Sorry day Staff came together at Royal North Shore Hospital on 26 May to mark National Sorry Day. Sorry Day is held each year to acknowledge and recognise members of the Stolen Generations and acknowledge the injustice they experienced and the pain that continues for many. A smoking ceremony and singing by Koomurri took place to commemorate the important day. The term “Stolen Generations” refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed, as children, from their families by government, welfare or church authorities and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. NSLHD Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Peter Shine said NSLHD is committed to stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “Recognition of those lost affected by the Stolen Generation is necessary for the
continued healing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” he said. “Not only does NSLHD acknowledge the suffering, we are more determined now than ever before to walk hand in hand with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to ease the suffering and to listen to your advice and act on it.” NSLHD Chief Executive Deb Willcox said: “For us to reconcile and heal as a nation, everyone needs to reflect and consider that reconciliation must be in the hearts, minds and actions of us all if we are to truly be a nation that honours and respects First Nations people – people who belong to the longest continuous culture in the world.” Sorry Day marks the start of National Reconciliation Week, from 27 May to 3 June. This week provides an opportunity for people to come together, reconcile and heal as a nation with the theme of “Be Brave. Make Change”. For more information on this week and its significance, visit www.reconciliation.org.au and www.healingfoundation.org.au.
(Left to right): NSLHD Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service Peter Shine and NSLHD Chief Executive Deb Willcox
A smoking ceremony by Jesse from Koomurri
Vaccination celebrations at Mona Vale and Hornsby Celebrations were held at the Mona Vale and Hornsby hospitals’ vaccination hubs to thank staff for the past 18 months of protecting the community.
all members of the vax hubs team, which involved pharmacists, nurses, doctors, cleaners and administration support. “The vaccination hubs played such an important role in protecting our communities. Hornsby was one of the first to open and we had a terrific response from the public,” Lee said. “To everyone who worked at the hubs – thank you! You should feel very proud of your contribution to NSW Health’s response against COVID-19.” There have been 145,000 vaccinations administered across Hornsby, Mona Vale and Royal North Shore hubs since they opened last year.
As vaccinations are widely available at GPs and pharmacies, the staff at the hubs are moving into new roles. For some staff, they have been working at the hubs since they opened their doors in February last year. At Hornsby, staff celebrated with cake and an afternoon tea, while Mona Vale had an afternoon tea when the last patients came through. Acting Chief Executive Lee Gregory praised
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