A new Intensive Care Unit will bring critical care closer to home

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and community, Waitākere Hospital’s new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) will help bring lifesaving care closer to home for West Auckland families. Designed to support patients, whānau and healthcare teams during some of life’s most critical moments, the new ICU will provide a modern, welcoming environment with spaces that prioritise comfort, dignity and connection.

This once in a generation project reflects the power of community support to help create better healthcare experiences for local people, now and into the future.

Every moment matters

With thoughtfully designed family spaces, the new ICU will help loved ones remain close, rest and support one another during difficult times.

Funds raised will go towards:

Welcoming family spaces for loved ones to rest and gather
Specialised paediatric equipment for our youngest patients
A telehealth system connecting ICUs across both hospitals
Innovative technology to support clinical teams and patient care
Enhancements to the environment to reduce stress for patients and visitors

Thank you to our generous supporters for helping create a space centred around care, comfort and connection for West Auckland families.

Our community donated to help families like the Browns

Andrew Brown’s world changed in an instant when he collapsed while helping to unload food for a community food bank.

“I didn’t know anything. I just collapsed and apparently I died straight away because I had a cardiac arrest,” Andrew says.

He was rushed to ICU where specialists worked to save his life.

Andrew’s son, Sheldon, says those days were filled with waiting and uncertainty – and having a comfortable place to be close to Andrew would have made an enormous difference.

“It wasn’t exactly comfortable. You got some random seats… a couple of magazines on a little corner table. It’s not exactly the greatest space in the world,” Andrew says.
“If there was a space where families could feel comforted, where they could actually feel a bit more at ease, that’s going to help a lot during a really hard experience.”

After three and a half weeks in intensive care, Andrew woke up. Sheldon says it was a miracle. “There was no medical evidence to prove that he should be alive,” he says.

Looking back, both father and son say their experience showed how important it is to have spaces for families to be close when every moment matters.

“When you’re already feeling anxious, you’re feeling uncertain – the anxiety just increases,” Sheldon says. “I know my mum would have preferred to just be with him the whole time if she had the choice. She would have loved to be able to do that.”
“Having a kitchen and that kind of thing so there’s space and amenities and provision – that would also be brilliant.”

That’s exactly what the new Waitākere Hospital Intensive Care Unit will make possible. The government has funded the new ICU itself – but we asked the West Auckland community to help fund family spaces and extra touches that can make an incredibly stressful experience a little easier.

These enhancements include comfortable whānau rooms for rest, prayer and reflection, a family lounge and kitchen, paediatric provisions, and advanced healthcare within the unit.