Yesterday, the new South Pod – Chest Pain Evaluation Unit (CPEU) at Northern Hospital Epping officially opened.

The 12-bed modular unit is located to the south of the hospital, between the back entrance and the multideck car park.

The CPEU is a short stay unit to support flow, and facilitate timely access to care for patients who present to the Emergency Department. The team will work closely with the Emergency Department, Cardiology Unit (Ward 5), and SSU to provide services for patients in the northern catchment presenting primarily with low risk and low probability chest pain.

The CPEU will be led by new Nurse Unit Manager, Hannah Downie, who has worked in our Emergency Department (ED) for several years.

“It’s been a really exciting opportunity to be a part of opening the CPEU and I want to thank all the staff that have come on board to join the team. I’m looking forward to continuing our new collaboration with Cardiology to provide a streamlined service for our Northern Community, Patients and Emergency Department. I’d personally like to thank Bronwyn Matthews, Jesse Fraser and Carolyn Ullyatt for their contributions and ongoing support,” Hannah said.

The unit comprises four negative pressure bays with ante rooms, and a further eight single bays that can have droplet and contact isolation patients, or be a negative pressure area (the eight bays and staff areas) with single donning and doffing rooms on entry and exit.

All bays have hard-wired cardiac monitoring with 12-lead ECG capability, with central monitors located at staff stations 1 and 2.

Before being accepted into the unit, patients will be identified by the ED medical and nursing team and be assessed against inclusion criteria.

Grant Taylor, Director Operations – Emergency Department and CPEU, said, “The Chest Pain Evaluation Unit is an exciting new service at Northern Health that will assist our Emergency Department to streamline care for patients who present with chest pain, as well as further support our community.”

“I would like to thank all staff who have contributed to the construction and operationalisation of the CPEU and look forward to working closely with Hannah to support the service to the benefit of our patients.”