Media release 1 June 2018 | Counties Manukau Health is opening a newly renovated 30-bed ward at Middlemore Hospital in order to meet the increased demand associated with winter.
Ward 21 on level 5 of the Galbraith building will open on July 9, 2018 as a General Medicine ward.
Clinical Director, Medicine Carl Eagleton says Ward 21 will provide an innovative, multi-disciplinary, ‘home ward’ model of care. Under this model, patients will be cared for by a team of doctors, nurses and allied health staff based on the ward.
The ward will take a daily ‘traffic light’ approach to visually represent where patients are in their treatment plan.
“We will focus on making sure patients are moving through the steps they need to move through in the most efficient and effective way,” Dr Eagleton says.
Patients on Ward 21 will be encouraged to be dressed, rather than remain in hospital gowns or pyjamas, in order to promote faster recoveries, he says.
“It’s quite a different operating model to the one we’ve been used to and we are looking forward to replicate it in our other wards because of its potential to improve the patient’s journey through the hospital.”
Acting chief executive Gloria Johnson says the new ward is a positive step towards managing increased volumes.
“We are pleased that we have a robust and innovative plan to meet our winter demand,” she says. “The model of care that we are introducing into Ward 21 represents the next iteration of medicine.”
The ward will be staffed by 48 clinical and allied staff already employed at CM Health. It will open for four months only, to deal with winter demand pressures, but will be used to develop new ways of working which can be spread to other wards to enable more effective management of patient flows throughout the year.
ENDS
CM Health media line 09 250 9857 Communications@middlemore.co.nz