Campbelltown Hospital set for paediatric overhaul
CAMPBELLTOWN Hospital’s paediatric ward is set to triple in capacity over the coming years as part of the hospital’s $632 million upgrade.
Macarthur
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CAMPBELLTOWN Hospital’s paediatric ward is set to triple in capacity over the coming years as part of the hospital’s $632 million upgrade.
The hospital will be upgraded over the next six years.
The paediatric ward currently contains 22 beds, but as part of the redevelopment that number will triple to more than 60.
Macarthur federal Labor MP Dr Michael Freelander, a long-time paediatrician in the area, has called for a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to be included as part of the plans.
In a media tour of Campbelltown Hospital’s paediatric department yesterday, health chiefs said a PICU wasn't planned as part of the hospital development, but promised a massive expansion of the existing ward.
Under plans for the redevelopment, the emergency department will double the number of paediatric beds from 12 to 24 while the capacity for outpatient services is also expected to double from its current number of about 12,500.
The number of close observation beds for seriously ill children will increase from two to 10 to reduce the need to transfer patients to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network.
Other additions to the expanded paediatric department include nuclear medicine, bone and brain scans, a new rehabilitation outpatient clinic with specialised therapy teams for children with disabilities, new dental services and 12 new consulting rooms, eight assessment rooms and a new gym and playroom.
Campbelltown Hospital’s head of department paediatrics Dr Raymond Chin said the redevelopment would give the paediatric department an entire floor and would allow various services to be provided in the same precinct.
“We’ve got a big allergy clinic, a big diabetes clinic, we’re doing some surgical work with outpatients and general outpatients,” Dr Chin said.
“This is probably the biggest growth area, and with the rebuild we are going to have a whole floor of this; we’ve combined with allied health, which is speech pathology and physiotherapy … we want to make it a more one-stop shop.”
NSW chief paediatrician Dr Matthew O’Meara said an integrated approach needed to be taken to children’s care in hospitals and the future upgrades would reflect that.
“The advantage of a hospital like this, compared to a kid’s hospital, is that there’s that continuity where you can have people looking after you when you’re young and then through your teen years into adulthood,” Dr O’Meara said.
“Often there’s an abrupt transition which can be really difficult for the continuity of care.
“The role of the paediatrician is really prominent during the childhood years, and during the teen years there’s that transition where it’s shared and going into adulthood the paediatrician will step out and the adult team will continue instead of there being that abrupt transition”
Dr O’Meara said only 0.5 per cent of children who were came to Campbelltown Hospital had been transferred to a PICU in Randwick, Westmead or Newcastle.
“NSW already has more PICUs than any other state in Australia to treat the small numbers of seriously ill children who need the highest level of medical care,” he said.
“The carefully planned new services for Campbelltown’s paediatric service will deliver outstanding medical care to thousands of young patients in the local community.”
Dr Chin said South Western Sydney Health District was also receiving $1 million over the next four years for research into paediatrics.
Plans for the $632 million stage 2 redevelopment are still being prepared and are expected to be finalised around September this year.
Campbelltown Hospital general manager Alison Derrett said the redevelopment would see staff numbers double from its current number of 2000.