Patients diverted because of “crumbling” infrastructure

HEART patients are being diverted away from a western Sydney hospital because a medical lab had to close because the ceiling was falling in.

Nepean Hospital had to close the catheterisation (cath) lab after the ceiling was deemed unsafe. Now construction taking place to fix it. Pictured is the scaffolding reaching up to the fifth level cath lab on the west block building, above the emergency department.

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PATIENTS requiring urgent heart attack procedures are being diverted from Nepean Hospital after a medical lab was closed because the ceiling was deemed too weak.

And in another blow, a new MRI machine can’t be housed in the medical block’s imaging department because the power wouldn’t cope.

Earlier this year the catheterisation (cath) lab, used to restore the blocked blood vessels of heart attack victims, required building supports to hold the ceiling up.

In July the lab was completely closed for repairs.

The medical lab that was closed is in the same building as the emergency department. The blocked off construction area is right next to the emergency department entrance.

Dr Nhi Nguyen, chair of the hospital medical staff council, confirmed the lab was too dangerous to be used.

“The service being lost at the moment provides urgent stenting of blocked heart vessels,’’ she said.

“It is recommended to be done within an hour of presentation.”

Dr Nguyen said the hospital knew of the problem months ago but struggled to fund repairs.

Heart attack patients requiring time-sensitive procedures are being diverted away from Nepean Hospital between 7am-7pm Monday to Thursday.

Outpatient services in the area around the fifth-floor cath lab also had to be moved.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner’s office forwarded The Standard’s questions to the local health district.

A doctor at the hospital said the closing of the cath lab was kept “hush hush” to avoid embarrassment.

Nepean Hospital acting general manager Brett Williams said that outside of the diversion hours, cardiac services had been relocated within the hospital and that repair works would be completed in September.

“Nepean Hospital remains safe for patients to visit and receive their healthcare,” he said.

“Nepean Hospital will continue to receive ambulances conveying patients with suspected heart attacks, except between 7am and 7pm Monday to Thursday.”

Dr Nguyen said the west block building had several other “pockets that require urgent repair”.

Another doctor who spoke to The Standard anonymously, said the hospital was “crumbling”.

The doctor said the state of disrepair would embarrass the government so staff weren’t supposed to talk about the lab closure.

“Its been kept a bit hush hush; basically we’re not allowed to talk about it,” he said.

“Its an embarrassment for the state government.

“The government has neglected us for so long we can’t even maintain the infrastructure we have.”

He said the closed lab allowed doctors to reopen blood vessels to a patient’s heart before the muscle died.

“S*** yeah!” he said when asked if the lab was an important service.

“Bloody hell!

“If it was my Dad I’d be ropeable.”

Medical staff council chair, Dr Nhi Nguyen said the west block building had other “pockets that require urgent repair.”

Dr Nguyen said: “The west block is a key clinical area and it’s certainly starting to show its age.”

The hospital recently bought a new MRI machine to cope with increased demand and allow for repairs to be undertaken on the first machine, but it can’t be installed in the west block because the medical building electricity network wouldn’t cope.

“The west block, which is sort of an old building now, doesn’t have the power capabilities to accommodate a second MRI machine,” Dr Nguyen confirmed.

“So if we were to co-locate the new MRI with the other one there it would require a power upgrade under the capital cap which we don’t have the funding for.”

In another sign old infrastructure was making the hospital less efficient, the new MRI would need to be located away from the rest of the imaging department.

Penrith MP Stuart Ayres said the government was planning future hospital upgrades and staff there deliver “world class healthcare to the people of Penrith.”

“While there is no doubt that Nepean will need to be upgraded to meet future demand, the care that patients receive is of the highest quality and our community can be proud of our local hospital.”

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