Lakes District Hospital square with WorkSafe

THE final improvement notice issued by WorkSafe to the Southern DHB relating to Lakes District Hospital has been lifted.

In January, during the hottest summer on record, the Otago Daily Times reported staff at the hospital were working in ‘‘untenable’’ conditions in the ageing hospital and feared someone would die if the DHB did not address their concerns quickly.

Soon after, WorkSafe southern assessments chief inspector Darren Handforth evaluated the hospital and found heat stress from working in the building, which had no air conditioning, was likely to be a risk to workers.

Three improvement notices were issued. The first two — to assess if heat stress was a significant risk to workers and others, and review its process for mitigation — were lifted in March.

The final notice, to review the ratio of Health and Safety representatives to working groups at the hospital, had also now been satisfied and lifted.

Earlier this month the ODT reported the DHB had lodged resource consent for its proposed $6.5 million upgrade of the Frankton hospital building.

Plans include a new 294sq m emergency department wing of nine beds in total, including seven existing beds and two resuscitation bays.

It would also feature a reception, waiting area, triage and consultation areas, a medical students’ training room, plaster bay, decontamination area and an isolation room.

A second 168.4sq m wing was proposed as a ‘‘District Nurses department building’’, while a CT scanner and a clean utility room, which would include storage for pharmaceuticals, were also proposed in the new build.

A pharmacy and store, ‘‘telehealth’’ facilities and dedicated paediatric and patient care room, including a whanau room, were proposed within the refurbishment of the existing hospital.