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Old Waikato Hospital Emergency Department gets a makeover
Old Waikato Hospital Emergency Department gets a makeover
Patients heading to Waikato Hospital for elective surgery in the main operating theatres will come to a new unit from April 11.
The new Day of Surgery Admission Unit, an adjunct of the Same Day Admission Unit, will open in the former Emergency Department on level one of the Waiora Waikato Centre next Monday.
The Day of Surgery Admission Unit will be the new destination for patients coming to the hospital for surgery for the next two years, providing a safe and efficient interim solution for patients during ongoing refurbishments and construction at Waikato Hospital.
Part of the Kempthorne Building, which currently houses theatre support services, needs to be demolished to make way for the construction of the western wing of the Meade Clinical Centre.
The centre, which began construction last year and is due to be complete in 2013, will feature new clinics, new radiology centre, new intensive care unit, new interventional suites, state-of-the-art operating theatres and pre and post-operative theatre support.
Charge Nurse Janine Lee, who oversees these day of surgery units, says the location of the new Day of Surgery Admission Unit in the old Emergency Department is positive for both patients and staff, as it will be closer to the main operating theatres and will have more consulting rooms than the current space.
Equipment and fittings from the former Kids Place in the Emergency Department will be recycled and re-used in the Day of Surgery Admission Unit, which Ms Lee says is a smart and efficient move.
Ms Lee estimates that the Day of Surgery Admission Unit will prepare up to 40 patients a day for surgeries as diverse as hernia operations, hip replacements, tonsillectomies and bowel surgery.
The Same Day Admission Unit on Level 8 of the Menzies Building will continue receiving patients going to surgery in Level 8 operating theatres as well as providing post-operative care and recovery for patients from all theatres being discharged on the day of their surgery.
The Day of Surgery Admission Unit will be open daily from 7am to 4.30pm for incoming patients, but will be operational until 7pm for hospital inpatients transferring to the unit.
For more information www.waikatodhb.health.nz/pmo
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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