21/08/2012

New Unit Opens At Daisy Hill Hospital

Health Minister Edwin Poots has officially opened a new High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital.

The new £500,000 10 bedded unit will be used for treating the most acutely ill patients in the hospital and is connected to the Intensive Care Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital through a 'Telepresence' robot.

The Trust is the first in the UK to use the Telepresence robot which enables Intensive Care specialists from Craigavon to remotely assess patients.

The robot allows real-time patient observation, examination and interaction between staff in different locations. It has the ability to transmit heart and breath sounds and can sometimes prevent the need to transfer patients to Intensive Care.

Mr Poots said: "This use of new technology, in the form of the Telepresence robot, is at the cutting edge of innovation in our health service and makes the best use of health resources to the benefit of patients. Effective hospital networks and the use of innovative technologies are fundamental to the future of health care as recommended in Transforming Your Care."

The development is part of an ongoing modernisation programme for Daisy Hill Hospital and acute services within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

Trust Chief Executive Mairead McAlinden said: "Over recent years, the Trust has been focusing on improving how Daisy Hill and Craigavon Area hospitals work together as one acute hospital network, with each offering its own areas of expertise and providing support to the other, and together providing the safest, best quality of care. We believe that the new High Dependency Unit at Daisy Hill with its links to Intensive Care at Craigavon through the Telepresence Robot is a great example of how the Southern Trust is using our hospital network and innovative technology to the benefit of patients."

(CD)

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