The days of a hospital lift breakdown causing immobile patients to be transferred to other hospitals will soon be over for Northland’s Bay of Islands Hospital.

The two-storey revamped hospital opened in 2018 with just one elevator, which broke down so frequently, staff questioned if it was new.

Health NZ Te Whatu Ora will install a second lift in the growing hospital by the end of 2026, giving a backup in case of breakdown.

NZ Nurses Organisation delegate Ros Harvey, who worked as a nurse on the 20-bed ward on the second floor, said it was a nightmare every time the sole lift broke down.

The latest breakdown was for eight days in October but shorter breakdowns happened so frequently they have become “the norm”, she said.

A chairlift was installed by the stairs but was not suitable for patients who were confused or stuck in a bed, Harvey said.

Every time the lift broke down, staff had to carry goods up and down the stairs, with nurses and healthcare assistants carrying meal trays for 20 patients, three times a day, she said.

“I don’t think it’s fair; it’s not in their job description to bring trays of food up the stairs,” she said.

“It’s a total nightmare, it just is horrific.”

Harvey said the ward was badly designed, with an overall lack of space. A lift well for a second lift was used as the sole staffroom on the floor.

Installing a second lift in the hospital within the next year was a priority for Health NZ, said Te Tai Tokerau group director operations Alex Pimm.

The two-storey revamped Bay of Islands Hospital opened with just one lift in 2018 but was always designed to have two. Photo / NZME

The sole lift was “incredibly well used” and, while it did not breakdown more frequently than lifts in other hospitals, it was noticeable when it was out of action, he said.

The chairlift was installed about 12 months ago to help in times of breakdown but Pimm admitted it was not suitable for all patients and was never meant to be a lift replacement.

If the lift was not working and a patient was unable to get up the stairs, the protocol was to transfer the patient to Kaitāia Hospital, which had more capacity than Whangārei Hospital, he said.

However, patients sometimes need to be transferred to Whangārei Hospital for clinical reasons, such as needing an MRI scan or surgery, Pimm said.

Both hospitals were more than an hour’s drive away.

Pimm said when the revamped hospital was being built by then-Northland District Health Board, a decision was made in consultation with staff to use the lift well space for a second floor staffroom.

“I think the intent was always in the future for a [second] lift to go in there but a decision was made that it wasn’t required at the time the building was opening.”

The hospital has since become busier and the need for a second lift more evident, Pimm said. The first lift will also need replacing at some stage.

A second lift will be installed before the end of 2026 and the staffroom will be replaced, he said.

“It’s a large campus. We’ve got some other spaces that might be further away from the ward but I’m confident that we can replace it [the staffroom].”

Health NZ was also looking at ways to grow chemotherapy delivery at Bay of Islands Hospital, so more locals with cancer could have their treatment closer to home, Pimm said.

The hospital started offering nurse-led chemotherapy clinics two days a week in October 2024 and wanted to increase the days this was offered, he said.

Health NZ was also looking at ways to help the hospital’s emergency department cope with growing demand, Pimm said.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.