VIRTUAL TOUR: Inside Grafton Hospital Ambulatory Care Unit

Take a guided through the Grafton Base Hospital’s new $17.5 million wing.

The Northern NSW Local Health District Media Unit has put together a virtual tour of the new $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre.

CURRENT visitor restrictions at hospitals to reduce any transmission of COVID-19 mean few people apart from patients and medical staff are able to check out the new facilities in the $17.5 million Ambulatory Care Centre at Grafton Base Hospital.

However, you can still take a peek inside thanks to a virtual tour put together by the Northern NSW Local Health District Media Unit.

The two-minute video guides viewers through the corridors of both levels of the new building. Check it out below:

 

 

The state-of-the-art two-storey building located at the front of the hospital along Arthur St houses a whole range of outpatient services previously scattered across the hospital campus including in several older buildings slated for demolition in the medium term future as part of the $263.8 million upgrade promised by the NSW Government.

 

Clarence Health Service general manager Dan Madden and Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis with hospital staff at the newly opened $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre on Thursday, 13th August, 2020.

 

At the official opening on Thursday, Clarence Health Services general manager Dan Madden provided a description of exactly what's inside the new Ambulatory Care Centre and why the community is set to benefit.

"As the name suggests it is a centre for ambulatory patients, that is walk-in patients, non-admitted patients," Mr Madden said.

 

The waiting room in the newly opened $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre.

"As you enter from the main pedestrian entrance at the hospital you enter into the physiotherapy area.

"Physiotherapy is a really big outpatient enterprise here at the hospital and formerly they were in really small, archaic, cramped conditions, so this is much better.

 

Physiotherapy patient Ellen Mulherin with physiotherapist Melissa Burns at the newly opened $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre on Thursday, 13th August, 2020.

 

"At the far of the ward on the ground floor is the renal dialysis unit.

"It was up on the third floor of the main ward block, so access for patients was awkward, they had to navigate their way all through the hospital, and those were patients who are having treatments three times a week typically.

"So to have them in bright and modern spacious surroundings is wonderful.

 

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis speaks with a staff member in the renal dialysis unit at the newly opened $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre on Thursday, 13th August, 2020.

"As you go up, the floor plans are roughly similar on the second floor, but on top of physio as you walk into the building is the full range of allied health services. That's everything from speech therapy, to dietetics, diabetes, occupational therapy, our chronic disease program is run from up there, and others.

"At the far end of the ward, on top of the renal area, is the oncology and haematology area.

"There's some consult rooms up there. We have visiting oncology and haematology specialists coming from Lismore, so those consults will happen there. But the actual chemotherapy treatment - and non-cancer treatments happen there too."

 

Inside the newly opened $17.5 million Grafton Base Hospital Ambulatory Care Centre.

The services housed in the Ambulatory Care Centre include:

• oncology, chemotherapy and Haematology services;

• renal dialysis unit;

• physiotherapy;

• occupational therapy

• podiatry;

• speech pathology;

• fracture and osteo-fracture clinics;

• dietetics and nutrition outpatient clinics;

• occupational therapy outpatient clinics;

• outpatient clinics for patients with chronic conditions including cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation services, diabetes education and diabetes foot clinics.

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