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An important milestone in the life of The Wesley Hospital was celebrated on Thursday 9 July 2009 when the new East Wing was officially opened by Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AO, Governor of Queensland. The new $102 million nine-level wing offers state-of-the-art patient and medical technology to support patients and the evolving needs of patient care well into the future. In her address Ms Wensley said that the facilities usher in a new era for staff and patients at the hospital and set new benchmarks in standards of care. “The new East Wing is a practical fulfilment of the ongoing commitment of the Uniting Church and UnitingCare to provide excellence in service delivery as part of their work in the world,” she said. “Some of these new facilities are a response to evident needs but others reflect forward and proactive thinking to keep the hospital moving forward.” Ms Wensley said that with 1700 new people settling in Queensland every week and the shifting patterns of disease there is an ongoing demand for ever more sophisticated facilities as well as new ways of responding to community needs. “We have here a great investment in the future of our state and the people of Queensland,” she said. Chief Executive Officer, UnitingCare Health, Richard Royle, said that The Wesley provides one of the most comprehensive range of services of any private hospital in Australia. “These new facilities mean we can do that in greater comfort for patients and with improved facilities for our staff to work in.” UnitingCare CEO, Anne Cross said that UnitingCare’s commitment to Queensland communities is long standing and the opening of the facilities was testimony to its continuing commitment and passion. “Today is a milestone not only in the history of The Wesley Hospital but also in the history of UnitingCare as it symbolises our willingness to continue to invest in the present and the future outreach to the people of Queensland. The new East Wing is a very practical expression of UnitingCare’s commitment to the wellbeing of the community,” she said. The new East Wing features a day surgery floor; four acute care wards; two cardio-vascular wards, including a new coronary care unit; a dedicated floor for coronary and back rehabilitation and a clinical research floor. It has capacity for up to 178 beds - bringing the Wesley’s total capacity to 538 beds. Each floor has education and training facilities and in-patient accommodation has been designed with an emphasis on comfort, privacy and immediate access to clinical staff. The opening of the East Wing will ensure that The Wesley Hospital continues to offer quality integrated healthcare and leadership in clinical services whilst providing the fabric for the enhancement of clinical education and research at a national and international level for the next generation. |
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