The Auckland District Health Boards have opened new facilities for elective surgery at Greenlane Clinical Centre that will relieve operating theatres at Auckland City hospital. The new facilities will reduce waiting times as well as cancellation and postponement rates for Aucklanders undergoing elective surgery.

The refurbishment cost a total of NZ$ 27 million and also includes a new instrument sterilization department and eye clinic to be opened in 2012. The new 30-bed overnight ward that will also be opened next year will give surgeons the opportunity to offer a wider range of procedures than in day surgery.

Performing elective surgery at a different facility has advantages over mixing it with the semi-selective and emergency surgeries of a regular hospital. Patients’ routine surgeries are not habitually postponed because of the more urgent conditions emergency room patients might be facing.

The new centre was modelled on a facility that is run by the District Health Board in Manukau. It is aimed at delivering 4,500 discharges by 2015/16.

The three new surgery facilities are the first to be opened out of the 20 elective surgery theatres that the National Party had committed to building after the 2008 elections. Health Minister Tony Ryall, who opened the new facility, said that while there was `no definite period’ in which the 20 centres were to be built, it would definitely happen over the next 5 years.