New look for Inverell District Hospital’s West Wing

4 December 2008

Inverell District Hospital’s Medical Ward is set to benefit from a facelift when the West Wing receives an overhaul during the Christmas holiday period.

Lighting, new flooring, electrical improvements, wall repairs and painting will be amongst those upgrades undertaken during the maintenance project, which will be carried out from 15 December 2008 to 4 January 2009.

Inverell District Hospital Acting Health Service Manager, Kath Randall, said each year Inverell Hospital experienced a drop in hospital admissions during the Christmas and New Year period.

“This year we are taking advantage of the quieter period to undertake some major upgrades in the hospital’s Medical Ward. As a result, the West Wing and Children’s Ward will be closed for approximately three weeks from December 15,” Mrs Randall said.

“Due to the level of disruption the upgrades would pose to patient care, the temporary closure of the Medical Ward will enable maintenance workers to finish the work as swiftly and safely as possible.

“Because there are fewer admissions during the festive period, this is the ideal time to undertake the reinvestment in the ward.”

All patients who would normally be admitted to the Medical Ward will be cared for in the same capacity in the surgical ward.

There will be eight medical beds available to adult medical patients, and two day surgery beds available to children during the three week period.  

“It’s important the community knows that patient safety will not be compromised, and that the hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including over the Christmas and New Year holiday period,” Mrs Randall said.

Local GPs have been consulted extensively ahead of the Medical Ward closure, so that only patients with an urgent need are referred to the hospital for admission.

(HNE-1652)

Contact: Carisa Josephs

Phone: (02) 6767 7135 or 0428 106 183