Waitakere Hospital Poster Competition

8 December 2004

Waitakere Hospital Poster Competition

Young West Auckland artists are being given the chance to flex their artistic muscle with a poster competition to mark the opening of Waitakere Hospital’s Emergency Care Centre (ECC) in February next year.

The competition is for school-aged children who live, or attend school, in Waitakere City.

Hospital manager Rachel Haggerty says the competition is aimed at increasing awareness in the local community of when it is appropriate for people to access ECC services at the hospital.

“The biggest issue for the hospital when it opens in February is ensuring people do not use the new ECC when they could have seen their GP or healthcare professional first.

“When emergency departments have opened in other parts of New Zealand, they have seen a lot of people turning up who could have been more appropriately treated elsewhere.

“Waitakere Hospital’s ECC will not have the same capacity as Auckland’s other hospitals so it will be important that people save the department for genuine emergencies.”

Ms Haggerty says this year has seen record numbers of patients accessing North Shore Hospital’s emergency care centre, including West Auckland residents.

“Emergency departments cannot continue to sustain the high numbers of people coming through their doors, and keeping people well in the community is key to relieving this pressure.”

Young artists are being asked to include the themes “Save our Emergency Department for genuine emergencies” or “See your GP at early signs of illness”.

Waitakere City Councillor Ewen Gilmour will help judge the competition, together with a local artist (yet to be named) and hospital staff, ECC Charge Nurse Graham Zinsli and Clinical Leader Emergency Medicine Kim Yates.

The competition will be judged in three categories - Primary, Intermediate and Secondary schools – and the overall winner will win a 29” LG Flatron TV and have their poster printed for use around the hospital and in the community.

Entries close January 21, with winners announced by February 12, 2005. For full details and entry forms, contact Waitemata DHB communications assistant Denise Poole, Ph 486 8920, extn 2978 or email: denise.poole@waitematadhb.govt.nz. Details are also available online at http://www.waitematadhb.govt.nz/wh-portal/

ENDS

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