First look inside new hospital

BY ROBYN HOLMES

WITH only a couple of months until Atherton’s new hospital is in full swing, The Express was given an exclusive look inside the impressive modern health facility.

The building will not only provide both patients and staff with the latest equipment but has been designed to take in views of the countryside, with the use of large windows that deliver a light and airy atmosphere, and new features such as an atrium surrounded by a variety of coloured tile panels to reflect the colours of the Tablelands.

Clinical Commissioning Lead Dr Ann Aiken, who has been working at the Atherton Hospital since the early 1990s, describes the new building as “beautiful” and, along with all the staff, is clearly looking forward to the day when the hospital is fully operational, expected in early June.

During the tour, Dr Aiken pointed out some of the main changes including the new main entrance to the hospital, and a separate entrance to the Emergency Department (ED), both accessed from Louise Street.

A bright, sunny corridor links the original building to the new hospital to give patients, staff and visitors ease of movement between the two buildings and the South Ward which is being retained in the old hospital and earmarked for refurbishment in Stage 3 of the overall hospital redevelopment project.

The use of colour coding in the new hospital, such as red for the cardiac ward and purple for the maternity ward, are also designed to make it easier for patients and visitors to find their way around.

The cardiac ward features a five-bed high dependency unit which is for patients who require close monitoring, and a single room with an ensuite for patients who need to be separated for medical reasons or for a child.

The ED now has a much larger space to accommodate patients, with five bed bays as well as a new Short Stay section which provides several beds for patients who need to stay at the facility for a period of time to rest and recover without having to take up ED beds or ward beds.

The general ward provides a mix of single rooms with ensuites, two, three, and fourbedroom units and, as Dr Aiken explained, single rooms were at a premium at the old hospital and having more of them will allow for people such as palliative patients to have their own space, with a bonus view of the mountains outside their windows.

“In this ward, also, we have a negative pressure room, which is a room where we can care for people who are potentially infectious,” she said.

“What it means is there’s an airlock here and a special ventilation system so all the bugs do not impact on the rest of the building.”

Also new and much appreciated is a room with a hoist that can move larger patients from the bed to their bathroom.

“It is great because we used to have to get people out of bed onto some kind of a chair and push them into the bathroom, now we can put them safely in a hoist and get them to the bathroom and back again,” Dr Aiken said.

“It’s great from a patient safety perspective and much better for staff.”

The two new birthing suites are also impressive, with a large water bath in one suite and a larger suite that can accommodate two women. The day surgery operation will also be smoother for patients with ease of access and plenty of room for recovery.

On the ground floor is Xray, CT scan and Ultrasound facilities.

▪ Locals are being encouraged to attend an open day at the Atherton Hospital on 20 May between 10am and 2pm so people can see the facility and understand where to go when they need the hospital’s services.