Flooring upgrades at Gisborne Hospital’s Maternity Unit will benefit the community in the long run but will cause disruptions over the coming weekends.
Over the past five years the hospital’s Maternity Unit has been slowly upgraded. This includes receiving a fresh paint job, new beds, a new electronic record system, a completely refurbished pool room and new baby monitors.
The last major piece of the refurbishment puzzle is a flooring upgrade, starting August 18.
The refurbishment involves stripping the carpet from the main thoroughfare of the unit, the Post-Natal Care area, some parts of the Delivery Suite area, as well as the entire Neo-Natal Unit.
The sections will then be recovered with lino, for better health, safety and infection control, says Director of Midwifery and Clinical Midwife Manager Liz Lee-Taylor.
“For those that are coming in to the unit in labour, or for assessments that weekend – and possibly the following three weekends - there will be a disruption to the service.”
This includes initial entry.
“There will be clear signs as to how you can access the unit but please contact your midwife first.
“We also want women to be aware that if they are coming in to have their baby, they may not be able to stay as long as they intended to. We are sorry for this possibility as we complete the upgrade”
Those needing post-natal care might be transferred to other wards within the hospital while the refurbishment takes place. However staff will be travelling around the different areas where women are placed to provide post-natal care.
Ms Lee-Taylor says that while the new floor installation will be noisy and there will be an element of dust - patient safety will remain the number one priority throughout the flooring process and work can be stopped at any time. We are using low fume products, sealing up work areas and using extractor fans to reduce the impact.
“We want to assure people that if the acuity gets to a certain level, we can stop work in the unit. It just means that some rooms will be without carpet.
“I will be on call for the duration of the refurbishment, so if there is a decision to be made I will be there to assess the situation.”
MODO Flooring will be carrying out the work - the same experienced team that re-floored Planet Sunshine and the Intensive Care Unit while it was fully functioning.
“It is exciting and it is going to look lovely. The disruptions are not going to be ideal for the women that are here during this time, so please consult your Lead Maternity Carer if you have any concerns.
“But in the long term it is going to benefit the whole community, by creating a safer and more welcoming environment overall.”
WORK DATES BELOW:
- August 18 - 20.
- August 25 - 29.
*Please note, more dates may be added, these will be updated here and on the Hauora Tairāwhiti Facebook page.