Hawera Hospital corrective Action Plan update

4 December 2013

In 2011, some issues were raised regarding the clinical safely of some clinical medical services at Hawera Hospital.

Dr Greg Simmons has provided an update on the potential clinical risk associated with medical services at Hawera Hospital.

“Corrective actions have been put in place to ensure that patients get safe, timely and consistent medical treatment no matter where they are in Taranaki.

There are now closer links between medical staff working at Hawera Inpatients with the Older People’s health and Department of Medicine at Taranaki Base Hospital. Furthermore, Taranaki Base Emergency Department physicians are working shifts at Hawera Emergency Department and vice versa.

A clinical leader (doctor) has been appointed at Hawera Hospital with a view to strengthen clinical leadership and to enhance the focus on quality and safety in health care delivery.

There is a clearer understanding of the priorities of the transfer of patients to the point of definitive care to ensure that the patient in need gets the right treatment at the right place and right time, particularly in relation to acute trauma and surgery.

There is an increased number of permanently employed medical staff or those on long term contracts rather than the previous reliance on short term locums which is improving the continuity of care for those using the medical services at Hawera Hospital. A United states Board certified Emergency Medicine Specialist started work at Hawera Emergency Department recently and another is due to arrive in January 2014.

Hawera Hospital is now an approved rural hospital medicine training site and in the future the Hospital is likely to function in this capacity with its own Rural Hospital Medicine Department. This Department will oversee the training of specialist rural medicine doctors, to the benefit of the people of South Taranaki.”

Dr Greg Simmons
Chief Medical Advisor

For more information please call

Sue Carrington
Media Adviser
Ph 021 367 789

Last updated: Wednesday, December 4, 2013