The Mersey Community Hospital has recently achieved teaching accreditation in the areas of Anaesthetics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Department of Medicine. (the hospital already has training accreditation in the Department of Surgery).

This is a significant achievement and will play a key role in helping to attract and retain medical staff. It will also help to further boost our standards of care and clinical skills of our staff.

It clearly shows our commitment to building the long term future of Mersey.

The hospital underwent rigorous assessment by the various Colleges' training accreditation committees to prove we could meet the necessary criteria.

Achieving the accreditation in several areas of the hospital is a clear demonstration of the high level of care being provided at MCH.

Australiaand New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Accreditation

Mersey Community Hospital has been accredited as a teaching hospital for both basic and advanced anaesthetic training.

The hospital will be a satellite of the North West Regional Hospital.

The accreditation will come into affect from the start of next year. (2010)

This accreditation also approves the Department of Anaesthesia at Mersey for the Provisional Fellowship Program.

The accreditation demonstrates the benefits of NWRH and MCH working in partnership as the NWAHS. It's improving the level of care provided to the community and helping to ensure the long term sustainability of both facilities.

Appointment of new Anaesthetic staff

We have appointed a Consultant Anaesthetist to the North West Area Health Service, which will further reduce our reliance on locum staff and improve rostering conditions for our current Anaesthetists.

Stefan Haupts is relocating from Germany for the position and will start next month.

We have also appointed a full time Anaesthetic Registrar at the hospital which is also fantastic news.

The registrar Dr Sibi Kurian did his anaesthetic training in India and has spent the past 18 months working in ICU at Shoalhaven Hospital in NSW.

DRANZCOG Accreditation

Mersey has also recently received accreditation by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as an advanced training site for the diploma of O&G.

This accreditation enables us to train GPs to practice as GP Obstetricians.

The accreditation allows for one training post per six months.

We have already had strong interest from interns in the North West to participate in the Diploma when the training commences next year, which is excellent.

RoyalAustralasian Collegeof Physicians Accreditation

The Accreditation wing of the Adult Medicine Division Education Committee conducted a site visit in July to assess the hospital.

MCH was accredited as a level one teaching hospital which allows us to employ trainees for one year of their three year basic training. The other two years would be completed at a level two and level three hospital.

Further information is available by contacting Nikki Karpeles, Media and Communications Manager, North West Area Health Service on 6426 5520