End of an era as last patients seen at The Princess Margaret Hospital

After 65 years, today marks the end of an era for The Princess Margaret Hospital (TPMH), as the final patients are seen at the site.

Opened in 1959, the building remains a dominant structure at the foot of the Port Hills in Cashmere, sitting amongst parklike grounds.

Originally a general hospital, over the years TPMH has been used in many ways, including most recently for Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation and specialist mental health services, it also hosted a COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinic.

Back in the 1960s TPMH's physiotherapy unit was a hive of activity, with a respiratory unit, a postural drainage room and mini spa baths to help ease pain. There was also an ultraviolet room for skin conditions, and a warm paraffin wax tub – which arthritis patients would dip their hands in to ease the pain.

It was once thought TPMH would become Christchurch’s main hospital, but it was too far from the city centre.

However, on 22 February 2011, TPMH’s location made it a crucial lifeline as old wards were reopened to receive patients from Christchurch Hospital and one segment of the hospital was turned into an emergency operations centre.

Casualties unable to make it across town to Christchurch Hospital due to overwhelmed emergency services and badly damaged roads went to TPMH and patients evacuated from the badly damaged Riverside block were taken there by furniture trucks.

Becky Hickmott, Executive Director of Nursing says: “While TPMH holds many special memories for our staff and our community, the complexity of redeveloping the facility for contemporary healthcare needs meant we needed a new vision. Today we see the culmination of many years of hard work by many people in our teams to see our patients receiving care in modern, fit for purpose settings.

“We are so grateful for the years of service our teams have provided to our patients and our community in this beautiful setting during its lifespan of care.”

On Monday, the last Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) Outpatient team moves to Kahurangi, meaning “blue skies”, the new state of the art outpatient mental health facility for young people in Christchurch located on the Hillmorton Campus.

CAF Service Manager Deborah Selwood says it is the end of an era.

“This was a very busy hospital site through the years, but we needed to move on to contemporary surroundings. The results of moving to Kahurangi are going to be extraordinary.

“It’s a great end to 2024 and flourishing new beginnings for 2025.”

The final remaining Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation Community Services teams plan to move to Burwood Hospital next year following refurbishment of some workspace facilities on that campus. These are teams that work in the community and therefore do not see patients on site.

No decisions have been made about the future of the TPMH site.

Staff memories 

• Janis Watson, one of Health New Zealand’s longest serving employees in Canterbury who now works in Medical Records, remembers her first job at TPMH as a physio aide, aged just 16 at the time in 1967. “I know hospitals are like communities in themselves and TPMH certainly was. Everybody who worked there loved it, it was a nice place to be, it had a good atmosphere.” Janis’ memories were so special, when she left, she wrote on a whiteboard in the corridor, “so long, it’s been good to know you”. 
• Registered Nurse Specialist Mental Health Service Jacqueline Cuthbert lived at the nurse’s hostel, in 1988. “I have very fond memories of living and working at TPMH, visiting the cafe for all my meals and sharing really fun times with the nurses living there.  One memory I have was running down the corridor to the lounge and telling people that the Berlin Wall had come down.  We were glued to the news, watching it happen - the dismantling and celebrations as families and people in general were finally reunited. “It was a fun place to live and work, and I made some really good friends there.”
• Nurse Coordinator Quality and Patient Safety Viki Robinson also lived in the nurse’s hostel, in 1989 while she trained in the Respiratory and Cardiology wards to become a Registered Nurse. “We had a matron who would check we were home by 10pm!”
• Charge Nurse Manager Andrew Henderson worked at TPMH in 2012 supporting post-surgical patients with their rehabilitation needs.“It had a real sense of community and the wairua could be felt wherever you were in the building. It was a privilege to be a part of the history of TPMH, a wonderful building and health care system that’s extensive history ranged from cardiac theatre, psychogeriatric in-patient wards, to the Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation service to name a few. Long may she be remembered.”