A STATE-of-the-art emergency department has been unveiled at Cessnock Hospital fifteen months after construction began to update the existing facilities.
The upgrades, worth two million dollars, have added two extra beds to the emergency treatment area, improved facilities for nurse triage, upgraded the public waiting area, and added technology to allow easier communication between Cessnock and John Hunter hospitals.
With the upgrade complete, further work will wrap up in the next six months to replace the roof of the hospital’s main building.
Melinda Pavey, the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health, said the upgrade meant patients in Cessnock could access quality care closer to home.
‘‘Cessnock is one of the busiest rural emergency departments in Hunter New England Local Health District with about 19,000 presentations annually, and provides a vital service for the people of Cessnock and surrounding communities,” Mrs Pavey said as she unveiled the centre on Friday.
“I have no doubt this upgrade will provide much-needed additional services to the expanding local community.’’
Among the most significant upgrades is a critical-care camera overseeing patient beds, which allows specialists from John Hunter Hospital to look at patients in real time.
This means they can remotely view patients in seven new treatment bays and offer advice to local staff.
Also included is an enlarged resuscitation bay, a new expanded triage area, a designated procedure room and more space for doctors and nursing staff.
Trevor Khan MLC, who was also on hand to unveil the hospital, said the refurbishment enabled the hospital to keep pace with emergency medicine and the latest technology.