Plans for the peadiatric section at the new $470 million Maitland Hospital, have been unveiled and will feature a lounge area for adolescents as well as a children's play area.
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The unit's design, which will take on a contemporary look, has been released along with a sneak peek of the Paediatrics Unit and Special Care Nursery.
Health Infrastructure NSW flagged the plans, through a series of images and video, with one of its harshest critics - six-year-old Tyson who is currently a patient in the Maitland Hospital's Peadiatrics Unit.
These videos, which you will be able to view on our website as they are released, provide unique insights into the hospital's staff, the services they provide and what the community can look forward to in the new Metford facility.
The rooms in the Paediatric Unit will be a mix of single and double rooms and the unit will also include four day beds for day surgery, testing and observation.
Paediatric patients will have access to a dedicated play space for the unit.
This will be located between an adolescent lounge and a play room for younger children.
The unit's rooms will include more space and the team is looking at how to use this to make the smallest of patients most comfortable.
This could include sofa beds so parents can stay with their children.
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The Paediatrics and Special Care Nursery service will have a significantly more contemporary look than the old hospital.
The infrastructure for these services has been designed in consultation with industry experts as well as staff, consumer and community representatives.
The Special Care Nursery will feature a dedicated space for parents, including a kitchenette and two beds.
Individual bays for babies will be a feature of the Special Care Nursery offering more privacy for patients and their families.
"We have worked really hard to create family-centred spaces that our children and their families feel comfortable in," said Nurse Unit Manager, Paediatrics Megan Brown.
"We are looking after children and babies and their families on the best and worst day of their lives.
"We look forward to continuing to support the community in our new and designed spaces."
And if you're wondering about young Tyson, he has a rare inherited genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta or "brittle bone disease", which means he is more susceptible to breaking bones, due to a mutation in the collagen gene, which strong bones are formed around. Tyson has a mild form of the disorder and has has broken three bones so far in his lifetime.
The new Maitland Hospital is on track to open in early 2022. It will deliver a range of services and increased capability in the form of more beds and treatment spaces to better meet the changing healthcare needs of the community.
The hospital will provide emergency care, chemotherapy chairs, surgical services, critical care, maternity services, paediatric care, cardiac catherisation, inpatient beds, mental health, palliative care, outpatient clinics and dental.
Car parking for patients, staff and visitors is also a key priority.
The $470 million new Maitland Hospital will offer a wider range of services for the growing population, delivering on the NSW Government's commitment to improve regional access to quality health care, with significantly more beds and treatment spaces.
