Located at the northern end of Ruahine Street, it is approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of The Square.

[4][5][6] In 1968, a 20-year-old male patient died during surgery at the hospital in New Zealand's first recorded case of malignant hyperthermia (MH), a genetic disorder which causes a severe reaction in susceptible person when exposed to certain anaesthetic agents.

It was later discovered that the deceased was part of a large family based in the Manawatū region with a long history of the MH gene.

As a result, approximately one in every 200 surgeries at Palmerston North Regional Hospital involves a MH-susceptible patient, compared to between 1:10,000 and 1:250,000 worldwide.

[7][8][9] In early October 2024, the New Zealand Government allocated NZ$6 million to improve emergency department wait times and patient care and services at Palmerston North Hospital.