Message from Acting chief executive Dr Tamsin Waterhouse
Our Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Vaccination Hub is running smoothly with more than 4000 staff in Phase 1b having now received their first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. About 50 per cent of our workforce are expected to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of this week either with the Pfizer vaccine at the Westmead hub or the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Hornsby hub. This is an amazing result and would not be possible without the great efforts of all staff involved. NSLHD staff have also been involved in assisting with the recent flooding in New South Wales and once again our staff have shown their resilience and adaptability to help those people affected. Some of our nursing staff have been providing assistance at the Castle Hill RSL evacuation centre. I would like to thank the staff who have been providing support during this difficult time. I am constantly hearing and learning about the impressive and inspiring things you all achieve every day in the work that you do. The Quality Improvement Awards put a spotlight on this hard work and the delivery of programs and services which have made a real difference to the patients and families we care for. Applications are now open and further information can be found on the NSLHD intranet here. March 2021 sees the latest intake of graduate nurses who have officially started their careers at Northern Sydney Local Health District and I would like to wish them a warm welcome to our district. More than 170 trainee nurses will join our hospitals and services this year
and we are very excited to have them on board. Our district is committed to supporting Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people to experience positive health outcomes and social equity, so I am very pleased to inform you the NSLHD Board passed a Sorry Statement at their March Board meeting which will be displayed across the district. Developed by the NSLHD Aboriginal Health Service team, it is hoped that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who see and read the statement will feel empowered to discuss their health issues. Finally, I would like to comment on recent coverage of sexual assaults reported in the media. I realise these reports may be triggering or distressing to people who have experienced a recent or past sexual assault. If you need support, I would encourage you seek help from the variety of support services available. At Northern Sydney Sexual Assault Service (NSSAS) the district offers free and confidential counselling and medical care for anyone who has experienced a sexual assault recently or in the past. For assistance please contact the NSSAS on 9462 9477 (8.30am-5.00pm, Monday to Friday) or 9926 7111 (after hours). Dr Tamsin Waterhouse Acting Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District There are other helpline services available 24 hours, including NSW Rape Crisis Services – 1800 424 017, Child Protection Helpline – 132 111, Lifeline – 131114 and NSW Domestic Violence line – 1800 65 64 63.
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 6 | 26 MARCH 2021
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