Message from the Chief Executive
I was privileged to join the Northern Sydney Local Health District midway through this year, and was warmly welcomed by staff, the NSLHD Board and our partners. It has been a year filled with extraordinary accomplishments and remarkable milestones across our district. We have witnessed outstanding achievements in patient care, innovations and significant strides in our capital infrastructure program. During the 2022/23 financial year, more than 33,000 surgical procedures were performed across the district, thanks to the tireless efforts of our staff. Our emergency departments saw nearly 230,000 presentations, we provided care to more than 132,000 patients admitted to our hospitals and more than 4000 babies were delivered in our maternity services. Early this year we welcomed our first patients to the $19.5 million Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH), which provides a service for 15 to 24-year- old patients with life-limiting illness, together with their families and carers. The facility provides a contemporary home-away-from-home, offering respite care, symptom management and end-of-life care. I would like to thank Mrs Kay Van Norton who has made significant donations to the AYAH which have helped make this wonderful facility possible. The ongoing $425 million transformation of Ryde Hospital continued its journey, with the early signs of demolition marking progress. Meanwhile, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital embarked on a new chapter, offering renal dialysis and chemotherapy for the first time, thanks to the completion of the $321 million redevelopment, making healthcare more accessible and convenient for our community. The NSLHD inpatient drug and alcohol services moved to a new location in a freshly renovated area at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), which has significantly improved the inpatient experience for people experiencing drug and alcohol problems. We also took an important step in planning for the future with the development of the 2023 RNSH Campus Master Plan, designed to meet the future healthcare needs of our community. It was an honour to collaborate with clinicians, health planners, architects, and representatives from across the hospital and district to contribute to this visionary plan. The NSLHD Long COVID Service was established to assist GPs to manage patients in the community, as we continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with the Northern Sydney Primary Health Network, the district also established a virtual care centre for GPs to seek advice on patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Within our district, we are fortunate to have exceptional individuals who consistently go above and beyond. It was heartening to witness many of our outstanding staff members rightfully recognised in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours and Australia Day Honours lists. Our appreciation of staff was also highlighted by the district’s Exceptional People Awards, where more than 65 staff members were nominated for their outstanding contributions. The spirit of innovation and creativity also thrived at this year’s Quality and Improvement Awards, which showcased our unwavering commitment to excellence. Impressively, the district had four finalists named for the 2023 NSW Health Awards, with RNSH’s Multidisciplinary Concussion Service named a joint winner in the Patient Safety First Award. The clinic is providing an Australian-first service, working with the community to provide vital education about concussions. It also runs a specialised multidisciplinary clinic to help patients with post-concussion symptoms return safely to school, study, work and sport. We were also delighted to see the concussion service named as a finalist in this year’s NSW Premier’s Awards, which celebrate excellence in the delivery of public services to the NSW community. Professor Anthony Gill AM, a world-renowned pathologist and researcher, and senior staff specialist in Anatomical Pathology at RNSH, was awarded Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research. The impact of research conducted across our district saw tangible improvements in patient care, underpinned by increased activity, funding, and progress. Our researchers made significant strides in areas including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, pain management, and musculoskeletal conditions, solidifying their influence on the national and international stage. During my time at NSLHD I have been particularly impressed with the progress this district has made in the areas of planetary health and sustainability, as well as diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. I am deeply committed to these important areas of our work and very much look forward to being part of their progress. To every member of staff across our district, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the exceptional care you provide to our patients, their families, and one another. I am deeply honoured to be a part of this exceptional district, and I eagerly anticipate the remarkable achievements we will continue to see to benefit our patients, their families, and the entire community. Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM Chief Executive, Northern Sydney Local Health District
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NSLHD 2023 Year in Review
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