Year in Review 2021

INNOVATION & QUALITY

Above, from left Clinical Nurse Consultant Cheryl Jackson, Clinical Midwife Consultant Sarah Meloc, Trust Chair Peter Klineburg, Physiotherapist Melanie Boyce, Clinical Nurse Consultant Joby Alex, Physiotherapist Nicole D’Souza and Physiotherapist Marie March. Nurse Educator Dr Mary Wyer, Nurse Educator Nicole King and Staff Specialist Dr Patricia Ferguson.

Epidemiology engaged with the WSLHD Public Health Unit during initial discussions on the pandemic and subsequently with contact tracing and ongoing discussion, implemented automated WSLHD COVID-19 daily reporting. WSLHD’s Prevention Education and Research Unit (PERU) provided leadership training for school students to motivate their peers to increase healthy eating and physical activity. Students accessed the program and resources on Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams. They showed high engagement using game-based and interactive learning platforms and applications, such as Mentimeter and Kahoot. Importantly, they also increased fruit and vegetable intake. PERU

Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Education Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) PPE/Infection Prevention and Control Train-the-Trainer was provided to 47 local RACFs. Additional ‘just-in-time education’ has also been provided for a facility at risk of an outbreak. Since February 343 staff have been trained to work in WSLHD vaccination clinics and outreach services as well as WSLHD staff being deployed to the Qudos Arena Mass Vaccination Hub including Nurses, Doctors, Pharmacy, Security and Administration. Leadership programs have been rolled out for Nursing Unit Managers and Doctors, as well as a Clinical Supervision program for Nurses and Midwives, and a clinical skills matrix for Midwives across the district. There has also been ICU upskilling of Allied Health professionals and Nurses as a contingency for COVID-19 surge needs. Despite the pandemic, there was an increase in the number of student placements this year.

research project to map the population immunological response to COVID-19 vaccination. WSLHD collaboration includes full co-operation between the researchers and the vaccine roll-out team. This unique state-wide collaboration involves health districts, universities and MRIs and is crucial to supporting not only excellent research but also its translation into policy, patient care, population and public health and the health and well-being of the people of NSW. Department of Animal Care continued to maintain a COVID-19 Safe environment for staff and research personnel within the facilities to enable research to continue. The Department participated in the development of a hub-based plan to combine the small animal research facilities in the Westmead precinct into one dedicated fully equipped multi-user facility for frontline researchers. We have also commenced a progressive upgrade of the Large Animal Research Facility to accommodate major medical research projects.

Training the workforce of the future

WSLHD Placement Hours

2019 / 2020

2020 / 2021

Allied Health

437,077

207,702

Medicine

495,510

396,339

Nursing & Midwifery

484,150

469,808

Dentistry & Oral Heath

244,885

207,054

1,661,622

1,280,903

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