Sue Roughton, who helped design the room, Margaret Lee and her sister Marion, with Hutt Valley DHB chief executive, Ashley Bloomfield at the opening of the facility.
Margaret Lee wanted to do something to thank the Dental Department for the years of care she has received from the DHB.
“I have a difficult mouth!” Margaret explained at the opening of the new facility last week,” I am very thankful to Dr Neil Stephen for all his help over the years. Staff in the Dental Department have always looked after me well and I wanted to do something to give back to the hospital.”
Hutt Valley DHB chief executive, Ashley Bloomfield thanked Margaret for her generosity and said that the new consultation room, equipped with a big screen so patients can see their x-rays, a desk, chair, iPad and comfy sofa would be a great private space for patients away from a clinical environment.
“It is a fabulous facility for doctors to be able to speak to patients, or the parents and carers of children and special needs patients who visit the department,” he said, adding that the extra privacy was particularly important when patients were receiving difficult information, or needed to have sensitive discussions with staff.
Sue Roughton, a dental assistant in the department, who helped with the design and decoration of the room, said that it has been used extensively so far.
“The patients who have used it have loved it. It is a really wonderful space and we have received great feedback,” she said.
