The Devonport Defence Health Centre (previously known as the Navy Hospital, Royal New Zealand Navy Hospital (RNZNH) and Naval Health Unit) is the healthcare facility of the

New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , wh ...

. It is located in Devonport, on

Devonport Naval Base Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore, New Zealand, North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and has been in use as a n ...

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. The hospital specialises in surgery and hyperbaric treatment.

History

Founded in 1941 (before, 'sick quarters' facilities had been restricted to two wooden huts), the hospital was constructed (and still remains) on the cliff overlooking the naval base. The hospital expanded in the early 1980s with a new wing, and started hiring civilian staff in the 1990s. As of 2008, the hospital was treating both military and civilian patients, and was operating as an accredited part of the New Zealand health system. It has beds for 25 inpatients.

Facilities

Hyperbaric Unit

The hospital is New Zealand's leader in diving and hyperbaric medical training and expertise, as well as having the only

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

facility to treat diving related emergencies, such as

decompression sickness Decompression sickness (DCS; also called divers' disease, the bends, aerobullosis, and caisson disease) is a medical condition caused by dissolved gases emerging from Solution (chemistry), solution as bubbles inside the body tissues during D ...

('the bends'). The ' Slark' Hyperbaric Unit is used for both emergency treatment and non-urgent

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Hyperbaric medicine is medical treatment in which an increase in barometric pressure of typically air or oxygen is used. The immediate effects include reducing the size of gas emboli and raising the partial pressures of the gases present. Initial ...

(HBOT) for general medical needs, including use by the public.

References

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External links

Devonport Defence Health Centre
Defence Health Hub Hospital buildings completed in 1941 Buildings and structures in Auckland Hospitals in New Zealand Military hospitals in Oceania Naval medicine Royal New Zealand Navy North Shore, New Zealand Hospitals established in 1941 Military installations of New Zealand