CANCER and haematology inpatients can now receive treatment in a new 22-bed ward at the Canberra Hospital after it opened today (February 17). 

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says the new ward, 14A, includes new medical equipment, more single bedrooms and day beds in each room for loved ones to stay if required. There’s also a new dining room, providing a space for patients and their families to spend time together and encourages patients to eat, which can be a struggle for some patients during their treatment.

The ward features additional positive pressure environments to reduce the risk of infection to immune-suppressed patients, too, Ms Stephen-Smith says. These rooms are designed so that air flows out rather than in, keeping airborne bacteria away.

A full refurbishment of a second Cancer Ward (14B), is due for completion in the second half of 2020, Ms Stephen-Smith says.