MORE than 800 new electric beds are heading to Hunter hospitals and Maureen Johnson knows that’s good news.
The Waratah 85-year-old has been recovering in John Hunter Hospital after a fall a month ago and tried one of the new beds yesterday.
‘‘I can adjust the levels [of the bed height] and I have a buzzer I can press to turn a light on,’’ she said.
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner visited John Hunter Hospital yesterday to announce $3.3million in funding for 859 new electric hospital beds in the Hunter New England Health district.
Ms Skinner said the beds would make a huge difference for nurses too.
‘‘For nurses who have been lifting patients for years, the function of lowering the beds to any level will make it easier to transfer patients. This will also reduce the risk of back injury.’’
The program would see electric beds introduced in hospitals including Muswellbrook, Scone, Singleton, Dungog, Gloucester and Cessnock.
The new beds, worth between $1500 and $27,000 each, include general, maternity and bariatric beds, which are designed to hold up to 450 kilograms.
The John Hunter received 10 of the beds yesterday and is set to get nearly 300 more, as the hospital phases out manual beds over the next two months.
Ms Skinner also visited the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and the paediatric intensive care unit, following last week’s budget announcement of a $9.3million upgrade to the facilities.
Redevelopment plans for the neonatal unit show capacity for 20 new intensive care spaces for the future and 32 spaces for special care.
Acting director of the neonatal unit, Dr Paul Craven, said expanding and updating the facility was crucial.
‘‘The redevelopment is very family-centred,’’ he said. ‘‘Each room will be built with more space for the families and the babies.’’
‘‘The brand new paediatric unit will be similar, with capacity for up to 54 children by the time it is finished.’’