HOSPITAL NEWS
Waverley Private Hospital’s
new Mother Baby Unit
recently opened its doors.
The new unit offers 6 luxurious private suites and an evidence based, 4 night residential program,
for parents who are experiencing challenges with their infants 6 weeks to 24 months of age
including:
• Feeding difficulties
• Infant sleeping problems
• Unsettled/Irritable infants
• Reflux and colic
• Maternal exhaustion
• Adjusting to parenthood
The ward is managed by Lisa Young, who has extensive maternity experience. Patients are admitted
to the unit under the care of a General Practitioner. The unit is staffed by nurses with qualifications
in midwifery, mental health and counselling as well as Lactation Consultants, Clinical Psychologists
and Paediatricians.
JHC Dietitian Tristan Schwartzkopff with
Head of Paediatrics Professor Desiree Silva.
• Joondalup Health
Campus pledges to be
the first hospital in WA to
do away with sugary
drinks in new healthy
vending machines
• Doctors & dietitians back
the introduction of
vending machines
offering fresh & healthier
food choices
Healthy vending machines at
Joondalup Health Campus
Doctors and dietitians at Joondalup Health
Campus are leading the charge to introduce
healthier vending machines.
Head of Paediatrics Professor Desiree Silva said her team
started looking at the introduction of healthy vending
machines months ago, gained the support of the hospital’s
Executive and is now fast-tracking the project.
“We know that vending machines in the hospital are
an important source of snacks and meal substitutes,
particularly for visitors after-hours,” she said. “More than
60 per cent of Australian adults and 27 per cent of children
and adolescents are overweight or obese in Australia,
which is absolutely shocking. Being overweight increases
the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer
in both adults and children and so we need to be doing all
we can to help encourage healthy eating.”
8 The Ramsay Way 2018 | 01
“Earlier this year we conducted an audit on the vending
machines and found they had far below the recommended
amount of healthy food and drinks and far in excess of the
recommended amounts of food and drinks that should be
avoided – such as those high in saturated fat, sugar
or salt.”
Paediatrician Lana Bell said that as a result of the audit JHC
decided to introduce fresh food vending machines that
provide choices aligned with the Food and Nutrition Policy
for WA Health Services and Facilities: Healthy Options WA.
Under this policy food and drinks are categorised as being
either a green, amber or red item, where green items have
the greatest nutrient value, amber items are moderate
value and red items are of limited nutritional value.
JHC Support Services Manager Calum McLeod said the
hospital was on the brink of purchasing its own vending
machines so the turnover of highly perishable items –
such as fresh sandwiches, wraps and fresh fruit - could be
managed and the hospital would have full control over the
choices available.
“We will ensure at least 50 per cent of items in these
machines are green and that those items are most
prominently displayed. We will not have any red items
– such as sugary drinks - in our new, healthy vending
machines,” he said.
Head of Dietetics JooLi Robertson said it was important
for hospitals to provide healthy choices: “Often visitors to
hospital are tired and stressed. Reaching for a sugary pick-me-
up may be tempting but it is not supportive of good
health. We as a health organisation have a responsibility to
enable people to make better food choices,” she said.