A message from the Secretary, updates to COVID-19 reporting and isolation and the NSW Health 2022 Premier's Multicultural Communications Award Winner. |
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Every day the NSW Health system provides remarkable experiences of care and outcomes for its many patients. That is a testament to the skills and dedication of our wonderful workforce.
However, I also acknowledge that, as with any large and complex system, there will be times when people may wish to raise issues or concerns.
I am committed to ensuring anyone in this position within our health system can raise these concerns in a way that makes them feel safe and that their concerns are listened to and acted upon. |
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Staff are always encouraged to speak up and can do so locally or, if they prefer, to the Ministry. There may also be occasions when staff feel more comfortable raising issues or concerns through an external group outside of NSW Health, which they can do too.
More information on the support available and avenues for raising issues and concerns can be found on the NSW Health intranet. As an organisation, we are genuinely committed to listening, learning, and continuing to develop and improve, for our staff and our patients.
As you are aware, Thursday 22 September 2022 has been declared a public holiday due to the National Day of Mourning for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To minimise disruption for patients, local health districts are encouraged to retain as much of their planned activity as possible, subject to staff availability. On another note, I’m very pleased to share that the COVID-19 vaccination campaign ‘Let’s Do This’ received the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Communications Award for Business Campaign of the Year. Congratulations to all the teams from NSW Health and the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service for your efforts in guiding and protecting multicultural communities through the pandemic and helping to drive vaccine uptake.
Awards like this one, and feedback on how new services are helping us deliver the very best care, are shared in this edition and show the impact that our work can have across NSW.
And finally, a quick reminder to complete the People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) before it closes this Friday 16 September – I encourage you to complete the survey and have your say.
Kind regards,
Susan Pearce
Secretary, NSW Health |
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My Emergency Doctor helping regional nurses |
Regional, rural and remote hospitals across Hunter New England Local Health District are benefiting from enhanced medical coverage, following the successful rollout of My Emergency Doctor.
My Emergency Doctor provides virtual medical expertise to further enhance access to specialist emergency physicians. This innovative service solution is designed to provide an additional layer of expertise and support to frontline clinical staff on the ground as needed.
Staff can request a consult from a My Emergency Doctor clinician who can assess and treat the patient via video-conference at the bedside with the assistance of a highly trained nurse.
My Emergency Doctor has been rolled out to 17 facilities across the District with more to come. A clinical nurse specialist at Wee Waa Hospital recently shared feedback on the service - |
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“The doctor took her time to understand resource availability and treatment options available at Wee Waa and then to geographically understand where we were situated alongside the impact of what a transfer would mean for this patient.
She took her time to develop both an understanding of my clinical concerns and then the concerns of the patient, while also contributing teaching thoughts/rationale when appropriate to me.
I would like to extend a very grateful thank you to the doctor and to My Emergency Doctor for providing a service that is helping to achieve better outcomes for the patients of rural communities while at the same time supporting the staff providing that direct care in clinical practice.” |
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The People Matter Employee Survey closes Friday |
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The 2022 People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) closes this Friday 16 September.
The 15-minute survey gives every person in NSW Health an opportunity to have a say about their workplace and assist in continuing to make NSW Health a great place to work. |
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JEV serosurvey results are in – and bite prevention is essential |
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More than a thousand people from communities across Griffith, Temora, Corowa, Balranald and Dubbo recently rolled up their sleeves to give blood samples for a survey that has provided critical insight into the prevalence of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) in regional NSW. A number of NSW Health staff contributed to this response, including from local Public Health Units, Aboriginal Medical Services, hospital nurses and laboratory staff. We thank them for their support.
The JEV seroprevalence survey results show that one in 11 people who took part had evidence of previous infection that was likely acquired locally, a higher than anticipated number since the virus is believed to have only been active in the region between January and March. |
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These results have helped NSW Health understand how widespread the virus is and what activities increase the chance of getting bitten by a mosquito. JEV is a rare but serious disease spread to humans by infected mosquitos who pass on the virus. While not previously a concern in NSW, 13 cases were identified across southern and western regional NSW at the beginning of the year.
As a third La Nina event has now been declared by the Bureau of Meteorology, the environmental conditions which assisted this virus to spread earlier in the year are very likely to repeat. As we head into the warmer summer months where mosquitos thrive, it is critical for staff living in regional NSW to avoid mosquito bites, and to counsel patients living in these areas on the importance of bite prevention. There are a range of mosquito bite prevention materials on the NSW Health website.
NSW Health is working with communities and stakeholder partners to communicate and educate on the importance of bite prevention and mosquito management, as well as providing practical resources to support communities. A limited number of the JEV vaccine is available free for people who are identified as being at higher risk of contracting the virus, with eligibility being expanded based on the results of the survey. More information on Japanese encephalitis is available on the NSW Health website. |
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COVID-19 self-isolation rules have changed |
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The self-isolation rules changed on Friday 9 September. If you test positive to COVID-19 you must: -
Self-isolate immediately for five days from the day you did your test. If you continue to have acute symptoms, such as a sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, remain in self-isolation for seven days from the day you did your test.
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Not enter high-risk settings for seven days from the day you did your test. This includes healthcare, aged care, and disability care facilities.
- Tell people you live with and self-isolate away from them.
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Tell people you spent time with two days before your symptoms started or two days before you tested positive (whichever came first). This includes your social contacts, workplace, and school.
It’s important to be aware that you can transmit COVID-19 to other people for up to 10 days after you have tested positive. During this time, it is important to protect the people around you after you leave self-isolation. It is strongly recommended you follow further health advice for 10 days including to wear a mask when you are in an indoor setting that is not your own home, and avoiding healthcare, aged care, and disability care settings.
To protect people around you we strongly recommend you follow health advice for testing positive to COVID-19. |
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NSW Premier's Multicultural Awards Winner |
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Congratulations to NSW Health, the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service and partner organisations for receiving the Business Campaign of the Year Award for their 'Let's Do This' campaign.
NSW is one of the most successful Multicultural states in the world, and the benefits of our diversity should be celebrated. The NSW Premier's Multicultural Communications Awards (PMCAs) recognise excellence in the multicultural media and marketing industry and the important role marketing and media professionals play in communicating this success. |
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The awards were held on Thursday 8 September 2022 with the Hon Dominic Perrottet, Premier of NSW, and the Hon Mark Coure, Minister for Multiculturalism, both in attendance.
The award acknowledges one of the largest and most critical public health advertising campaigns ever delivered in the state with the ‘Let’s Do This’ COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The campaign was developed collaboratively across the agencies in August 2021 when the COVID-19 Delta outbreak was spreading across NSW to help drive a rapid uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations.
The campaign platform was designed inclusively from the beginning to make sure it resonated clearly with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities.
The campaign achieved an 80% COVID-19 vaccination milestone six weeks ahead of original estimates. Congratulations to all staff involved with the campaign! |
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Tackling overweight and obesity in NSW |
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The NSW Healthy Eating and Active Living Strategy 2022-2032 has been developed to outline how we will continue to invest in the prevention of overweight and obesity in NSW over the next decade to achieve better health outcomes for all. The underlying causes of obesity are complex and often outside people’s control. As health workers we all play a key role in helping people achieve better health. |
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Everyone is encouraged to engage with patients and the community about the benefits of healthy eating and active living, provide routine referrals as part of routine clinical care, and support long-term behaviour change.
More than one in two adults and one in five children are above a healthy weight in NSW. The Strategy sets a target to reduce overweight and obesity in children and young people by 5 per cent and halt the rise and reverse the trend of obesity in adults by 2030.
It outlines long-term, evidence-based actions under four strategic directions: - prevention programs and services to support healthy eating and active living
- routine advice on healthy eating and active living as part of clinical care
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social marketing to support healthy eating and active living behaviour change
- healthy food and built environments to support healthy eating and active living.
Find out more by visiting NSW Healthy Eating and Active Living Strategy 2022-2032. |
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2022 Michelle Beets Award |
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Nominations are now open for the 2022 Michelle Beets Award for Inspirational Paediatric Care. The Michelle Beets Memorial Award has been held since 2012 to honour the memory of Michelle Beets - a devoted and highly respected nurse who worked at Royal North Shore Hospital for 25 years.
Michelle was dedicated to nurse practice education, high standards of nursing, and investing the best level of care for all patients. She tragically lost her life on 27 April 2010. The Humpty Dumpty Foundation - with the support of NSW Health and the Hon Brad Hazzard MP, NSW Minister for Health - continues to honour Michelle by recognising inspiring paediatric care within the NSW public health system. |
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The Michelle Beets Award for Inspirational Paediatric Care recognises people who go above and beyond to deliver the best possible care for children, and in doing so inspire others.
The recipients will be individuals working within NSW Health to deliver neonatal or paediatric care in any setting or specialisation. One metropolitan (Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong) winner and one regional winner will have the chance to select $25,000 in medical equipment for use in their facility and will also be awarded a bursary of $5,000 towards professional development, training or research.
Entrants must be nominated by peers or colleagues to be eligible for entry. To make a nomination or for further information, visit the Humpty Dumpty Foundation website. Refer to award terms and conditions.
Nomination entries close 23 September and winners will be announced at The Great Humpty Ball, Sydney to be held 19 November 2022. |
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Learning in Workplaces webinar |
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Register now for the Learning in Workplaces webinar on 28 September 2022, 6:00pm - 7:00pm (AEST).
Learning in the workplace can be messy – it can be unpredictable, hard to control and hard to plan for. Different factors affect and contribute to workplace learning, such as our experiences and team dynamics (not just team function). The webinar will also discuss how we support growth in clinical reasoning and the role of coaching. Guest speaker Professor Tim Wilkinson, Medicine and Medical Education at the University of Otago, New Zealand will share insights on the ways that people learn, and what we know about learning on the job that can promote effective learning in the workplace. More information about the webinar and how to register are available on the HETI website. |
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From the Critical Intelligence Unit |
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