Westmead Private opens
What’s new at North Shore Private Maternity?
Luxury Birthing Suite Upgrade additional birth suite
An elegant refurbishment has been undertaken in the maternity
ward at North Shore Private Hospital.
Seven birthing suites have been given luxurious and spacious
new bathrooms, while the waiting areas and reception area
have also been revamped.
This exciting new refurbishment is supported by the 13 cot
Level II Special Care Nursery and 40 private post-natal rooms
with ensuites.
In addition, there are 13 luxury parenting suites which
encourage partners to stay and allow the whole family to
celebrate the birth of their child together.
Gidget House and Emotional
Wellbeing Program
North Shore Private Hospital has announced a not-for-profit
Gidget House is now located on-site, providing support
to expectant and new parents who experience perinatal
depression and anxiety.
The arrival of this new service allows couples to access free
psychological counselling sessions through a GP referral.
North Shore Private offers access to the Gidget Foundation’s
Emotional Wellbeing Program. This screening program enables
women booked to have their baby at North Shore Private to
take part in an antenatal emotional health check.
Where required, expectant mums will then participate in a
one-on-one appointment with one of the 15 trained Gidget
midwives to explore their emotional wellbeing and discuss
their concerns regarding the potential for postnatal depression
and anxiety.
Gidget House at North Shore
Private will operate 6 days per
week, subject to demand.
North Shore Private also
provides every private
maternity patient with a
collection of the Gidget
Foundation’s Bunny Books.
These are a box set of four baby
books, beautifully illustrated
and thoughtfully written for
baby story time, while also
including proven psychological
strategies for parents.
Each book aims to help
parents address a particular
challenge they may face with
a powerful psychological
exercise designed to positively
transform their state of mind.
Andrew and Katherine Ackling pictured with Dr Rabia Shaikh
Ramsay Boosts Clinical Trials Network
The Ramsay Way 2018 | 04 5
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
A new birth suite has just opened at Westmead
Private Hospital, as part
of a major maternity unit expansion still underway.
Dr Rabia Shaikh was the first obstetrician to deliver a baby in the
new room; little Theodore was welcomed into the world by his
parents Katherine and Andrew Ackling.
As well as a new birth suite, families will benefit from 31
extra maternity rooms and 11 new surgical rooms when the
development is finished.
There will also be eight spacious parenting suites with double
beds, seating areas for guests, TVs and private ensuites.
For babies who need extra care, a 14 cot Special Care Nursery
will be equipped with the latest technology and enhanced
privacy and comfort.
Westmead Private Hospital CEO, Mike Flatley, said the
development has been designed with the whole family in mind –
in addition to the mother, partner, and baby.
“Our luxury maternity unit includes a garden area for families
and loved ones to enjoy. Overall, the expansion will create an
environment that is modern, spacious, and supported
by experienced doctors and midwives.”
“We have the unique advantage of being close to the Children’s
Hospital at Westmead, which means our mums and bubs receive
the highest standard of private hospital care while being able to
access tertiary level care facilities, such as NICU, if required.
A spectacular fly-through animation video was released as
construction of the development passed the halfway mark. It can
be viewed by visiting:
www.westmeadprivate.com.au/Maternity/Our-Maternity-Unit
The remainder of the luxury maternity service development is
due to open in March 2019.
New Chinese Feeding Clinic
A new Chinese Feeding Clinic is now being offered
at North Shore Private Hospital, adding to an already
comprehensive range of post-natal support programs
for women and their families.
The service is for Chinese parents who require feeding advice
for up to the first 2 months after birth. It will be run by a Chinese
Lactation consultant who is IBLCE accredited.
Couples will also be able to access tours of the maternity ward
and antenatal classes in Mandarin.
The existing Helping hands Clinic is open to all families
requiring support from birth to 12 months old. Parents can
seek professional expertise including feeding, sleep/ settling,
adjusting to new family, changing behaviours, emotional
wellbeing, returning to work and travelling with baby. An early
feeding drop-in clinic is open every Friday.
Potentially life-changing new studies have been secured in
depression and anxiety, prostate cancer, and lung cancer through
the Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation (RHRF).
A record 14 sites are now part of Ramsay Australia’s clinical trials network, following
the inclusion of four extra facilities in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.
Albert Road Clinic is the first mental health facility to be involved with the clinical
trials network; Wollongong Private Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Private
Hospital, and North Shore Private Hospital have also been included.
Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation CEO, Nicola Ware, said more than 100
sponsored clinical trials were running as a result of this expansion.
The RHRF team has also recently appointed a coordinator to provide support to
the clinical trials network as work continues to expand the scope of studies within
Ramsay Australia.
Wollongong Private Hospital
A clinical trial coordinator will work with medical oncologists, surgeons, and other
interested specialists to establish and support ongoing clinical trials at Wollongong
Private Hospital.
“Wollongong has recently been awarded a lung cancer clinical trial from Merck and
a prostate cancer clinical trial with Janssen, which was secured through working
together with Dr Ali Tafreshi,” CEO Nicola Ware said.
“We expect both studies to open in 2019 and we look forward to offering patients
the option of potentially life-changing work on-site.”
Albert Road Clinic
The first sponsored mental health clinical trial has been obtained at Albert
Road Clinic’s new clinical trials unit, which was established through
Professor Malcolm Hopwood.
“Working with a US biotech company, this mental health trial offers patients an
opportunity to access a new drug for the treatment of depression and anxiety,”
CEO Nicola Ware said.
“We are really excited to see the trials network expand into mental health and
we look forward to the involvement of other mental health hospitals in the future.”
Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital
and North Shore Private Hospital
The Ramsay Hospital Research Foundation is looking forward to welcoming new
clinical trial coordinators and specialists at both North Shore Private Hospital and
Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital.