MidCentral District Health Board

MidCentral DHB’s district stretches across the North Island of New Zealand from the west to the east coast and is distinguished by the Tararua and Ruahine ranges that traverse the centre of the district.

MidCentral Health employs the majority of MidCentral District Health Board’s staff (1,800) to deliver healthcare. There are over 350 resourced beds in two locations Palmerston North Hospital and Horowhenua Health Centre (Levin).

MidCentral Health provides some lower level tertiary services and some specialist community health services are provided on a wider regional basis. These include regional cancer treatment services (one of six in New Zealand), breast screening services, haematology, renal, urology and public health services.

MidCentral Health’s position as a provider of regional services is growing in collaboration with other DHB’s within the region, and with Whanganui DHB in particular through the centralAlliance. Secondary and community specialist health services are provided by MidCentral Health. Read more about the specialist services provided by MidCentral Health.

Medical and Surgical Services

Includes inpatient and outpatient services in General Medicine, Cardiology, Respiratory Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Rheumatology, Nephrology and Dermatology.  A full range of surgical specialties and Emergency Services are provided from Palmerston North Hospital, with the exception of neurosurgery and cardiothoracic surgery.

Women’s Health Services – Antenatal, delivery, postnatal maternity services and community midwifery are provided from Palmerston North Hospital and Horowhenua Health Centre.  Specialist services including Gynaecology and Colposcopy are provided from Palmerston North Hospital.

Child Health Services – Acute child health services are provided within Palmerston North Hospital as well as some services at Horowhenua Health Centre.  Domiciliary secondary care child health services and community paediatric services are provided in the community also.  There is a Level Two Neonatal Unit at Palmerston North Hospital.

Mental Health Services – encompass general adult mental health, including acute assessment and treatment in both community and inpatient settings, child adolescent and family mental health, alcohol, drug and substance abuse services, and specialist Maori mental health services.

Cancer Services – The Regional Cancer Treatment service provides medical oncology, radiation oncology, palliative care and haematology services.  It covers a population of 555,000 people over a catchment area which includes Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Whanganui and Wairarapa.  It also participates in a number of national and international clinical trials.

Palmerston North Hospital (Palmerston North) – The base regional hospital in Palmerston North has a dedicated Intensive Care Unit, Coronary Care Unit and Neonatal Unit, amongst other services, and provides one of the largest trauma centres in New Zealand.

The hospital provides services to a geographic area of around 880,000 hectares (ha) and spans the North Island of New Zealand, from the western coast of the Manawatu, Horowhenua and Otaki districts, to the Tararua district on the eastern coast.

Palmerston North Hospital is a 350 bed secondary care hospital, which services an urban population of 75,000 and a total population catchment of 160,000, increasing to 500,000 for the delivery of some tertiary services. In addition, the hospital is a teaching hospital, and is associated with both Auckland and Otago medical schools.

Lifestyle

Palmerston North referred to by locals as Palmerston,  is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand.

The city is inland, located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, near the north bank of the Manawatu River. The city is 35 km (22 mi) from the river’s mouth and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatu Gorge. It is about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington.

The city covers an area of 325.94 square kilometres (126 sq mi). The official limits of the city take in rural areas to the south, north-east, north-west and west of the main urban area, extending to the Tararua Ranges.

Palmerston North is the country’s seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area, with an urban population of 82,400

As a growing hub for the lower North Island, Palmerston North City offers the sophistication and diversity of a major city with all the freedom and space of a provincial centre.

In this affordable city with its ‘easy living’ life-style, beautiful homes are available at a fraction of the cost of other New Zealand cities. For most, the morning commute is less than 10 minutes by car.

Palmerston North City is known nationally as a centre for learning and knowledge, with excellent tertiary, secondary and primary education. For children starting school or adults wanting to further their study, first-rate educational opportunities are available.

The community of this region is a diverse but close-knit one, where newcomers are warmly welcomed. The range of cultures here brings a dynamic, international perspective to everyday life.

A year-round calendar of events keeps the City alive and humming, from motorsport mayhem, to urban festivals of creativity and music that bring the streets alive with their colour and sounds.