COMMUNICATIONS

Burwood Hospital Holds Open Day for New Surgical Unit

The public are invited to an open day at Burwood Hospital on Sunday 18 March, 1pm -4pm, to see the Hospital’s new Surgical Services Unit.

Guided tours will be given of the facility including its four large operating theatres, an admitting unit, a sterile services unit, a post operation recovery area and a 30 bed ward.

A video of the types of surgery that will be performed in the new unit, equipment displays and patient information will also be available for the public to view.

Entertainment will be provided by children from Windsor School, who will sing at the Open Day.

Access will be via the Mairehau Road number three gate into Burwood Hospital, where parking will be available. Visitors should follow the signs directing them to the surgical services unit.

ENDS

Background

The new Surgical Services Unit is the second stage of a proposed three-stage development at Burwood Hospital

The first stage of the redevelopment project - which included a new Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Unit (ORU), administration building and an upgrade of the Burwood Spinal Injuries Unit – was completed at the end of 2002, costing $6 million.

Project Manager Alistair Cory-Wright said the new $21.5 million unit was needed because the three current theatres, which opened in 1963, were “outdated and too small”. The old Theatre Sterile Services Unit (TSSU) also needed replacing.

He said a major catalyst for the new development had been the Government’s Orthopaedic Initiative, which provided funding to double the number of elective major joint operations undertaken each year.

With its four new theatres, the hospital will increase the number of operations it performs. Major joint operations, for example, will increase from 550 a year to 1100 and it is expected around 3000 operations will be carried out in total in the first year.

The design of the new surgical facility, which was carried out by Christchurch architects Sheppard & Rout and Auckland-based Klein Architects, incorporates bold colours, glass and welcoming gardens which are accessible from almost all ward bedrooms.

The old surgical ward was demolished in December 2005 to make way for the new buildings. For the past year, post-operative patients have gone to the ORU at Burwood Hospital, which has been temporarily re-located to The Princess Margaret Hospital.

The builders, Mainzeal Construction, who have been on site since last January, completed most of the project by February 9. Installation of equipment and staff training followed.

The next stage of the Burwood re-development project is expected to comprise an improved orthopaedic outpatient department and an expanded radiology department.