The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s new state-of-the-art Acute Stroke and Neurology Ward opens its doors
Funded by The Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation, with proceeds from The Royal Melbourne Hospital Home Lottery, the new ward features a mix of single and double rooms, natural light, lifting tracks above beds and a dedicated rehabilitation gym.
The new ward has capacity for 31 beds including eight high acuity beds for patients who require increased monitoring.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Director Neurology, Professor Mark Parsons, said the new ward is cutting edge, designed to cater for the increasing number of strokes cared for at the hospital.
“The RMH is the leading stroke centre nationally, and we would be in the top 10 worldwide for providing world-class stroke care,” Professor Parsons said.
“Each year the RMH team treats around 1000 strokes and the numbers are increasing annually.
“The new purpose built stroke ward is the last piece in the comprehensive stroke service we provide to our community. The RMH is already leading in stroke care and research, we are a statewide provider for endovascular clot retrieval and we have Australia’s first Mobile Stoke Unit.
“When time is brain, we are always striving to provide the best, fastest stroke care available. The RMH is one of the few stroke centres in the world to do this within 20 minutes of patients arriving in the emergency department.”
The Acute Stroke and Neurology’s Nurse Unit Manager, Corey Swift, said the new ward now provided patients with something they haven’t had in Melbourne before, a dedicated unit specialising in the care of stroke, including rehabilitation.
“We treat the sickest of the sick, as far as a stroke patient goes,” Corey said.
“The unit will help us give the best care to our patients and provide them with the best outcome for rehabilitation and for getting them home.”
Recognising the signs and symptoms of a stroke can save a life. Remember FAST – F is for face drooping, A is for arms (can I lift them) S is for speech (slurring) and T is for time, it’s critical to get help as soon as possible. Stroke is a medical emergency, always call 000.
