![South West Healthcare nurse practitioner Kylie Palmer sits at the new triage station, located in the temporary waiting room at the emergency department. South West Healthcare nurse practitioner Kylie Palmer sits at the new triage station, located in the temporary waiting room at the emergency department.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/379mw9XPZ7UFRqmwjWhGKkr/1f92287f-39bd-482d-bb66-b3b02189bccd.jpg/r0_0_2048_1536_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
South West Healthcare has a new emergency department.
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The works include a new entry, a temporary waiting room, a walk-in patient triage area and a patient registration hub.
Also included in the project are new ambulance bays and more clinical areas, a separate infectious patient waiting room, more consultation space and a number of support areas such as space for staff to write up notes.
The new emergency department will deliver a large waiting room with dedicated adult and paediatric areas, a security guard office, more clinical areas including a new medication room, additional support space areas and more amenities for patients.
![South West Healthcare's deputy director of nursing medical services Kate White, director of emergency medicine Dr Carolyn Cooper and emergency department nurse unit manager Jessica Brereton at the new emergency department entrance. Picture supplied South West Healthcare's deputy director of nursing medical services Kate White, director of emergency medicine Dr Carolyn Cooper and emergency department nurse unit manager Jessica Brereton at the new emergency department entrance. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/379mw9XPZ7UFRqmwjWhGKkr/1a707b09-5826-467b-b5ef-38582a6f4073.jpg/r0_0_2048_1536_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
South West Healthcare's acting manager of capital infrastructure Simon Fogarty said the expansion of the emergency department aimed to alleviate pressures by enhancing existing facilities before the new emergency department was completed as part of the $384 million hospital redevelopment.
It includes a multi-storey clinical services building that will include a bigger emergency department, more operating theatres, an extra 22 inpatient beds and dedicated areas for medical imaging and dialysis.
A dedicated 10-bed paediatric unit will also be included and will provide specialised care to children and young people.