New 16-Bed Mental Health and Addiction Facility Opens at Rotorua Hospital

A new 16-bed acute mental health and addiction facility has officially opened at Rotorua Hospital, providing people in the Lakes district with faster access to support and a better crisis response, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced today.

The previous inpatient unit was more than 45 years old and no longer provided the right environment for people to get well. People go into these facilities to get the support they need to get better, and they deserve a place that helps them do that, Mr Doocey says.

This new facility increases the number of beds available from 14 to 16 and will mean more people in the Lakes district can access the support they need when they need it.

The new facility includes individual bedrooms, therapy and activity spaces, family areas, and internal courtyards. It also has different spaces for people with different needs, including quieter areas for those who need a lower-stimulus environment.

It also matters for our frontline workers. Mental health staff do an incredibly important job supporting people through some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they need the right facilities to do that job.

The Mental Health Wellbeing and Recovery Unit, Te Whare Oranga Tangata o Whakaue, will welcome its first patients from 25 August.

This is part of our plan that’s delivering faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response for New Zealanders.

$50 million has been invested in this facility as part of the Mental Health Infrastructure Programme, which includes 18 projects to improve mental health facilities around the country.

We are also continuing to invest in support across the continuum, including better primary mental health support, specialist services and promotion. By investing earlier, we can help prevent more people from reaching the point where they need inpatient care.

This is about building a better future for people in Rotorua and making sure when they reach out for help, support is there.