The crisis around our hospital buildings and staff numbers is only going to get worse

A new report has revealed that one fifth of hospital facilities in Auckland and Northland are beyond their life expectancy.

And as more than half a million patients are expected to move to the regions in the next 20 years...that number is only expected to get worse.

Resident Doctors Association national president Deborah Powell says says the problem extends beyond the Northern region.

She says policy makers are grappling with the hope that as our lifestyle improves, the need for people to be in hospital will reduce.

But she says the problem is all those people who have smoked all their lives still need a hospital bed.