Kerry General Hospital PASSWORD

KGH-A&E-07 Photo By : Domnick Walsh / Eye Focus LTD © Tralee Co Kerry Ireland Phone Mobile 087 / 2672033 L/Line 066 71 22 981 E/mail - info@dwalshphoto.ie www.dwalshphoto.com __ New Emergency Department opens in Kerry General HospitalThe new Emergency Department at Kerry General Hospital will open on Monday next, 16th April 2012.The new facility, built at a cost of €4m will cater for approximately 33,000 attendances annually, replaces the existing Emergency Department and will provide a greatly enhanced environment for patients attending the ED and for the staff who work there.Acknowledging the significance of the new facility, Dr. Jason Carty and Dr. Martin Boyd, Consultants in Emergency Medicine, KGH said, “The new ED is a real step forward for emergency medicine services in Kerry. This new state-of-the-art facility will provide a better environment for all patients who attend the Department and allow the ED at KGH to evolve and enhance its service and meet the requirements set down by the Special Delivery Unit and Emergency Medicine Programme.”Mr. PJ Harnett, General Manager, KGH, said, “The new Emergency Department is more than twice the size of the existing one and forms a key part of the capital development programme currently underway at KGH. The new building will provide significantly enhanced services for patients offering levels of privacy and dignity that were compromised in the old Emergency Department. It also allows staff to fulfil their professional aspirations in facilitating improvements in clinical practice in the context of an improved environment. The dedicated and professional team of staff, whose performance to date is evidenced and has to be applauded, now have a state of the art environment in which to provide the best service possible to people who attend KGH seeking emergency treatment.”Highlights of the new Emergency Department include a spacious and bright reception area, a dedicated x-ray examination facility, significantly enhanced treatment areas for dealing with major traumas, increased space for each treatment area, an enhanced resuscitation area, dedicated specialist facilities for people attending the Department with obstetric, gynaecology, ENT, ophthalmology conditions. There is also a separate dedicated facility for children attending the Department allowing triage, assessment and treatment to take place separately from adults. In addition, a state of the art triage area will be provided in order to ensure that the way in which patients progress through the Department is managed in accordance with best practice. The new Department will also have better facilities for the family of critically ill patients, bereavement services and patient counselling.Dr. Richard Liston, Clinical Director, KGH paid tribute to the huge efforts made by all staff, including many who have recently retired, which enabled the project to reach fruition saying, "Many individuals over the last number of years have worked tirelessly to bring this development about and there is great credit due to each and every one of them. We now not only have a state of the art new Emergency Department but also two new ED Consultants significantly enhancing the Hospital's ability to cater both for major emergencies and also to deliver on the targets required under the National Clinical Program for Emergency Medicine". He added that “teaching and training opportunities would also follow” and he hoped that “the New Department would attract health care professionals eager to learn in a new enriched environment”. Michael Fitzgerald, HSE Area Manager, Kerry said, “This is a wonderful day for the people of Kerry and the new Department forms a key element of improvements to health service provision for the region. The new ED provides enhanced services and will undoubtedly increase and improve the efficiency of patient care. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the staff well in their new environment and thank them for their ongoing commitment to caring for patients on a daily basis.” Following the opening of the new Emergency Department on Monday next, 16th April, refurbishment works on the old Emergency Department will commence immediately to develop an enhanced Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU) and Cardiology services. In accordance with international best practice, the ED and AMAU are adjacent to one another. This allows better streaming of patients as required by the Acute Medicine and Emergency Medicine Programmes. The new AMAU will be provided in an enhanced environment allowing direct access for by GP referral, assessment by a Consultant Physician and immediate access to diagnostics including x-rays, blood tests and scans. The benefits of an AMAU are that the patient is referred directly to the unit and seen by senior medical staff trained to deliver appropriate medical care shortly after arrival. The redevelopment of the old ED will also allow for the enhancement of cardiology services in KGH, building upon the work to date in terms the recruitment of an additional Consultant Cardiologist session in KGH but also reinforcing links with regional Cardiology services in line with the National Clinical Care Programmes for Acute Coronary Syndrome. The revamped AMAU with be ready for occupation in July 2012 with Cardiology coming on stream shortly after. The fact that the AMAU, ED and Cardiology will be adjacent to one another is not only more efficient but enhances patient safety.Ends/

Kerry General Hospital PASSWORD