The Hon Melinda Pavey MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health, officially opened the Tweed Hospital Outpatients Department this week.
Mrs Pavey was accompanied by the Local member for Tweed, Geoff Provest.
The new Outpatients Department provides a range of specialist Medical, Surgical, Antenatal Services, Anaesthetic and Nurse Clinics. Specialist outpatient clinics for Gynaecology, Dental and Early Pregnancy are also provided.
These services assist in preparing patients for admission, to help reduce their time in hospital for surgical procedures or to help prevent patients being admitted to hospital.
Annually, it’s expected the Outpatients Department will see:
n 7000 patient visits to the Antenatal Clinic;
n7800 patient visits to the Fracture Clinic;
n600 patient visits to the Early Pregnancy Clinic;
n600 patient visits Gynaecology Clinic; and
n3000 Pre Admission patients attending the Anaesthetic Clinic.
“It’s clear a considerable number of patients will benefit from the new Outpatients Department, which is truly a very busy ‘shop front’ for the Hospital,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Geoff Provest, with his ‘100 per cent for Tweed’ representation has been instrumental through his lobbying to get this facility up and running and I’m delighted to be here today to officially open this facility,” she said.
“The Outpatients Department hosts a number of dedicated Outpatient Staff including Visiting Medical Officers, Staff Specialists, Midwives, Registered and Enrolled Nurses, Allied Health and Support Staff, all working together to provide timely and quality care in a patient focussed manner.
“The Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner, has stated on many occasions that the patient must be at the centre of all our endeavours – this facility does just that,” she said.
The Outpatients Department will consist of nine consultation /treatment rooms, a plaster room and a large patient waiting area.
