34 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Boulcott Hospital: Choice Commercial T T Karen Phelps Expansion brings world-class surgery The refurbished and expanded Boulcott Hospital was officially opened on August 4. T T Visionary development - page 36 Following a $25 million expansion, Lower Hutt’s only private hospital has unveiled two state-of-the-art operating theatres, dramatically increasing surgical capacity for the Wellington region. Health Minister Simeon Brown officially opened the refurbished and expanded Boulcott Hospital, marking the largest increase in surgical capacity the hospital has undertaken in a single development during its 41-year history. “We commissioned the two new operating theatres at the official opening on the 4th of August, and then first patients went through on the 11th,” says Graham Dyer, chief executive officer of Boulcott Hospital. The expansion represents a two-thirds increase in surgical capacity, taking the hospital from approximately 3000 surgeries annually to 5000. “Previously, our theatres were running at capacity and that was becoming a limiting factor for the hospital,” explains Graham. Rather than staging the expansion, hospital owners made the decision to build both theatres simultaneously. “We’re using probably half of the capacity at the moment, but we’ve got a steady growth in utilisation planned over the next year,” he says. The new theatres feature cutting-edge digital technology from Storz, a leading vendor of surgical equipment. The technology delivers 4k imaging quality and greater ease of use for surgeons. “All the kit is sitting on pendants, so rather than having to wheel trolleys in, or stacks in, you just swing the pendant around and everything’s there and ready to go,” says Graham. As part of the expansion, a new 14-bed day-stay unit and recovery area have been redesigned and rebuilt, along with a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), clinical store areas, kitchen facilities and an expanded sterile services department. Work continues on new admission and discharge lounges at the front entrance. “The lounges will make it better for patient flow, and more comfortable for families to be able to have somewhere to sit and have a cup of coffee while they’re waiting,” explains Graham. “What we’ll be delivering is a really exceptional environment for patients.” He says the project posed significant challenges, requiring a two-year building programme within a working hospital. He says local firm Choice Construction Group managed the build with sensitivity to hospital operations. For local residents, the expansion means significantly improved access to private surgical care. “It means that people in the Hutt Valley, in particular, have got much better access to private surgery. Rather than having to wait longer, or to travel, they’ve got better access close to home in newer facilities.” The expansion was made possible through partnership with Vital Healthcare Property Trust and community support. Graeme says the expansion will help to address the region’s healthcare challenges. “Clearing the elective surgery backlog is one of the Government’s key health priorities, with a focus on partnering with the private sector to expand access to planned care. The expansion of Boulcott Hospital will play an important role in helping achieve this objective.” KARL STORZ OR1™ Future-oriented digital theatre integration meets innovative patient data management 0< 9#0& PQVKƂGF OGFKECN FGXKEGU 14 v KPVGITCVKQP U[UVGOU HCEKNKVCVG EGPVTCNKUGF EQPVTQN QH OGFKECN FGXKEGU HTQO VJG UVGTKNG QT PQP UVGTKNG CTGC QH VJG QRGTCVKPI TQQO KARL STORZ Endoscopy NZ Ltd, Auckland www.karlstorz.com Drainlayers • Plumbing • Gasfitting • Drainlaying • Sheetmetal
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