Gore Health has launched a $6 million fundraising campaign to extend its emergency department and add a new general practice wing at Gore Hospital, having recorded more than 1000 ED presentations in June.
The project also includes extra car parking. Gore Health said the June figure, for a single month, showed the growing pressure on its existing facilities.
Plans for the ED include about 338 square metres of alterations to the current department and a further 118 square metres of new space.
That work would improve areas used to assess and treat patients, the reception and waiting areas, and ambulance access.
The GP wing would add about 388 square metres, including new consultation rooms and supporting clinical space.
Gore Health is community-owned and not-for-profit. It looks after about 20,000 people in Gore, West Otago and nearby districts, and its ED never closes.
The project was a major investment in Eastern Southland's future health care, chief executive Karl Metzler said in a written statement.
"Our clinical teams do an outstanding job with the facilities they have, but the demands on healthcare have changed considerably over the years," Mr Metzler said.
"This development will allow us to improve the way patients move through our services, provide more appropriate spaces for treatment and give our staff the facilities they need to continue delivering high-quality care."
The hospital followed campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s to keep hospital services in the town. The new hospital, owned by the community, opened in Birch Lane in May 1999.
"This hospital exists today because generations before us recognised the importance of having quality healthcare close to home and fought to make that happen," Mr Metzler said.
He said Gore Health had a responsibility to make sure its buildings could meet local needs for the next 25 years and beyond.
The campaign will seek charitable grants, major funding partnerships, corporate sponsorship and community fundraising, as well as support from individuals.
"This is an important investment in the future of healthcare for our district, and one we believe our community and funding partners will recognise the value of," Mr Metzler said.
What happens next
Gore Health will approach funding organisations, businesses and individuals for support, Mr Metzler said.
"Every contribution, large or small, will help move us closer to making this project a reality," he said. The announcement did not give a date for building work to begin.
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