PEOPLE were able to ‘see behind the curtain’ and learn more about the healthcare services provided at Wellington Community Hospital during its first open day.

The event took place on Saturday, October 11, as tours were held throughout the building, giving guests an insight into how the hospital is currently being used.

Staff explained how the hospital continued providing vital services during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing was so important, and how this time period led to it becoming a ‘health hub’.

They said the building was laid out in such a way where a range of clinics were able to operate safely while each having their own entrance and exit.

Following the pandemic, more services expressed a desire to utilise the space, with more than 40 clinics now using the building for their services, including audiology, ENT, obstetrics and much more.

Tours began in the day room, where staff demonstrated how it was currently being utilised as a training room, among its many purposes, fitted with a dummy patient inside of a bed.

The tour then moved to audiology, where insight into the service available was provided. The tour would then be taken to the physio department, where guests were shown many pieces of equipment provided to the hospital by the Wellington Hospital League of Friends. It was affirmed that these donations are important as the hospital only has budget for staffing, not for equipment.

After being shown a section of the hospital where COVID-19 vaccines are carried out, the tour group were taken upstairs to see more clinics. This included a large room which they plan to divide into multiple sections, allowing more clinics to be moved in so more patients can be treated.

Each of the rooms has a clinic bed, alongside a consultant’s room and an area for ultrasounds.

The modern facilities inside the building were highlighted to the tour groups as it contrasts with the hospital’s exterior, which was built in the 1800’s. Groups also noted that the inside of the hospital was “deceptively large” in comparison to its outer appearance.

The history of the hospital was provided via an information board which had been provided by the League of Friends, alongside scrapbooks and newspaper clippings about the hospital.

To complete the experience guests were treated to cake, biscuits and hot drinks before and after they were taken on a tour.

There was also an opportunity for visitors to leave suggestions on what facilities or clinics could be added to the hospital, with mental health being noted as a service that they hospital could provide.

A spokesperson for Wellington Community Hospital said: “We are very grateful to the hospital staff who gave of their time and to our many supporters who took the time to come and see for themselves - you now know where you money went and is going.”

Wellington Community Hospital’s next event will be taking place on Saturday, November 22, as it hosts a ‘Christmas Coffee Morning’ at Wellington Baptist Church Hall.