WSLHD Youth Health Annual Report

Medical and Nursing

Medical and Nursing services are provided within Youth Health Services that are specially designed for young people. Services provided include comprehensive nursing and medical health assessments, preventative primary health care (immunisation, contraception, STI testing, medical/health screening as appropriate), limited primary medical care, referrals, and nurse-led health care navigation through the ED outreach service. In early 2021, the Nursing team were focused on providing COVID-19 testing in an outreach modality. Youth health nursing staff were at the forefront of developing, implementing, and delivering pop-up testing clinics targeting vulnerable populations in response to outbreaks. After the success of the 2020 Influenza vaccination program for vulnerable populations, this was replicated in 2021 with the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations to vulnerable cohorts. Additionally, the nursing experience in Youth health was called upon to support the ICH COVID team to establish outreach services and community partnerships, including vaccination clinics targeting housing estates, specific multi-cultural groups and other vulnerable populations. The Nursing team supported the ICH COVID team to deliver over 2300 first and second dose COVID 19 vaccinations to vulnerable and at-risk populations within the LHD, with high uptake of second dose vaccinations amongst our clients. The Nursing team also provided an opportunity for any unwell consumer to present to the vaccination outreach clinics for COVID testing whilst not mixing with the general population through targeted screening and intervention. The nursing team also worked in collaboration with the Community Access Team and community partnerships to provide food hampers for vulnerable clients presenting to the vaccination outreach clinics as well as referral to internal and external services for clients in need of further assistance.

Worker on Duty

Vulnerable and at-risk young people accessing Youth Health are some of the most disadvantaged within the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD). The Worker on Duty (WOD) service provides a gateway into youth health services and acts as a point of access for support which some young people may find difficult to access through other means. The WOD is a pivotal role in supporting young people as well as a resource for internal and external services. WOD works within the Youth Health Model under the premise of “no wrong door” and will endeavour to support all those who have contact with the service. This may be with the support offered within Youth Health or with external agencies/programs. Access to this Service can be achieved in a myriad of ways including but not exclusive to primary and secondary referrals through telephone, e-referral and self-referral and via presentation to the service. Medicare cards are not required, an initial assessment is conducted, and a triage system is in place to ensure those who require a service receive one in a timely manner.

In 2021, WOD provided

occasions of service (520 at HSYHS 259 at WAAT) to

active clients (202 at HSYHS and 135 at WAAT).

Youth Health remained one of the few services that operated in a manner allowing clients to present or directly contact the service. As well as providing ongoing support to our cohort of patients, the WOD had a significant number of contacts from other service providers for support for clients who would normally be outside of our age range or catchment area. In such cases, the WOD would attempt to link these clients with appropriate services or provided one-off assistance.

In 2021, Medical provided services to

active clients (48 at HSYHS and 46 at WAAT), with a total of

occasions of service provided.

Nursing provided care to

active clients (185 at HSYHS and 117 at WAAT), with a total of

occasions of service provided.