Changes to Emergency Department Drop-Off Parking

A new drop-off parking area for Waikato Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) opens on Monday (6 September).

Located on Pembroke Street, the new 30-minute parking area has more parks, better lighting and is only a short walk over the road to ED.

The area is for visitors to park, for free, while they escort a patient into the hospital, and replaces the current area.

New signage and security will be in place in the new area to assist.

Waikato DHB Building Programme director Ian Wolstencroft said the new area allows work on the new ED entrance to begin including roading, parking, stairs, ramps, seating and planting.

“Fit-out is well underway inside but it’s time to get started on the outside if we are to be ready to open in February,” he said.

Construction of the $48 million three-level Acute Services Building started in early 2009.

ED, on the ground floor, is currently scheduled to open early February 2011 and the two levels above, with 100 general medicine and respiratory beds, opening eight months later.

Mr Wolstencroft said the new ED was more than three times the size of the current department with greater patient space capacity.

Many of the rooms have ensuites, and have been designed and built for a specific purpose in the department including observation, consultation, procedure, resuscitation, plastering and negative pressure for contagious patients.

ENDS