I hope you were able to have some time over the long weekend to catch up with family and friends and enjoy a well-earned break. To those of you who were working a big thank you for continuing to provide the very best care to our patients and community. Their needs continue seven days a week. I am sure COVID-19 was still very much on your mind over the holiday time and many of you will somehow still be impacted directly or indirectly as you were gathering with family and friends. The Chief Health Officer and NSW Health experts do believe the cases of COVID-19 have begun to plateau with the latest omicron wave passing its peak. With this, thankfully, we are also seeing a reduction in the number of staff furloughing. I would like to thank each of you for your resilience and your inherent efforts to give our patients the best care possible. While the recent changes to isolation periods will be seen as a welcomed return to normal by many, as healthcare workers we remain on amber alert status and the arrangements we currently have in place remain unchanged. I will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available. While the number of cases of COVID-19 does appear to be plateauing there is still a lot of the virus in the community so if you have not already had your booster dose of the vaccine please book one as soon as possible. Our third dose rates are not as high as we need. While many of you may have received your booster at your GP or pharmacist, I really appeal to those of you who haven’t been fully vaccinated with your booster to do so. We want to keep you safe and well. As we head into the busy winter season we are also starting to see an increase of influenza in the community. Our staff flu vaccination campaign continues to gather pace and I am pleased to hear many of you
have already been vaccinated to protect each other, our patients and the community. Staff working in high risk areas such as ICU and Neonatal ICU are required to receive their flu vaccine by June – so please do not delay. Visit the Flu Portal using the Quicklinks portal on the right hand side of the intranet homepage to see how, where and when you can get your flu shot. I do not underestimate the difficulty and stress the necessary furloughing and staff vacancies are having on everyone. While the plateauing gives some light at the end of tunnel, please know the Ministry of Health and the district are working on recruitment strategies and other ways to support you. On a brighter note I am delighted to see the Innovation Program’s The Pitch event back on the calendar after a prolonged absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday 26 April from 4pm, you are encouraged to join us in the Kolling Auditorium at RNSH, or tune in online, to watch four fantastic pitches from staff across the district. The winner could receive up to $50,000 to bring their idea to improve patient care into reality. If you are unable to attend keep your eyes out for a link to the live stream that will be emailed to all staff on the day. Finally and importantly, this coming Anzac Day provides us all with an opportunity to commemorate and remember those who have given their lives in service and acknowledge the contribution of those who have served in our armed forces. Health care professionals are a very special part of the ANZAC story. Our district has a strong history of service, both past and present, so whatever you find yourself doing this Monday take a moment to remember them; lest we forget.
Deb Willcox Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 7 | 22 APRIL 2022
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