Middlemore Hospital

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Middlemore Hospital

Looking west over the central facilities of the hospital.
Geography
Location Manukau City, Auckland Region, New Zealand
Organisation
Care system Public, via Counties Manukau District Health Board
Hospital type Tertiary level hospital Teaching, Specialist
Services
Emergency department Yes
Beds over 800 when expansion is complete
History
Founded 1947
Links
Website http://www.countiesmanukau.health.nz
Lists Hospitals in New Zealand

Middlemore Hospital is a major hospital in the suburb of Otahuhu, Manukau City, New Zealand. The largest hospital operated by the Counties Manukau District Health Board, it offers tertiary-level (hospital and specialist) care as well as a range of other health and social services for the Counties Manukau. Tertiary specialisations include orthopaedic, maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, dentistry, a burn injury treatment centre as well as facilities for rehabilitation, renal dialysis, and neonatal care. As the Auckland Medical School's South Auckland Clinical School, it is also one of the largest tertiary teaching hospitals of New Zealand.[1][2] The hospital was founded in 1947, and soon received recognition for its work, especially in plastic surgery and orthopaedics.[3]

Around 4,700 staff (equivalent of 3,500 full-time positions) provide treatment to more than 91,000 in-patients and over 354,000 out-patients or day-patients per year (data from approximately 2007).[2] It is also known to care for an above-average share of expecting mothers, staff generally delivering over 20 babies per day.[4]

2000s new facilities

Burn Ward

In June 2006, the hospital opened its new burn victims ward, the National Burn Centre. The facility cost NZ$ 7.2 million to construct and equip, and treats the most complex burn cases from all over the country, as well as around 400 local and regional burn cases per year. However, the facility as of May 2007 still has not been able to achieve its full planned complement of 5 surgeons, finding it difficult to attract doctors who can achieve much higher pay in private practice and may not want to work in the difficult conditions required to treat burn victims (which for example include body-temperature hot, almost 100% humidity air in the operating theatre).[5]

Intensive Care Ward

In June 2008, Middlemore opened a new intensive care unit for NZ$ 6.4 million, described as New Zealand's most advanced. The unit provides 18 beds instead of the previous 7, and capacity will be for treatment of about 1,000 patients per year. The unit also has a shower room to bathe patients confined to their beds as well as two pressure rooms for treatment of patients with infections (or those especially vulnerable to them). Also improved were the available storage spaces, allowing more room for patients, family and working staff.[6]

The unit replaces an older unit built in 1991 that had been described as cramped, lacking in modern equipment and offering too little room and privacy for patients, especially children, and their families.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Middlemore Oral Health Dental Services (database entry on 'healthpoint.co.nz' website. Accessed 2008-02-24.)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Middlemore Hospital (database entry on 'healthpoint.co.nz' website. Accessed 2008-02-24.)
  3. ↑ Historical Beginnings (PDF) (from the District Health Board website)
  4. ↑ Kiong, Errol (30 June 2007). "House-finders bring big baby boom". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  5. ↑ Kiong, Errol (26 May 2007). "Devoted team treat worst burn cases". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Borley, Craig (26 June 2008). "$6m intensive care unit the most advanced in NZ". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2011. 

External links

Coordinates: 36°57′46″S 174°50′23″E / 36.9629°S 174.8397°E / -36.9629; 174.8397

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