Hospital redevelopment brings world-class facilities to Cantabrians
Eight years, $130 million dollars and four new buildings – St George’s redevelopment, completed in 2020, has made it one of the most well-equipped private hospitals in New Zealand.
New facilities include digital operating theatres using the same 4K technology as Hollywood blockbuster movies; Christchurch’s only private hospital-based intensive care and isolation unit; cancer treatment facilities; and purpose-built spinal injury rooms designed with input from tetraplegia patients.
The final stage of the redevelopment – the Cressy Wing – opened in late November 2020, housing more state-of-the-art operating theatres, education facilities, a medical supply store and hospital laundry.
Cressy Wing is one of four new buildings at St George’s built since 2012, replacing those damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes.
All of St George’s operating theatres – including those in the new Cressy Wing – are now equipped with world-leading 4K technology, which has been referred to internationally as the ‘era of big screen surgery’. The 4K imaging system provides surgeons with unparalleled vision inside the human body via large screens in the operating theatre.
St George’s Hospital was also one of the first in New Zealand to install a high-definition surgical video system, using similar technology to Disney Pixar animators. It maximises the amount of detail a surgeon can see.
The new buildings at St George’s Hospital feature a base isolation system sourced from the United States. This means the buildings, which sit on rubber pads, can move up to 650mm in any direction – reducing the amount the buildings flex during an earthquake, protecting people and equipment inside.
The Hospital has remained operational throughout the whole redevelopment.
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St George’s Eye Care is now offering a cutting-edge genetic test to assess glaucoma risk, thanks to Clinical Director and Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr Paul Baddeley, one of the first South Island providers to support this advancement.
We’re proud to share that St George’s Hospital has been awarded the McFedries Trophy at the 2025 Christchurch Beautifying Association Awards, recognising the entire hospital site for its outstanding gardens and beautifully maintained green spaces.
Erin Bensley (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) has always been drawn to roles that combine clinical care with systems thinking. She began her nursing career in the neurosurgery and neurology ward at Christchurch Public Hospital while completing postgraduate studies in neurosciences. Her growing interest in data and information management led her to study Nursing and Health Leadership and Management, eventually stepping into her current role as Clinical Informatics Manager at St George’s Hospital.
St George’s Cancer Care Centre in Christchurch is now equipped with cutting-edge radiation therapy technology, thanks to a generous donation from the Hugo Charitable Trust which has purchased a Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT) system.
Under St George’s Sustainability Policy, the hospital has made a commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% within six years under a new decarbonisation project.
When a patient is admitted to St George’s they bring a lot of crucial information with them, both in their personally-completed pre-admission forms, and in the health files from their surgeons, specialists and GPs.