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World-class Emergency Department opens at Waitakere Hospital
World-class Emergency Department opens at Waitakere Hospital
Waitakere Hospital’s new Emergency Department officially opens today providing a world-class emergency medicine facility for the people of West Auckland.
Minister of Social Services Hon Paula Bennett will cut the ribbon for the $9.8 million building which almost doubles the physical size and layout of the existing department creating significant extra capacity to meet the needs of the West Auckland community.
Waitemata District Health Board (DHB) Chair Dr Lester Levy says the new department reflects the DHB’s commitment to meet the needs of our growing population.
"Our Emergency Department is unrecognisable from the service that closed at 6pm in 2010. The opening of this expanded facility is another major milestone in the evolution of Waitakere Hospital and the high quality 24-hour service we provide today."
Waitemata DHB Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley says over the last ten years, the volume of patients presenting to the department has increased exponentially.
"The number of patients presenting at Waitakere ED has increased from 28,000 in 2009 to 52,000 in the last financial year. This is the fastest increase in patient numbers of any emergency department in the country and rivals that of much larger hospitals."
"Over the same period, ED staff numbers have risen from 50 to 84 to meet this growth."