08 November 2006

New coronary care unit for Tweed Hospital

A new Coronary Care Unit at The Tweed Hospital will enable patients with acute heart conditions to be closely monitored around the clock by highly trained clinical staff, NSW Minister for Health John Hatzistergos said today.

The unit was officially opened today by Mr Hatzistergos and Member for Tweed Neville Newell.

Mr Hatzistergos said more than 600 patients a year will be cared for in the new 5-bed unit. Up to nine additional nursing staff have been recruited to work alongside medical and other support staff.

"This is a new direction in how we treat people in the Tweed who are suffering acute heart conditions," he said.

"The new unit will help us deliver fast access to high-level treatment which doctors say is crucial if we are to prevent deaths and serious disabilities caused by heart disease."

The funding included $380,000 in capital works to refurbish the existing outpatients area to create the new unit and $138,600 for specialist coronary care equipment. An additional $300,000 has been allocated for patients to access Cardiac Catheterisation services at Coolangatta's John Flynn Hospital.

Mr Newell today welcomed the opening of the new unit.

"This is a real boost for the delivery of health services in the Tweed," he said.

"Our community is growing and its demographics changing - that's why it's important we plan for the future, especially for our ageing population."

The Tweed Hospital's previous four coronary care beds, which are part of a larger acute care ward, will remain in the acute care ward as "telemetery" beds, monitored from the nursing station.

Mr Hatzistergos said the cardiac unit was the latest in a total of over $60 million worth of funding enhancements for The Tweed Hospital over the past five years - $40 million for new capital works, the remainder in recurrent budgetary increases.

More specialist surgeons are now operating at The Tweed Hospital, and a transit lounge has been opened for patients who no longer need an acute bed but receive nursing care and supervision while awaiting discharge.

Work has started on the $3.0 million Clinical Education and Research Institute on the hospital grounds. This historic partnership between the NSW Government, Bond University, Griffith University and the Commonwealth also incorporates the new NSW BreastScreen facility, costed at $1.0 million and able to screen 4,800 women a year from the local area.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au