Palmerston North emergency department (ED)

For critical or life-threatening emergencies go to the emergency department or dial 111.

Palmerston North hospital has a 24-hour emergency department.

Access the emergency department through Gate 11 at 50 Ruahine Street. There is clear signage and a drop off bay.

Contact the emergency department on 06 350 8750

When to go to ED (internal link)

After hours and urgent medical centres (A&E)

If you cannot wait to see your doctor, or you do not have one, go to an urgent care clinic for bad cuts, sprains or breaks, minor head injury, or feeling really sick. You do not need an appointment but might have to wait.

Find an accident and urgent medical centre (A&E) — Healthpoint (external link)

The emergency department at Palmerston North hospital offers after hours care between 11pm and 6am.


Contact information

General queries: 06 356 9169
Queries about patients: 06 350 8770
Emergency department: 06 350 8750

Postal address:

  • Palmerston North Hospital
  • Private Bag 11036
  • Palmerston North 4442
  • New Zealand

Opening hours and contact information for specific wards and services can be found on Healthpoint.

Palmerston North Hospital — Healthpoint (external link)


Visiting hours

Palmerston North Hospital inpatient visiting hours are 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week.


How to get to the hospital

Palmerston North Hospital is located at:

50 Ruahine Street
Roslyn
Palmerston North 4442

By bus

There are bus services that stop outside Palmerston North Hospital.

Bus timetables and fares — Horizons Regional Council (external link)

By health shuttle

Shuttle services are available to take patients to and from some rural areas to appointments at Palmerston North Hospital.

These shuttles are run by volunteers and are subject to changing schedules.

St John's Waka Ora health shuttles help people get to health and wellbeing related appointments and home again. Their shuttles are available in the following areas:

  • Dannevirke
  • Fielding
  • Marton
  • Ōtaki
  • Pahiatua
  • Waimarino
  • Whanganui.

Find out about shuttle times in your area by calling St John on 0800 925 2672 or going to their website.

Waka Ora Health Shuttles — St John (external link)

The Foxton Beach Community Centre runs a health shuttle from Foxton Beach to Levin and Palmerston North—with other pick-up points in between.

Foxton Beach Community Centre and Health Shuttle — Horowhenua District Council (external link)

The Horowhenua Community health centre runs a health shuttle from Levin (Horowhenua Health Centre) to Palmerston North Hospital—with other pick-up points in between.

Horowhenua Community Health Shuttle — Horowhenua Health Shuttle (external link)

National Travel Assistance

The National Travel Assistance Scheme helps people who need to travel long distances or travel frequently for health appointments.

National Travel Assistance (internal link)


Parking information

There are more than 650 car parks available for the public.

Entrances

  • Main hospital entrance and car parks — Gates 9 and 11 on Ruahine Street.
  • Emergency Department — Gate 11 on Ruahine Street.
  • Emergency maternity (delivery suite) — Gate 9 on Ruahine Street or Gate 5 on Heretaunga Street.

Mobility parking

Mobility car parks are located near the main entrance of the hospital through Gate 11 on Ruahine Street.

Our 'Disability access map' shows locations of car parks, disability toilets, and hearing loops.

Maps (internal link)

Cost

The first 40 minutes of parking are free. After this, fees apply up to a maximum of $8 to $10 if you lose your ticket.

For more information about parking at Palmerston North Hospital, call Wilson Parking on 06 350 8803 or visit their website.

Palmerston North Hospital parking services — Wilson Parking (external link)

Car park shuttle

A free car park shuttle helps you get to the hospital entrance and back again if you need it.

Call the shuttle from the pay machines by pressing the 'assistance' button or find it by its flashing roof-top light. The shuttle operates from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Taxi drop-off and pick up locations

There are taxi parks outside the hospital's main entrance and on Heretaunga Street opposite the Hospital Dairy.

Call a taxi using the free taxi phone on the wall by the pharmacy in the main foyer. Taxis Palmerston North have numbered CabSpot signs around the hospital campus. Tell the call-operator the CabSpot you will be waiting at so they know exactly where to pick you up.

Locations of taxi parks and CabSpots can be found on our 'Map of entrances and paid car parking spaces' map.

Maps (internal link)


Facilities

Pharmacy

The pharmacy is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. It is closed on weekends and public holidays.

Hospital café

The hospital café is open:

  • 7:30am to 7pm, Monday to Friday
  • 7:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 7pm, weekends and public holidays.

Vending machines and ATM

There are vending machines and an ATM at the main entrance.


Patient and visitor information

Queries about patients: 06 350 8770

Download our guide for information about the service and support you can expect at Palmerston North Hospital.

Patient and visitor information guide [PDF, 6.5 MB]

Interpreter services

Spoken language and New Zealand Sign Language interpreting services are available to help with any communication needs.

Mahi Tahi — Partners in care

You can choose a main support person for practical and emotional support — this is your kaimanaaki partner in care. Your whānau can choose one for you if you are not able to.

Your main support person can:

  • join in clinical conversations and family meetings
  • join in clinical handovers
  • enter the ward you are admitted to at any time
  • help with basic care needs — if staff agree
  • support you with decision making
  • help with the transition of care to your home.

We may contact your support person and discuss your clinical information if we cannot get hold of you.

The Partners in Care programme at Palmerston North Hospital is called Mahi Tahi.

Mahi Tahi brochure [PDF, 606 KB]

Mahi Tahi guide book [PDF, 668 KB]

Spiritual care

Coping with illness or life limiting conditions brings up difficult questions. This process can make you or your whānau think about what matters most.

Our Spiritual Care team are trained to actively listen to life stories, especially the ones that emerge when people are going through tough times. Being able to talk things through can be helpful and feel as though a load has been lifted off your shoulders.

We can also help with creating rituals to mark important moments and connect you with faith or spiritual traditions that matter to you.

Request a spiritual care or chaplain visit by:

Palmerston North Hospital spiritual care pamphlet [PDF, 947 KB]


Accommodation

Te Whare Rapuora

Te Whare Rapuora offers marae-style communal sleeping (total 10 beds available), cooking, laundry, bathroom and shower facilities for manuhiri (visitors) in a safe, supportive environment for whānau (families).

Te Whare Rapuora brochure [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Brightwater Home

Brightwater Home is a residential aged-care facility situated within a few blocks of the hospital. The Regional Cancer Treatment Service has an agreement with them to provide stage-2 rest home care for people who need help with daily self-care activities. Accommodation at Brightwater is arranged and managed by the radiation therapy nursing staff.

Brightwater Home website (external link)

Ozanam House

Ozanam House provides accommodation for radiation therapy patients and their carer for the duration of treatment if you are from a designated out of town area. Bookings for Ozanam House are made through the regional clinics and the radiation oncology booking coordinator before the start of treatment.

Ozanam House website (external link)


Update your details

If you have a new email address or phone number, have moved house or changed GP, use our 'Update my details' form to let us know.

Update my details — Microsoft Forms (external link)


Send a patient a message

You can send a message to an inpatient at Palmerston North Hospital by completing our online form or sending an email.

MidCentral Patient Message Form — Microsoft Forms (external link)

Email: patient@midcentraldhb.govt.nz


Services at Palmerston North Hospital

Palmerston North hospital provides assessment, investigation, education and treatment for patients with cardiac disease through both inpatient and outpatient services.

Tamariki (children) up to the age of 15 years are cared for in the children's ward. These include both medical and surgical patients.

The clinical haematology department is involved in diagnosing and treating diseases of the blood and bone marrow.

The clinic rooms and offices of the clinical haematology department are on the first floor of Palmerston North Hospital.

Palmerston North Hospital has preschool, school, adolescent and hospital dental services. A number of these services are also offered in community and school dental services.

The Clinical Trials Unit is located in the Radiation Oncology Department on the first floor of the Palmerston North Hospital.

In the Trials Unit there are a number of trial co-ordinators. They have either a nursing or allied health qualification/background and are responsible for the co-ordination of trials. They are responsible for the co-ordination of the trial. Each trial also has a Doctor, called the Principal Investigator, who is responsible for that trial at MidCentral District Health Board. The patient’s RCTS doctor is responsible for their treatment on the trial.

Palmerston North Hospital has a dermatology outpatient service. Assessment, education and treatment of dermatological conditions, particularly those that are of a chronic nature, are available by referral from your healthcare provider.

Palmerston North Hospital's diabetes service operates from the Diabetes and Endocrinology Service in the Northside building. The focus of the service is to provide specialist care with a multidisciplinary approach to people with diabetes who most require it.

Palmerston North Hospital has dietitians to help you with dietary needs based on your reason for being referred to them.

ElderHealth is a specialist service for people over the age of 65 years — 55 years for Māori — with a focus on assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

Palmerston North Hospital offers gastroenterology services including:

  • inpatient support from other healthcare professionals predominately from medicine and surgery
  • outpatient support for inflammatory bowel disease and hepatitis C clinics, gastroscopy, colonoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

The Palmerston North Hospital Sexual Health Service sees people for gender affirming health care on referral. They provide:

  • medical assessment for and initiation of gender affirming hormone therapy as per the Guidelines for Gender Affirming Healthcare for Gender Diverse and Transgender Children, Young People and Adults in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • referral to Fertility Associates
  • facilitation of referral for gender affirming genital surgery through the High Cost Treatment Pool as per the Ministry of Health pathway.

Palmerston North Hospital's general medicine outpatient clinic is available if you have a non-acute medical condition that requires specialist assessment and treatment.

If you have either an acute need or an uncertain diagnosis and do not require immediate admission to hospital, but cannot wait to be seen at a normal, urgent outpatient clinic then you will be referred to the general medicine acute assessment clinic. This clinic is targeted at those patients who would otherwise be referred to the emergency department for assessment.
 
The infectious diseases outpatient clinic is available should you have problems that are or may be caused by infections and could complicate surgical procedures. If you have Hepatitis B, unusual organisms obtained on culture, recurrent cellulitis or boils you may be seen at this clinic.

Palmerston North Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) is a specially staffed and equipped department that provides care, specific monitoring and treatment for patients. Patients who are experiencing severe or life threatening medical problems, or who have suffered severe trauma or had undergone high-risk surgical procedures are admitted to the ICU.

Laboratory services are provided by Medlab Central. Test samples from patients referred by general practitioners, specialists, midwives and other medical referrers are analysed and results provided.

The Māori health unit provides advice and support to Palmerston North Hospital on the provision of appropriate services to meet Māori health needs as well as providing support for whanāu.

The Palmerston North Hospital maternity services include:

  • antenatal outpatient clinic, including a midwife-led clinic and a high-risk clinic. Various health practitioners, such as diabetic practitioners and dieticians, provide input
  • practitioners such as a diabetic practitioner and dietician
  • gynaecology day unit for women under 12 weeks pregnant
  • antenatal day assessment unit
  • delivery/birthing suite
  • maternity ward with both antenatal and postnatal facilities
  • lactation consultants to assist with infant feeding
  • community midwifery service
  • facilities for lead maternity carer (LMC's either self-employed midwives or GPs) to birth their clients and provide postnatal inpatient services
  • neonatal intensive care unit for babies born after 28 weeks
  • newborn hearing screening
  • baby hip check and clicky hips
  • Kaiawhina are available upon request for all patients.

Medical imaging is the radiology (x-ray), nuclear medicine and medical photography service at Palmerston North Hospital.

The Neonatal unit provides neonatal intensive and special care to preterm and unwell full term babies. Located at Level 1, Block C Palmerston North Hospital. Access via the main entrance.

Neurology services at Palmerston North Hospital include:

  • outpatient services, including a rapid access transient ischaemic attack (TIA) clinic and a fast-track epilepsy clinic
  • Inpatient care of patients with complex neurological conditions and stroke care based in the acute stroke unit
  • neurophysiology, including paediatric and adult EEG, nerve conduction studies, and EMG
  • MS treatment, botox, multidisciplinary motor neuron disease, neurosurgery and neuroradiology meetings as well as transition (from children to adult) neurology.

Palmerston North Hospital provides outpatient services for antenatal, gynaecology, sterilisation, colposcopy and fertility assessments.

The Regional Cancer Treatment Service (RCTS) is made up of multiple oncology teams that treat cancer.

  • Medical oncology specialises in chemotherapy.
  • Radiation oncology specialises in radiation therapy.
  • Clinical haematology specialises in blood conditions and their treatment.

The rehabilitation service offers inpatient, some outpatient and some community services to people between the age of 16 and 64 with physical disabilities.

The aim of the service is to create positive, challenging ways for clients to achieve their maximum potential.

The Palmerston North Hospital renal unit is open 6 days a week for dialysis treatment and is committed to providing the highest quality service to people with renal failure, to encourage independence and to ensure patients have their maximum quality of life.

Respiratory services at Palmerston North Hospital include:

  • an outpatient service which provides specialist respiratory medicine, respiratory nursing services, respiratory laboratory services, sleep clinic and integrated services with primary care
  • inpatient care of respiratory patients.

Rheumatology services at Palmerston North Hospital include:

  • an outpatient-based service
  • a paediatric rheumatology clinic.

This service addresses the acute and non-acute medical (including injury), psychological, and forensic (where indicated) requirements of sexual harm victims. The aim of the service is to identify and prevent any further or escalating issues, expedite the recovery of the affected victim, and ensure all forensic and medico-legal requirements are met.

Palmerston North Hospital has stop smoking services.

Phone 06 350 9119 or be referral by hospital staff.

Palmerston North Hospital social workers provide information about support services available in the community and assist with access and liaison to those services.

There are 7 operating theatres, a post anaesthetic care unit and a day of surgery admission area at Palmerston North Hospital.

The anaesthetic services includes an intensive care unit, pain management, intravenous therapy services, and malignant hyperthermia information.

Therapy services work within the inpatient, outpatient and community settings. Services include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, speech language therapy and psychology.

The service provides a National Vision Hearing Screening Programme to ensure the vision and hearing of individual children and adolescents at specific targeted age groups. The focus is the detection and referral for children to the appropriate agencies for assessment and or intervention. This minimizes the impact of hearing and vision problems on the child's overall development. 

Ward 24 is the orthopaedic ward, caring for patients with congenital abnormality, disease or trauma of the musculoskeletal system.

Ward 25 is dedicated for older people — age 75 or over, or 65 and over for Māori & Pasifika — with:

  • an acute medical illness
  • geriatric syndromes such as immobility, multi-morbidity, incontinence, dementia, polypharmacy, psychosocial problems, delirium and falls.

Ward 26 is a medical ward that cares for patients with neurological diseases, diabetes, and heart diseases. It also cares for gastroenterology patients and houses a stroke unit with a stroke team.

Ward 27 provides both acute and elective services for patients admitted to hospital for surgical subspecialty procedures and treatments.

Ward 28 caters for patients requiring a high level of nursing specialised care. ​Those conditions can range from:

  • acute respiratory failure
  • myocardial infarction
  • surgical or medical highly dependent patient’s requiring high skilled nursing care. 

Ward 29 cares mainly for patients who are admitted to hospital for general and vascular surgery and treatment.

Sexual Health Services has clinics at Palmerston North Hospital, Dannevirke Community Hospital and Horowhenua Health Centre. We provide confidential sexual health services and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

You do not need a referral by your healthcare provider, but appointments are necessary — phone 0800 808 602 or 06 350 8602 to make an appointment.

Feedback

How was the care you or your whānau received at Palmerston North Hospital? We welcome feedback, compliments or complaints to help us get things right.

Feedback form — Microsoft Forms (external link)

Phone: 06 350 8980
Email: feedback@midcentraldhb.govt.nz


If you have a problem you want sorted straight away, please talk with the staff caring for you or ask to speak with a manager in that area.