Wait times to see a Te Anau doctor or nurse should be shorter and with fewer interruptions, as well as emergency births and minor operations easier to manage, following the completion of Fiordland Medical Centre's 110sqm expansion.

First opened in 2010 after a successful 13-year community fundraising campaign, the Fiordland Health Trust (FHT) owned building has served the community and resident medical practice well.

However increasing patient rolls, growing tourist numbers and more medical staff had put pressure of the current space.

FHT chairperson Lyn Tee said she had hoped the original building would have lasted longer, but it had been outgrown in just 14 years.

Tee said serious planning on the extension had only started after a 2019 Southern District Health Board (SDHB) plan to set up a Maternity Hub was announced for the practice.

While reluctant to say how much the new extension had finally cost, Tee did say "We had to raise a million dollars... that was extra to our funds."

L-R: Lyn Tee Fiordland Health Trust (FHT) Chair; Richard Wason FHT Trustee; Jill Tauri, Meridian Power-up Fund Trustee; Pam Applegarth FHT Administrator; Carol Roberts FHT Vice Chair; Diane Ridley FHT Trustee; Daryl Parkes FHT Trustee & Blair Falconer Meridian Electricity Supply Mgr. Photo: Liz Newell/Supplied

Some of the funds came from Meridian's Power-up community fund, while additional funding was secured through a Community Trust South loan.

Fiordland Medical Centre partner and resident GP, Dr James MacMillian-Armstrong said the extension was quite a relief.

"We've had years where we've just been really, really short in space, and people have had to work from home or coming in late to find workstations and computers."

"So it is nice to be able to spread our wings."

He said more space would mean not only less disruptions and greater privacy, but also additional rooms for both minor planned and acute operations.

MacMillian-Armstrong also confirmed the practice was now an official maternity hub, with facilities available for emergency births, as well as a SDHB funded room for midwives to plan their maternity and antenatal care.

"We never plan the birth here in Te Anau, but we do have the ability to deliver a baby should we need to."

He said it would be great seeing the midwives regularly as they already do with the Plunket and District nurses.

"It's just great for the community that they see us and that we can have corridor conversations about what they are worried about and what we are worried about."

MacMillian-Armstrong said there would now be room available for visiting specialists.

"That would be our dream actually, because that [also] upskills us," he said.