How we are humanising healthcare across the system |
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NSW Health recognises and is deeply thankful for the outstanding commitment and tireless efforts of all our healthcare workers and staff in all roles.
I want to be very clear that industrial action does not change this in any way whatsoever. We have a world-class health system due to our dedicated, skilled and compassionate people.
NSW Health respects and supports the right of our staff to advocate for better conditions. We also respect the role and responsibilities of Government.
I acknowledge this position can create tension during industrial disputes, particularly as some people understandably equate how much staff are valued directly to remuneration. |
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NSW Health will continue to participate constructively in the Industrial Relations Commission process, which can determine a fair outcome with regard to pay and conditions for our workforce. While this occurs, NSW Health will continue to focus on supporting you to achieve the goal which unites us all every day – providing safe, high-quality care to the people of NSW. A key part of that is listening to your feedback and the feedback of the communities you serve. We understand the importance of listening to and learning from our dedicated and highly skilled workforce to make continuous improvements to workplace culture and enhance our services.
By its very nature, much of this feedback will relate to concerns or areas for improvement. Staff who raise concerns or complaints are supported to pursue these matters through their manager or a more senior staff member through appropriate NSW Health policies. There are lots of mechanisms in place for both formal and informal feedback, and I want everyone who works in NSW Health to know they can speak up about any concerns they have. I strongly encourage you to do so. It is vital to ensuring we continue to provide a world class health service to the people of NSW.
This week is Human Experience Week (5 - 9 May), a time to recognise and celebrate the impact of connecting with patients, families, carers and each other. The theme this year is celebrating the HeART of Healing, Humanising Healthcare. It highlights the balance between the art and science of medicine – but also the role human connection makes to high-quality, personalised, and culturally-safe healthcare.
One of the biggest opportunities we have to connect is through listening, to our community, colleagues, and the people we care for and their families. Listening takes many forms – a friendly ear during a chat, reviewing compliments and complaints, or stepping through the Bureau of Health Information’s (BHI) NSW Patient Survey Program results.
Each year we are grateful to the thousands of people who choose to share their personal experience of our healthcare system. Their feedback helps us understand what’s working well, or not, and identify opportunities for local or statewide improvements to elevate the human experience.
From formal, co-designed programs, to heartfelt, spontaneous moments – together, we create a lasting impression on those around us. Please take a moment to explore our impact further from the stories below or participate in a virtual or in-person Human Experience Week events.
You can also read more the NSW Health's Future Health: Guiding the next decade of health care in NSW 2022-2032 and the Elevating the Human Experience – Our Guide to Action online.
Finally, last Friday (2 May) we recognised Administrative Professionals Day.
Every day across NSW Health, administrative staff coordinate thousands of different tasks that come together and help keep our health system running smoothly – supporting us to deliver excellent healthcare to the people of NSW.
From scheduling patient appointments and coordinating teams, to managing correspondence, staffing our many reception areas and so much more.
To all our administrative staff across NSW Health – thank you. |
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Kind regards,
Susan Pearce AM
Secretary, NSW Health |
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Children with complex medical needs and their families may face many challenges in managing healthcare. A project at Hunter New England Local Health District’s John Hunter Children’s Hospital is working on practical ways to help families during their journey.
The All Together Now project involved workshops, interviews, and discussions with 150 families and staff. As a result, the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Complex Care Coordination Service was created in 2023. The service integrates various specialties, providing more coordinated and sustainable care.
“We really wanted to focus on what our families need. Being co-design partners in this project means that they have a voice,” said Camilla Askie, Project Lead. | |
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“Families said that being enrolled in the service means that they can actually step back and be parents again,” said Ashleigh Griffiths, Project Officer. Results show significant improvements. Same-day coordinated appointments rose from 7 to 60 per cent after six months of service implementation. Admissions to the emergency department dropped by 60 per cent. |
| Camilla Askie and Ashleigh Griffiths |
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John Hunter Hospital School song Students, staff, families, and the community came together to create a brand-new school song at John Hunter Hospital School.
Check out the video below to see students and staff rocking out to the catchy new jingle. |
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“People assume your defining moment in nursing is dramatic – like when I resuscitated someone on the side of a netball court, or was nominated for an award. But it’s about the moments that move you,” said Tayla Robinson, Nurse Manager at Murrumbidgee Local Health District. |
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One typical shift Tayla walked into her assigned room, and encountered a palliative patient in his final hours.
“I was assured that his family might arrive soon. But that never happened,” said Tayla. “As I was washing and grooming him, I began humming to myself. I noticed that when I stopped humming, his breathing became laboured, but when I resumed, he relaxed.”
Realising the patient was actively dying but comforted by her voice, Tayla sat by his bedside. “I held his hand and I sang him a sweet lullaby as he slipped away in peace,” Tayla recalled. |
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That, Tayla says, was ‘the moment’. "Time and time again, this is the moment I come back to when I need a reminder of why I became a nurse.
“Because nursing is not just measured by the lives we save, but by those we help along the way.” |
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Human Experience Week 2025 |
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You're invited to join Human Experience Week 2025 (5 – 9 May). We will come together virtually and in-person, celebrating exceptional patient and staff experiences by sharing stories that balance the art and science of medicine, in a program that focuses on the HeART of Healing. Monday 5 May – 8:30am - 4:15pm (virtual and in-person)
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and the NSW Ministry of Health open Human Experience Week at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. You can expect to hear about the profound connection between the science of medicine and the creativity, compassion, and empathy that define exceptional care.
Tuesday 6 May – 9:30am - 11:30am (virtual and in-person)
South Western Sydney Local Health District and the NSW Ministry of Health's Workforce Planning and Talent Development Team partner to bring you a program centred around Human at Heart: Culture Focused Leadership in NSW Health.
Hosted at Liverpool Hospital's Education and Research Centre, you can expect to see how South Western Sydney Local Health District is embedding the newly launched Culture and Staff Framework. |
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Thursday 8 May – 11am - 12:30pm (virtual)
The Bureau of Health Information brings you a virtual conversation about making the most of patient experience information, including practical guidance on using different sources of data from across NSW. In an interactive Q&A, you can gain insights on the challenges and successes in using data to transform experiences. |
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GoodSAM saves young boy’s life
When 12-year-old Xavier had a cardiac arrest at soccer practice, nearby NSW Ambulance GoodSAM responder Nick Beashel received an alert on his phone and raced to help. Watch the full story on The Project.
You can also sign up to GoodSAM to help save a life. | | Integrated Geriatric Emergency Medicine (iGEM) Unit
Blacktown Hospital created an innovative way to support elderly patients in the Western Sydney Local Health District. The Integrated Geriatric Emergency Medicine (iGEM) Short Stay Unit within the hospital’s emergency department provides safe, timely care, and helps reduce hospital stays for patients presenting from a residential aged care facility. Watch the story on NINE News. |
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Alice is a passionate advocate for improving the healthcare experience for people in regional, rural and remote NSW.
As a proud Aboriginal woman from Gumbaynggirr Country in Northern NSW, she brings a unique consumer perspective to the Agency for Clinical Innovation’s Rural Health Network's Executive Committee.
“Ensuring patients have a seat at the table, so their knowledge and experiences can help drive innovations from the start is essential,” said Alice. “I’m excited to ensure the voices of rural, Aboriginal peoples and women are heard and that change is made where it’s needed.” |
| Alice and her partner kayaking in Gumbaynggirr Country |
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Becky Smith is the Rural Health Network co-chair and Acting Director of Clinical Operations, Far West NSW Local Health District. She said committee members like Alice draw on their lived experience to drive innovative solutions that meet the needs of rural people.
“By involving people with lived experience in decision-making, we not only create more effective solutions but also ensure that healthcare truly meets their needs.”
“It makes the entire experience more compassionate and human for everyone,” she said. |
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Meet infectious diseases physician and a mother of four, Dr Phoebe Williams. She knows how serious respiratory viruses such as influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can be.
Watch the video below as Phoebe shares how she keeps her children safe from respiratory viruses, and why getting vaccinated and good hygiene, like regular handwashing, are so important. |
Book a flu vaccine for yourself and your family at your GP or pharmacy, or visit the healthdirect website.
For more information about respiratory illness, please visit the NSW Health website. |
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Joe Byrnes was a familiar face at Balmain Hospital at Sydney Local Health District until his passing last year. Over the years, he and his wife, Lorraine, became beloved by the hospital staff.
The couple shared a profound love of art. This year Lorraine made a heartfelt and generous contribution donating both her own and her late husband’s artworks to the hospital for the district’s annual March Arts festival. The artworks are now displayed side by side in the hospital’s foyer. |
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Lorraine Byrnes standing in front of the paintings with a photo of Joe |
| “Balmain Hospital was our second home," said Lorraine. “The staff really understood Joe. It felt like a family reunion every time we returned.” “We often painted together during our visits. We longed to be artists, and now this has become our exhibition. "I know Joe will be smiling from ear to ear above, knowing his artwork will be displayed in a place that feels like home to us,” she said. “I hope visitors and staff can feel the sense of peace and happiness Joe felt while creating his art." |
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Eve Mcclure, a geriatrician who cared for Joe, recalled Lorraine’s constant presence at Joe’s side, day and night.
“No matter how unwell, Joe would always make us smile with his humour and stories.
“The paintings are a beautiful reminder of his legacy. I know I speak for all my colleagues when I say that we’ve been deeply touched by their generosity, and the warmth and kindness they’ve shown to our team.” |
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In healthcare, feedback isn’t just data – it’s the voice of people. It reflects what matters to patients, families, carers, staff, and communities. Yet, across our system, how we listen varies. Feedback is gathered in many ways, often leading to duplication, missed opportunities, and at times, placing unnecessary burden on the very people we aim to serve. |
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That’s where strengthening and streamlining self-reported information comes in. NSW Health is focusing on bringing together feedback from patients, carers, staff, and the community. This includes traditional surveys, but also complaints, stories, and even informal comments. George Leipnik, Director of Strategy and System Priorities Unit, NSW Ministry of Health, is leading this collaborative strategy alongside experts at the Bureau of Health Information, Agency for Clinical Innovation, Clinical Excellence Commission, the Chief Experience Officer, consumers and carers, and others. “By gathering a wide cross section of different types of feedback, we can then develop a more comprehensive understanding of the patient experience to drive improvements across all parts of NSW Health,” said George. “Our immediate priority is to strengthen and streamline patient experience surveys. Recent reviews have highlighted that many different surveys and methodologies are used across the system. |
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“We know from growing evidence that improved experiences of care can lead to improved outcomes. Better coordination can ensure the information is more actionable, insights can be shared, and the burden on patients and staff is reduced.”
To learn more, visit the self-reported information webpage for tools, statewide guidance and fact sheets to support local teams. |
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In focus with Brigette Uren |
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Q: What role do the arts play in elevating the human experience in healthcare and improving patient outcomes?
A: The arts play a vital role in healthcare by fostering emotional resilience, enhancing wellbeing, and supporting holistic healing. Initiatives like Healing Through the Arts in Ukraine, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), demonstrate how music, visual arts, dance, and storytelling can help people manage trauma, reduce stress, and rebuild community connection. Evidence shows artistic engagement can reduce anxiety, depression, and pain, while improving recovery, communication, and patient satisfaction.
In NSW, the renewed Health and the Arts Framework, developed with key health and creative partners, aims to integrate the arts more deeply into clinical settings. Programs like Arterie and Carterie at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, staff choirs, cultural heritage celebrations, and creative therapies humanise hospital environments and boost mental health. Rural and regional services are often leading impact solutions, scalable statewide. These initiatives not only support patients but also improve staff wellbeing, attraction and retention.
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Health Infrastructure is embedding co-design and creative collaboration into a range of projects. At the new Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network sites at Randwick and Westmead, partnerships with Handy Squid and neuroscientist Dr Jess Harrington are helping reduce treatment-related stress. Large-scale envirographic art projects, like those at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, further transform healthcare spaces. Ultimately, the arts nurture empathy and connection – reminding us of our shared humanity and the transformative power of healing through creativity.
Brigette Uren Program Director Arts Health Facility Advisory, Health Infrastructure |
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Beyond Cancer: Palliative and end of life care for cardiorespiratory failure webinar
HETI are hosting a series of end of life and palliative care education and training webinars throughout 2025 for NSW Health staff. These webinars are targeted at multidisciplinary health professionals who may care for people approaching end of life outside of specialist teams. For more information or to register for the webinar on Thursday 15 May, 2:30pm - 3:30pm, visit the HETI website. |
| Do you feel confident to make a call to NETS? The Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS) is a statewide service of NSW Health hosted by the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. If you are a clinician working with a baby or child where you need urgent clinical advice, with or without an emergency transport, you may need to call NETS. This short video module shows you how and what to expect when you make a NETS call. Visit My Health Learning to access the training. |
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NSW Health acknowledges Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the lands and waters of NSW and pays respect to Elders past, present and future. |
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Feeling social? Follow NSW Health |
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