern Cross Auckland Surgical Centre
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* Auckland Adventist
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* Kingseat
* Lake Alice
* Mount View Lunatic Asylum
* Porirua Lunatic Asylum
* Princess Margaret
* Pukeora Sanatorium
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* St Helens
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Authority control databases

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* ISNI
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* United States

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