MACQUARIE HOSPITAL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2025
From My desk
Hello Everyone
Since our last newsletter we have had the new addition of Dr Neeraj Dhawan who has kindly agreed to be the A/Clinical Director of the hospital. Neeraj has been working with us as the Tarban Unit consultant since October 2024, brings a wealth of experience in senior medical role and is a welcome addition to the Macquarie executive team. In June the Patient Saftey Culture Survey ran across the District and the feedback for MHDA and Macquarie, in particular, was very positive. The overall Patient safety rating report for MHDA showed 71% rated patient safety as very good or excellent, people reported strengths in the area of incident reporting and transfer of critical patient information. Of the teams that responded for Macquarie the results were all very positive with everything sitting in the higher percentile ranges and the majority showing positive responses since the last survey which is really great to see.
Overall, the opportunities for improvement are in areas such as Manageable workloads Workforce conditions Collaboration between teams and mutual respect
More information about these results will be shared in the coming weeks. Thank you to all of you who took the time to respond to the survey as receiving staff feedback is really important to gauge where things need work and improvement.
The next opportunity for you all to provide your valuable feedback is already here as the People Matters Survey is open and ready for you to complete. Over the coming weeks there will be plenty of opportunity to complete the survey and a number of events to promote the survey. I encourage you all to compete the survey and keep a picture of your completion as you may be able to enter raffles, get free coffees – more information to follow soon…watch this space!
From My desk As you will know last month the Chief Executive announced that Greenwich Hospital is closing for redevelopment and the Riverglen unit will be temporarily relocating into the Manning unit building for a period of three years. One Town Hall meeting occurred in July for staff interested in asking more about this change (FAQs below) and another is scheduled for 14:30 Thursday 21 August 2025. Please join via the link below if you have any questions you wish to ask and I will do my best to answer them as we work with HammondCare to navigate the process. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup- join/19%3ameeting_ZTFhNGQ3ODItNjAwNy00Yzg3LTlhZjctYmYyNzkxMzhkMWQ2%40thread.v2 /0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a687a7bf-02db-43df-bcbb- e7a8bda611a2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22afbda265-1917-4f39-a9e2-c0737cbd3504%22%7d
I would like to welcome the new rotation of registrars to the Hospital who joined us at the beginning of August
Welcome on board !
Dr Aryan Arghandewal Dr Peter Farmakis Dr Kristen Naidu Dr Yasmin Eshaghian Dr Joshua Tuner Dr Alexandria Painter
N-DMO N-DMO
Parkview Parkview Henley Lavender Hamilton
Dr Yoon Park
Dr Arunn Jothidas
Figtree
Dr Lakkhana Senevirathne Bridgeview/Cottages Dr Dorsa Banihashemi Coral tree
Dr Poorvi Dharmarajan
Cottages
Dr Geetchandra Elangbam
Tarban
Dr Quinton Matepi
Welcome to Claire Finfer the new addition to our Quality Team
Hi everyone! I’m Claire Finfer, and I’m delighted to introduce myself as one of the Quality Managers (working along side Lily) as part of the Macquarie Hospital team! I have been working in Northern Sydney Local Health District for the last 6 years, most recently, I’ve been the Research Development Manager for Ethics and Governance. I’m passionate about contributing to meaningful work that supports our community’s health and wellbeing, and I’m always keen to collaborate, learn, and share ideas. Outside of work, I am a mum to three busy human kids and three fur babies. I am looking forward to working with everyone. My workdays are Monday and Wednesday – Claire.finfer@health.nsw.gov.au.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Macquarie Hospital and HammondCare Riverglen Temporary Relocation to Manning Unit
NSLHD response HammondCare recently announced a complete redevelopment of the Greenwich Hospital site. The redeveloped Greenwich Hospital site will be a centre od excellence foe care of older persons with complex care needs with building scheduled to commence 1 April 2026. During this redevelopment of Greenwich Hospital, it is proposed that Riverglen will temporarily relocate to its new premises in the Macquarie Hospital, Manning Unit by March 2026 Under this arrangement HammondCare will fund significant capital works in the Manning Unit. This will enable the delivery of quality care for patients for the approximately 3 years that Hammond Care is expected to be on site. Exact timeframes for consultation and transition are still being finalised. The executive teams will meet soon to discuss these details and develop a consultation plan. The industrial consultation will involve the HSU, NSWNMWA and ASMOF. As more information becomes available, consultation opportunities will be scheduled through the existing Site Consultative Committee. (SCC) It is also acknowledged that the upcoming transition to HealthShare adds complexity, and ongoing communication with all stakeholders, including HealthShare, will be maintained. The Manning Unit beds have been temporarily capped since the end of January. At that time, many consumers were already in the process of transitioning to the community, which has since occurred successfully. The remaining long- stay consumers were moved to other Units that are appropriate for their current care needs. Other Units have sufficient capacity to meet similar consumer needs, and bed occupancy has remained around 85%. There has been no impact on referrals and admission to the hospital since the capping of Manning beds. Since the capping of the Manning beds all the staff have been redeployed to other units across the site. This has had a positive impact on vacancies across the hospital and increased the FTE of Medical Staff and Allied health staff available for consumers in the remaining 8 units. This will continue until a future operationalisation of Manning beds.
Staff Questions/ Concerns What is happening?
Industrial Consultation?
What will happen to consumers needing the type of services previously available from Manning Unit?
What will happen to the Manning Unit Staff?
Macquarie Hospital and HammondCare FAQ July 2025
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Macquarie Hospital and HammondCare Riverglen Temporary Relocation to Manning Unit
It will be a closed unit as Riverglen currently operates as such. Riverglen will continue to run in its capacity as an acute older person's unit.
Will HammondCare be bringing its own support services such as pharmacy, catering, and cleaning into the Manning site? What level of consultation will occur with staff at Greenwich, and how will those impacts be communicated to members? Will there be similar forums and consultation processes with the unions? How will Mental Health Act and Tribunal considerations be organised? Will Riverglen operate as a locked Unit or an open Unit because Manning unit was open? How will registrar allocations work with the change? For example, will the two registrars normally assigned to Riverglen still provide cover for the Manning Unit? Will the new service be considered part of MHDA for matters like casual staffing, security and manager oversight?
The Manning Unit building will accommodate the Riverglen Unit operating in a newly refurbished building. Staffing arrangements, including registrar allocations, will remain unchanged.
The service will not be part of MHDA and will remain an independent HammondCare service. All staffing issues including after-hours vacancies and casual staffing will remain a Hammond Care responsibility. HammondCare operates its own staffing pool and uses a separate payroll system outside NSW Health. This will not change. Security and other roles are still being reviewed and will need to be discussed further.
HammondCare currently has its own pharmacy, cleaning and food services but the logistics of how this will work on site still need to be explored.
Staff at Greenwich were notified at the same time as the Macquarie Hospital teams on 21 Jul 2025. Regular monthly town halls are in place to update staff, especially as all services prepare to move off the Greenwich site. Ongoing communications across both hospitals will continue, including updates on confirmed relocation details. HammondCare will continue to operate as a separate entity. All Mental Health Act processes, including Tribunal considerations, will follow HammondCare’s existing procedures. Macquarie Hospital processes remain unchanged. Yes, ECT services will be delivered on-site for both Riverglen and Macquarie consumers within the repurposed Manning unit. This is expected to bring significant efficiencies in relation to transfers and transport for Macquarie Hospital.
Will ECT service provision still be occurring for Riverglen consumers and will that be based in MQH?
Macquarie Hospital and HammondCare FAQ July 2025
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Macquarie Hospital and HammondCare Riverglen Temporary Relocation to Manning Unit
Will ECT remain on site once Riverglen returns to the new Greenwich hospital site? With ECT now proposed to occur on-site at the repurposed Manning unit, how will the management of agitated or aggressive consumers be handled— particularly those from Riverglen? Currently, Macquarie Unit staff escort such consumers to ECT, will that process remain the same? Will after-hours registrar coverage for Riverglen continue to be managed and paid by NSW Health? Given that there are still many unanswered questions and further planning required, is there a plan for communication to all?
The long-term location of ECT post-redevelopment is a future consideration and will need to be reviewed in time.
For Macquarie consumers, the expectation is that the escort process will remain consistent. Unit staff who are familiar with the consumer will continue to escort them, but the logistics, such as distance, will change with the new location. These processes will need to be further reviewed in detail. Acutely behaviourally disturbed consumers will continue to go to RNSH for ECT as per current practice. HammondCare will not take on responsibility for MQH consumers transport and management of behavioural disturbance during ECT processes. Currently the registrar covering Riverglen after hours is paid by NSW Health and is on call from home. Whether that arrangement continues, or whether Macquarie’s MHDA DMO will cover the new Riverglen, remains under discussion and will be decided later. Yes. there will be more town halls and forums. There will be discussions at the NSLHD/Greenwich Executive Steering Committee, operational discussions between MHDA/Macquarie Executive and Riverglen plus the SCC. This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document will be updated regularly as things evolve. The intention is to be transparent and ensure no one is caught by surprise as developments progress.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Anne Bajuk, Service Director/Site Manager via Anne.bajuk@health.nsw.gov.au
Anne Bajuk Service Director/Site Manger Macquarie Hospital
Nursing News
New Emergency Trolleys and Bags
Based on valuable staff feedback, we’re introducing new emergency trolleys and customdesigned emergency bags. These updates address concerns about the current bags being heavy, difficult to use, and worn out, with limited clean space for medication preparation. Thank you to everyone who shared insights—your feedback is driving real improvements. The rollout will happen in two phases: Phase One introduces emergency trolleys across most units, offering better organisation, easier access to equipment, a built-in workspace for medication prep, and improved safety for manual handling.
Phase Two brings in custom-designed emergency bags for areas like the Cottages and Figtree Unit, with lightweight two-wheeled carts and backpack straps for greater mobility on uneven terrain or stairs.
More information about the emergency bags will be shared once the trolleys are ready for rollout. Training and support will be provided to ensure everyone feels confident using the new equipment.
Thank you to all staff who shared feedback—your input has directly shaped these improvements. Stay tuned for further updates!
As we farewell our colleagues, we extend our sincere thanks for their dedication, leadership, and the valuable contributions they have made during their time with us. They will be greatly missed by both staff and consumers. We wish them every success in their next chapter and all the very best for the future.
Sunaina Makkar – Cottage NUM Kavita Acharya – Clinic NUM Karanpreet Kaur – Tarban Unit Andrew Munro – Tarban Unit
Nursing News
Reintroducing Nursing Forums
Following recent executive rounding, Nursing Forums with Nursing Management will be re- established. These forums will offer nursing staff a space to share their experiences directly with executive and senior leadership, helping to strengthen communication, collaboration, and ensure nursing voices help shape hospital priorities.
Nurse educator news
Welcome to Our New Transition to Professional Practice Nurses Macquarie Hospital is proud to welcome two new Enrolled Nurses who commenced their Transition to Professional Practice program on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. As they begin this important chapter in their nursing careers, we encourage all staff to extend a warm welcome and empower them to grow with confidence and compassion in their professional roles.
Welcoming Nursing Students
University of Notre Dame
23 students: Two-week placement from 7 July to 18 July 2025. “Staff at both the Henley Unit (Steph, Eric, Bee, Ellen, Nicola) and Tarban were incredibly welcoming and supportive, helping us work toward our learning goals.”
University of Sydney 24 students:
Two-week placement from 23 June to 4 July 2025. “My placement at the Henley Unit over the past one and a half weeks has increased my interest in mental health nursing, thanks to the supportive staff who encouraged learning and supervised practice.
We are excited to welcome 20 Student Registered Nurses from the University of Sydney, who commenced their placement on 21 July 2025 and will be with us until 1 August 2025. Macquarie Hospital Education & Training Updates The final SafeWards training session will be held on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 We currently have 22 confirmed bookings, with 7 spots still available. The Macquarie Hospital Education Team are available to provide you and your team with any educational and training support or needs. To contact the education team, please email NSLHDMacquarie- TrainingandEducation@health.nsw.gov.au and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
MARK JOYCE DIRECTOR OF NURSING MHDA
Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) Symposium (By Luren Reddy)
I was fortunate to attend the ACMHN Central Coast Hunter New England branch winter symposium held at Newcastle. The symposium’s keynote ACMHN president Dr Rhonda Wilson spoke on the history of the ACMHN (75 years old) and the ACMHN influence in the creation of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing (45 years old) which is a key worldwide mental health journal. Rhonda also spoke about promoting mental health nursing and making ourselves (mental health nurses) visible to the wider nursing workforce. Discussing the National Report 2024(click link), Rhonda informed on the importance of mental health nurses monitoring the status of mental health across Australia.
Associate professor Sophie Isobel discussed Reflections on being transformed within mental health nursing: Vicarious trauma, self-care and imagining alternatives. Her work is well worth reading to consider self care and trauma informed care within mental health nursing practice. Dr Melsina Makaza talked about suicide and mental health nursing care with her paper titled: Connecting to the life world experiences of community mental health nurses after a patient dies by suicide.
Other highlights from the symposium were Therapeutic Presence in mental health nursing care, use of AI in mental health nursing care, a variety of mental health nursing models, PACER, Wellbeing of mental health workers, Transformative continuing nursing education in practice discussing the move from Andragogy (facilitation of adult learning) to heutagogy (self-determined learning) and an innovative integration of Safewards intervention into reflective practice groups across a hospital setting.
If you want to discuss any of the symposiums activities contact me via email.
Keynotes mental health nurse speakers (left to right): Associate Professor Sophie Isobel, Dr Melsina Makaza, Dr Rhonda Wilson
Empowering Mental Health Nurses
The Launch of a Dedicated Forum In response to the growing complexity and demands of mental health care, a new initiative is underway to establish a Mental Health Nurses Forum which is envisioned to be a collaborative space designed to support, connect, and empower nurses working across Macquarie Hospital.
Why a Forum Now?
Mental health nurses are at the forefront of care, often navigating challenging clinical environments, evolving models of care, and increasing consumer acuity. Mental health nurses play a vital role in care delivery, and there is a growing opportunity to enhance their professional connection, recognition, and access to structured peer support and development pathways. The Mental Health Nurses Forum is more than a professional network; it’s a movement to elevate the voice and visibility of mental health nurses. By fostering collaboration and continuous learning, the forum will help shape a more resilient, informed, and connected workforce. The Mental Health Nurses Forum aims to address this by creating a dedicated platform for dialogue, innovation, and advocacy.
Key themes included in the forum will be:
- Peer Support and Networking: A space to share experiences, challenges, and strategies - Professional Development: Educational opportunities, workshops, and evidence-based resources - Practice Development: An opportunity to engage in meaningful practice discussions, share insights, and collaboratively shape the direction of the Mental Health Nursing practice - Leadership and Advocacy: Opportunities to influence policy, practice, and workforce planning - Recognition and Celebration: Highlighting achievements and contributions of mental health nurses. Endorsed by Director of Nursing Mark Joyce, a group of senior nurses are currently working on the forum’s structure, governance, and engagement strategy. Keep an eye out for upcoming activities and opportunities to explore the purpose of the mental health forum together. As the forum prepares for launch, expressions of interest are being sought from any mental health nurse who wants to be involved in its early development stages whether as contributors, facilitators, or champions within their units.
Contact: CNC Luren Reddy via email lurendharen.reddy@health.nsw.gov.au
Your voice and experience are essential in building a forum that truly reflects the needs and strengths of our mental health nursing community. (Walking Together and Bridging Gaps)
Chaplaincy corner
We are delighted to welcome the new Anglican Chaplain, the Rev. Dale Baikie, to our Chaplaincy Team. Dale has had much experience working in various parishes. He is enthusiastic and readily available in his new ministry at Macquarie Hospital.
It was a misty grey morning. Looking out onto our lawn I noticed the fresh green shoots that were defiantly pushing through the dead leaves that carpet our lawn. Life goes on. Soon there will be a blaze of colour – daffodils, harbingers of spring. Bright yellow – the colour is a poignant reminder of the Bird’s Custard my mother used to make from a packet when I was young. My mother died long ago but love never dies. The relationship continues. However, each death is a reminder of the frailty of the human shell and the ephemerality of our earthly existence.
In the Bible, we read, "Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble. They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.” Job 14:1-2 (NIV). This passage describes the brevity and fragility of human life, emphasizing its troubles and impermanence.
Nevertheless, we can celebrate even in the dead of winter because there is a promise of coming joy in new life. With winter comes the promise of spring. For Christians, with death comes the promise of new life. In fact, life after death is a fundamental belief in most religions, but what form it takes varies according to the religion. There has been much loss and grief in our hospital community this year. We acknowledge this in our annual Remembering Service (12th August), and we look for hope with the approach of spring. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to, and celebrate the memory of, those who are no longer with us – with music, readings, candles, and flowers. Everyone is welcome.
Rosemarie Say Chaplaincy Coordinator
Newest Allied Health, PCLI and Clinical Programs Team members 8th August 2025
Please join us in welcoming our newest colleagues to NSLHD and the Macquarie Campus [From left to right]
Pauline Chow – Senior OT who will be working in Bridgeview and Parkview
Mavis Chitate – A/ Rehabilitation Program Manager
Jenna Verhoeven – CNC2 who will be with the PCLI2 team, working with a range of MDTs
Eunice Han – Admin Officer with Social Work department
Zeta Leung – A/ Rehabilitation Coordinator and Stepping Stones Clinical Lead.
Saernuri Son (not pictured) – Music Therapist with the Rehabilitation Therapy Program
We are very much looking forward to working alongside a dynamic mix of new colleagues who each bring a breadth of knowledge and skills to share. Please give them a warm welcome when you see them on campus!
Carer Forum
Carer Forum 5th Aug 2025
Macquarie Hospital Hosts First Carer Forum Since Prior to COVID-19 On Tuesday, 5 August 2025, Macquarie Hospital proudly hosted its first Carer Forum since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirteen carers attended the event, representing four inpatient units across the hospital. The forum offered carers a valuable opportunity to engage with staff in a relaxed, non-clinical environment, access relevant information, and connect with fellow carers. It provided a supportive space for sharing experiences, building community, and recognising the vital role carers play as tireless advocates.
Centred around the theme United We Care, United We Share, the program included a Q&A session with MHDA staff (both hospital-based and community), inspiring recovery stories from Carer Peer Workers, and a Self-Care segment featuring local services and resources. The event was warmly received by attendees, and planning is already underway for the next Carer Forum.
Mental Health Library News
Library News
A selection of new titles available from the Mental Health Library -
See all of our new books here
All staff are welcome to borrow, whether you're after something specific or just browsing. If you need help finding a book, searching for the best evidence, or navigating the library, we are here to help. We’ve also recently added a great selection of new leadership books— scan the QR code in the image below to explore them on Springboard.
Macquarie Hospital Annual Calendar of Events 2025
August
April
May
June
July
September October
Inside Out Gallery Open Day– Meet & Talk with the Artist (Date TBC)
Spring Walk – 30 September
Coffee and cake at Piccolo me for international Cleaners day- 20 June
International Doctors’ Day Morning Tea 1st April
Exercise Right Event – 20th May
Mental Health Month Activities (Date TBC) Allied Health Professionals Day Celebration – 14th October
Winter Staff Picnic (Date TBC)
Human Experience Week – 5–9 May (District-wide) International Nurses’ Day Celebration – 12th May
April’s Fall Day event - 29th April
November December
Tune In, Chill Out! – Sensory Modulation for Staff - 12th Nov
Staff Appreciation Lunch (Date TBC)
Thank you
Please send your feedback/articles to be published on October Edition on or before 5.10.25 to Aya @Aya.hassan@health.nsw.gov.au
Macquarie Hospital Newsletter | August 2025
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