Message FROM the acting Chief executive Dr Tamsin Waterhouse
message FROM the Chief executive Deb Willcox
It was really pleasing to see the results of the 2019 People Matter staff survey which continues to see improvements in our results. Not only did more people complete the survey, but our employee engagement remains positive and five per cent higher than NSW Health overall - one of the top performing LHDs in the state. This means you reported being highly satisfied with your work. It is heartening to see more of you believe action will be taken following these results because it helps us make sure our workplace is the best it can be. That makes life better for all of us, and our patients. This is reflected in the report as 89 per cent of respondents said they strive to achieve patient and consumer satisfaction. There is always room for improvement and we will be studying the results at a hospital and service level more closely in the coming weeks. Hospital and service level results are currently being circulated to the executive teams. They will be communicating these results to you, and working with you to celebrate your successes and put action plans into place in order to make improvements across our district. District, hospital and service level reports are now available on the Staff Engagement intranet page. These results along with other public sector organisation level results are also available on the Public Service Commission website. Thank you to all the staff who took the time to complete the People Matter Employee Survey earlier this year. Northern Sydney Local Health District achieved a participation rate of 38 per cent overall. I also want to say a big thank you to all staff across our hospitals for working together to deliver another strong set of results in the Bureau of Health Information quarterly ED performance and elective surgery results for April to June. Our EDs experienced a six per cent rise in presentations and an almost 10 per cent rise in admissions to hospital from emergency during the quarter. Despite this, 78.6 per cent of patients started their treatment on time, which is almost seven per cent better than the NSW average.
There was a rise in the number of urgent surgeries performed within the district, and our waiting times remain better than the NSW average. For the first time, BHI reported on the use of seclusion and restraint in mental health units and mental health intensive care units throughout the state. Our mental health teams are committed to reducing the use of seclusion and restraint, and it shows in these figures, some of which are among the best in the metropolitan area. Thursday 12 September is R U OK Day, a day which encourages us to meaningfully connect with the people around us and support anyone who may be struggling. It is time to ask ourselves “Are you concerned about a colleague of someone close to you?” There are times we observe people in our workplace and feel worried for them. We often do not know what to do to help. The R U OK program is designed to help us talk to and ask the question by using a simple guide for starting a conversation that could save a life. You do not need to be an expert to reach out - just a good friend, a great listener or simply care. You can find tips on how to approach the conversation on the R U OK Day website. Finally, I was delighted the district has four finalists in this year’s NSW Health Awards. Every year the Awards acknowledge the excellent work being done across our state in healthcare. The field of applicants is always strong and to be selected as a finalist is a wonderful achievement. The Awards will be hosted on October 10, with winners from each category being announced. Please see the article on page 3 for more information on our entries and I wish them best of luck and congratulations. Congratulations to you all on these wonderful results.
Deb Willcox Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District
2 NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 17| 12 SEPTEMBER 2019
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