Hospital opens first stage of new outpatients dept

Media release 3 December 2003

Hospital opens first stage of new outpatients department

The first areas of a new, purpose-built outpatients department at North Shore Hospital will be opened to patients for the first time next week.

Located on the ground floor of the hospital tower block, the new areas being opened are for gynaecology, colposcopy and orthopaedic outpatient clinics.

The moves are part of a wider construction programme that will see the former outpatients department significantly refurbished and expanded by about a third of its previous size.

Outpatients department manager Nancy Thomson says patients will notice a huge improvement with the new facilities.

“In the gynaecology and colposcopy areas we have twice as many procedure rooms and a separate recovery area. Gynaecology is also located in a separate space from colposcopy procedures, which allows more privacy. These services previously shared a common space.

“Orthopaedics is also a much improved area with two new x-ray rooms, a plaster room and more consulting rooms. It is co-located next to Radiology, which will enable patients to be x-rayed and processed quicker.”

Nancy Thomson says the gynaecology and colposcopy clinics will also be treating more patients thanks to the purchase of a new second colposcope and three hysteroscopes.

Other areas of the new outpatients department, yet to be finished, are general medicine and surgery, mammography, breast clinic, ORL, dental, cardiophysiology, lung function and audiology.
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When completed in April next year, the department will have seven distinct zones providing a wider range of outpatient clinics.

The outpatients refurbishment is part of a $60 million redevelopment of North Shore Hospital that in recent years has included a new maternity unit, emergency care centre, radiology department and day surgery facility.

Gynaecology, colposcopy and orthopaedics are due to move into the new outpatients areas this Friday (Dec 5) and be up-and-running the following Monday.

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