The most recent Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly report (January – March 2023) shows that hospitals across Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) continued to perform well – improving in a number of key performance measures throughout the first quarter of 2023, despite sustained high demand for hospital care. 

The District continues to work incredibly hard to ensure patients requiring planned surgery procedures receive them as soon as is possible. WNSWLHD performed 2,267 planned surgeries during the January to March 2023 quarter, with almost all urgent planned surgeries (97.6 per cent) performed on time. 

Patients who feel their condition has deteriorated while waiting for their procedure are encouraged to contact their treating doctor for a clinical review and they can be placed in a higher urgency category if required. 

There were 833 babies born during the first quarter of 2023. 

FORBES HOSPITAL 

Forbes Hospital performed well in the first quarter of 2023. There were 1,975 attendances at Forbes Hospital ED throughout the January to March 2023 quarter. 

Almost 9 in 10 patients (87.1 per cent) started their treatment on time, which is significantly better than the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (78.4 per cent). 

Nearly all patients (98.7 per cent) were transferred from paramedics to the ED staff within the 30- minute benchmark, which is also better than the average for comparable hospitals in NSW (93.9 per cent). 

The majority of patients (87.6 per cent) left the ED within four hours, also better than the average for hospitals of a similar size in NSW (79.3 per cent). 

With winter approaching it is important to make sure you and your children’s vaccinations are up to date. Influenza is currently prolific in our community and it is important to stay protected. 

An influenza (flu) vaccine is free* for children aged 6 months to under 5 years. The influenza vaccine reduces the risk of you and your family getting seriously ill this winter. Priority groups who can get a free* flu vaccine include: 

• Children aged six months to under five years 

• People aged 65 and over 

• Aboriginal people from six months of age 

• Pregnant women 

Those with serious health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, obesity, severe asthma, kidney, heart, lung or liver disease. 

Doing these simple things can protect your family and the community this winter: 

• Get a flu shot 

• Stay at home if unwell 

• Wash or sanitise your hands frequently 

Speak to your doctor, pharmacist, Aboriginal healthcare worker or Aboriginal Medical Service today. For more, visit: www.health. nsw.gov.au/flu 

*Some providers may charge an administration or consultation fee. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if this applies to you.

The decision by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to backflip on its restriction on the availability of an asthma medication highlights that its decisions are not set in stone.

Welcoming the reversal, National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Trent Twomey said it was a pragmatic and common sense win for patients.

“Quite clearly the original decision to restrict availability of this important medicine was wrong,” Professor Twomey said.

“There was no logic to it, and the PBAC has now seen sense.”

Under the PBAC decision last month, the medicines for children aged six years and under had to be initially prescribed by a respiratory specialist, and then could only be prescribed with authority approval by Medicare.

Additionally, patients over the age of six could no longer access the medicine as a pharmaceutical benefit, forcing them to buy privately which imposed a significant cost burden, primarily for those with concessional status. Also, there were no equivalent alternatives available for patients over the age of six.

Australia’s largest provider network, UnitingCare Australia has welcomed the Albanese Government’s announcement to give more than 250,000 aged care workers a much needed pay rise. 

“Older people and their families, workers providing care, and the families who rely on those workers. This overdue pay rise will go a long way toward dealing with the cost-of-living crisis the lowest paid workers are currently facing,” said UnitingCare Australia National Director, Claerwen Little. 

“We know that investing in our aged care workforce is essential for the well-being of older Australians. This increase will help attract and retain skilled workers and we reaffirm our pledge to pass on this additional funding to staff. 

“UnitingCare Australia was the first national aged care body to publicly support a 25% pay rise for workers in March 2022. We boldly costed the ask and put our support behind our workforce. 

“Millions of Australians depend on the care sector every day to provide vital services that support individuals and communities to thrive. As the largest and fastest growing employer in the country, the opportunity for the care sector to be transformational for Australia’s future is boldly evident. We have an historic opportunity to advance gender equality through a strengthened care workforce,” said Ms Little. 

BreastScreen NSW (Greater Western) is recruiting representatives for its Consumer Advisory Committee, including a primary care provider, and women aged 40 and above who are clients of the service.

Women who speak a language other than English at home, or who are Aboriginal, are encouraged to apply. Committee members need to live or work in areas covered by Western NSW and Far West Local Health Districts.

Ms Deon Adamson, Manager, BreastScreen NSW (Greater Western) says the committee’s role is to provide consumer input, advice and feedback in order to enhance access, planning and development of screening and assessment services. 

“Members of our Consumer Advisory Committee are our eyes and ears on the ground, providing us with valuable local insights that help us to continually monitor and improve our services,” Ms Adamson says.

“Breast screening saves lives, so please consider joining us, knowing you will make an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of your community, helping to shape the services we provide.”

Committee meetings are held twice yearly and it is possible to attend remotely. 

For further information or to apply please email: kay.smith@health.nsw.gov.au

Aged care homes are closing as they struggle to meet new standards. From 1st July they need a registered nurse 24/7 and more workers to give more care minutes per resident. 

National Seniors has put forward a solution in its budget submission to help retain and attract staff. 

Chief Advocate Ian Henschke said that pensioners are discouraged from staying in the work force, working more, or returning to work because they lose 50c in the dollar on income earned above the $11,800 work bonus limit. 

“Our research shows almost 20% of pensioners are considering returning to work but under current rules after about one day’s work they’re losing 50c in the dollar from their pension, reporting to Centrelink and paying tax on top,” Mr Henschke said. 

“Many older workers walk away because it’s too complicated trying to understand what you can earn before your pension takes a hit. We propose care sector workers be exempt from the harsh pension income test. Then you can work as much as you want and simply pay tax.” 

The skills and labour shortage casts a shadow over more than aged care. It’s a growing problem in health care, disability care, and childcare. All are desperate for workers. A year ago there were 60,200 vacancies across the wider care sector. The latest ABS figures show this has blown out to 72,400. 

Beyond Blue is calling for mental health and mental wellbeing to feature strongly in the Federal Government’s new framework that aims to accurately gauge and understand how people’s lives are tracking in Australia. 

The government is developing a Measuring What Matters Statement and Australian Wellbeing Framework to discuss how Australia might measure its success in ways that will go beyond traditional economic indicators such as productivity and growth. 

In its submission, Beyond Blue states mental health is central to overall wellbeing and national prosperity. Beyond Blue recommends mental health and mental wellbeing indicators are included in the national framework to better measure overall wellbeing, due to the significant impact our mental health has on the way we live. 

Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said the framework was a chance to consider how social conditions influence our mental health and wellbeing. 

“The framework must include ways to measure and better understand how employment, housing, racism, discrimination, and social inequality impact people’s mental health and wellbeing in Australia,” Ms Harman said. 

“And it must be based on thorough consultation with communities, especially those experiencing mental health conditions and suicidal thoughts, and people impacted by homelessness, unemployment, racism, and poverty.” 

Beyond Blue Support Service: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au/getsupport. 

The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable. The bad news is that the best tool for heart disease prevention – the Medicare Heart Health Check – is about to expire. 

The Heart Foundation is seeking a guarantee from the Australian Government that funding will continue beyond 30th of June this year. 

Nearly 440,000 Australians have seen their GP for a Medicare subsidised Heart Health Check since they were introduced. 

The Heart Foundation is asking the Government to invest $11.5 million per year, to continue subsidising Heart Health Checks into the future. 

This is a relatively small investment compared to the $1 billion in healthcare costs that could be saved with broad uptake of Heart Health Checks in high-risk Australians and more importantly, the 67,000 heart attacks, strokes and heart disease related deaths that could be prevented over five years. 

It’s not too late for people to take action: Help save Medicare Heart Health Checks by signing our petition, writing to local MPs and sharing the petition with friends and family. 

To take action, please visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/save-heart-checks 

Four new lifesaving BreastScreen NSW vans will roll into regional and remote communities under a $21.7 million investment by the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government to make breast cancer screening more accessible.

The NSW Liberals and Nationals are committed to improving health services for women, with re-election announcements of $16.3 million for new endometriosis and pelvic pain services, $7 million in research grants for gynaecological cancers, a $4 million expansion of the $80 million Affordable IVF Initiative, $2 million to help women suffering miscarriage, pregnancy loss, stillbirth and a $95 million infrastructure overhaul for The Royal Hospital for Women’s Newborn Care Centre and Birthing Unit at Randwick.

The NSW Liberals and Nationals in Government have also committed $40 million as part of the 2022-23 NSW Budget to establish four Menopause Hubs and 12 specialised services across the state.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new BreastScreen NSW vans will visit up to 50 more communities for the first time, including in Northern and Western NSW, saving women significant travel time. “Making sure that every woman in NSW has the opportunity to detect breast cancer early,” Mr Hazzard said.