The new Wairarapa hospital will have 15 more beds than currently available. Crunching the numbers of bed allocations as outlined by the manager of hospital services, Anne McLean, reveals there are 33 beds in the medical/surgical ward, plus 14 in assessment, treatment and rehabilitation (ATR or ward four), a total of47. When the new Wairarapa hospital opens its doors early next year there will be 38 medical/surgical beds, plus four "swing beds" used between paediatrics and when there's peak demand in medical/surgical. A further six beds have been allocated for acute assessment in the emergency department. Fourteen beds will remain allocated to ATR plus there will be a new transitional flat for two people, a total of 62. And while that is good for patients, overworked staff have had good news this week too: Six new registered nurses and four graduates will join the staff mid to late January. The hospital is running with a shortfall of eight full-time nurses, one more than in early November, when the Times Age reported staff were reaching peak stress levels. From December 23 until January 9, there will be just a skeleton staff at the hospital. There will be no elective surgery during that period although operating theatres will still be open for acute cases. The assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward will be closed over the Christmas break and merged with paediatrics until January 16. Mrs McLean said these measures would allow staff to have leave over the Christmas period. She acknowledges they have been working extremely hard to minimise the impact of staff shortages. "We understand they have been under pressure and we appreciate the way our nurses have responded so professionally," she said.
