The cost of recladding the outside of leaky hospital buildings in South Auckland has jumped to more than $60m.
Leaks were identified in 2010 but not fixed at Middlemore Hospital and Manukau Health Centre.
In 2017 it was estimated six major clinical buildings would need $40m to make them weathertight.
But already just two of those buildings are set to soak up $62.5m.
That is split between the Scott building ($27.5m) and Manukau Elective Surgical Hospital ($35m).
The Scott is 60 percent complete and due to be finished next year, with the reclad at Manukau due to begin next year.
The reclad at Scott has been described as "in many ways unique", "testing" and "risky" because it has continued to function with patients remaining inside its 11 wards and coronary care unit while rotten wooden framing is being removed and cladding replaced.
The Counties Manukau District Health Board said: "Although the methodology of undertaking the remediation while the wards remained operational has been successful, it has resulted in slightly higher costs".
It was also having to upgrade passive fire protection, which in many hospitals was not up to standard.
Cost savings had been made elsewhere, the DHB said.
A tender has gone out to fix two other buildings at Middlemore Hospital - the McIndoe, and the children's hospital Kidz First - and work should start early next year.
The reclad efforts extend back to 2012 but hit years of delays as the health board fought with the builder over who would pay what.
The government last month announced $211m mostly for operating theatre upgrades at Manukau Health Park - including for the reclad - to ease pressure on Middlemore Hospital.
The board is working on a site masterplan for Middlemore.
