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Groundwork for a major $60 million-plus expansion of Christchurch’s Forté Hospital is under way, with full construction set to begin in November.

The new facility, located next to the existing Forté Hospital on Kilmore St, will triple bed capacity and nearly double the theatre space, significantly boosting elective surgery capability.

A collaboration between Forté Health Ltd and property partners NHL and Mainland Capital will see the 6,000sq m footprint connect to the existing hospital.

“This new hospital facility demonstrates the commitment Forté has to the health of the Canterbury community,” Forté Health chief executive Michael Woodhouse said.

The new hospital facility, estimated to cost more than $60m, will enable significantly more capacity for elective surgery.

A special care unit will mean more complex cases can be undertaken, such as joint replacements and bariatric and cancer surgery.

The new Forté Hospital facility is pictured in an artist's impression alongside the existing hospital building.

Woodhouse said the new hospital facility is being built in response to increasing demand from both surgeons and patients.

“An increasing number of surgeons and patients want the sustainable, innovative model of care that Forté provides. This increasing demand has given us the confidence to invest in the new hospital facility and the overall expansion of the Forté precinct.”

In January this year, Forté opened a fifth operating theatre, providing space for an additional 1800 surgeries per year.

“We added 25% more capacity to our hospital in January this year, but that theatre is filling up fast. We expect that within a few months, we will be at capacity once again,” Woodhouse said.

“We have world-leading medical and surgical specialists here in Christchurch, many of whom operate across the public and private sector. To keep them here, we need to compete on a global scale and that means investing in innovative, world-class facilities. That’s exactly what we’re doing, and communities in Canterbury and across the South Island will benefit.”

The new hospital facility will increase the number of theatres at Forté from five to nine and increase bed numbers from 22 to 61. It will include a special care unit to allow for more complex, longer-stay surgeries.

Work began on site in late March with the installation of several test piles. Foundation work for the new hospital facility will start in August with construction due to begin in November.

The new hospital facility will be built to IL4 earthquake standards and certified under Greenstar to Level 5 rating. It is expected to be one of Christchurch’s largest commercial tenders for a vertical construction project this year. The project will go out to tender in August.

Forté Health CEO Michael Woodhouse.

Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson welcomed the long-term investment.

“This project will be a game-changer for many local businesses involved in the construction supply chain, who right now are looking for a steady pipeline that gives them confidence to grow and create jobs,” she said.

As well as creating jobs during construction, Woodhouse said the new hospital facility will provide ongoing opportunities, including through a graduate nursing programme planned as part of Forte’s workforce development strategy.

“We know that the future of our healthcare sector is reliant on significant investment across numerous layers. We need to better support our growing population and the increasing complexity of healthcare needs; this build is part of that.”

The new hospital facility is expected to open in mid-2027.