Hospital to be completed in Silverdale by Southern Cross

Nine years after Southern Cross Healthcare built its $8.8m hospital on the corner of Hibiscus Coast Highway and Millwater Parkway, the healthcare company is getting ready to offer hospital services there.

In 2012, Southern Cross had plans to include day surgery theatres and a recovery suite on the top floor of the building, however those were shelved. The reason given at the time was lack of demand.

Since then, the second floor of the building has been empty, while the first floor is occupied by GPs Silverdale Medical and other health professionals including dentists, physiotherapists, radiology and a pharmacy.

Last week, Southern Cross announced it is preparing to begin the fit out of the hospital on the second floor.

Work to complete the hospital which will have three operating theatres and a 10-bed ward is set to commence in six months, with expected completion due in mid-2023.

The facility will also have nine recovery chairs for day surgeries. The surgical specialities will be confirmed at a later date.

The amount of growth in the region is a key driver for Southern Cross.

In a press release, interim chief executive Chris White says when the organisation purchased the Silverdale site eight years ago, it recognised the growing community would need more access to healthcare, particularly among its ageing population and for the many families in the area.

“We have several strategic landholdings around the country in anticipation of meeting future healthcare needs in fast-growing regions. We procured the Silverdale site in the early days of the area’s development as part of our long-term hospital expansion strategy,” White says.

“The time is now right for Southern Cross to activate our presence on the Hibiscus Coast. We’re pleased that we’ll be able to bring hospital services to market in a relatively short time frame because we’re going into an existing building. We look forward to supporting the local community and increasing access to quality healthcare.”

Once completed, the Silverdale hospital will feature state-of-the-art green technology and features to reduce energy consumption and ensure the carbon footprint is minimal. 

Southern Cross is the largest independent private healthcare network in the country. It extends its services to insurance funded, ACC, DHB and self-paying patients.