Wairau Hospital’s upgraded outpatient department officially opens
Wairau Hospital officially opened a newly upgraded outpatient department with a blessing at dawn on Thursday, 21 March.
Paora Mackie officially opened the newly upgraded department with a blessing at dawn, attended by Health NZ staff and Scott Construction colleagues
Patients, staff and whānau can now benefit from several new spaces including a procedure room with an accessible bathroom and waiting area, seven clinical consulting rooms, an administration and nurse workspace and a utility room.
Thanks to the additional space, the facility now has the capacity to treat patients who previously attended the day stay unit and operating theatre for eye injections and minor urology procedures, freeing up space and resources in those departments.
Lexie O’Shea, Nelson Marlborough Group Director Operations Hospital Specialist Services said:
“We are delighted to open the expansion to the outpatient department building at Wairau Hospital. The upgraded facilities will allow us to continue providing the best care for our community in Marlborough.
“Thank you to all staff and the community for their patience and cooperation while the works were underway. We look forward to welcoming patients and whānau to our new outpatient areas.”
As part of the upgrade, a dedicated new ophthalmology outpatient space with seven clinic rooms including additional testing spaces was also created. This will be used to diagnose and treat patients with eye disorders and diseases across Marlborough.
The development has resulted in a larger area for ophthalmology equipment, allowing a more streamlined service to reduce wait times and improve health outcomes.
Brenda McAlpine, Charge Nurse Manager at Wairau Hospital says the team is very excited to deliver healthcare from the new space, and she thanks everyone involved for their hard work and dedication throughout the project.
“Maintaining eye care is important, especially as people age. The new dedicated ophthalmology space will allow the community to protect their vision and stay on top of any developing conditions,” Brenda said.
Works to upgrade the building began in July 2023 and were completed by March 2024.
For more information on community and outpatient services in Nelson Marlborough, please visit nmdhb.govt.nz/health-services/community-and-outpatient-services/surgical-outpatient-services/