Christchurch Hospital

Description

About the Hospital
Christchurch Hospital ImageChristchurch Hospital is the largest tertiary teaching and research hospital in the South Island and provides a full range of emergency acute elective and outpatient services Doctors and specialists from here also travel to major centres in the South Island providing specialist clinics and operations Telemedicine facilities link the hospital with other sites throughout New Zealand This means patients dont always need to leave their hometown to receive treatment

Christchurch Hospital provides services to over 35600 inpatients each year Approximately twothirds of these patients are admitted acutely A further 13000 people are day patients The number of people waiting for surgery has fallen rapidly in recent years due to a significant increase in the number of surgical patients being treated There are 16000 theatre visits each year

The hospital operates 600650 beds Our busiest time of year is usually winter and there is an active liaison with the rehabilitation hospitals Burwood and Princess Margaret to ensure that patients are appropriately placed for acute and subacute care

There are over 197000 outpatient attendances at the hospital excluding those for radiology and laboratory services In addition Christchurch Hospital has the busiest Emergency Department in Australasia treating more than 65000 patients a year

Many of the doctors and specialists working in the hospital are involved in leading international research Often they are engaged in joint projects with medical research scientists at the Christchurch School of Medicine part of the University of Otago The School is integrated into the hospital campus

Christchurch Hospital is the major tertiary teaching hospital in the South Island where doctors receive clinical training and it is one of the four main teaching hospitals in New Zealand The examination pass rates for resident medical staff are high A range of postgraduate nursing programmes is also offered