Supporting families with healthy habit advice
Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) Health Promotion and Clinical Nurse Specialist Rhonda Wykes has developed a short video to showcase the essential role child and family health nurses play in supporting children and their families with healthy habit lifestyle advice. Rhonda shares her experience as a clinician, outlining how she has worked with
Call for clinician feedback to shape new regional menopause service
With the establishment of a new hub for specialist menopause services at John Hunter Hospital in the Hunter New England Local Health District, North Coast clinicians have an opportunity to shape service delivery and funding priorities. The project team is seeking feedback from GPs on how the service can best support them and their patients,
GP views sought on survivorship needs for head and neck cancer patients
Researchers at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse are conducting a qualitative study to investigate survivorship needs for patients who have been diagnosed with head and neck cancer. General practitioners who have experience in caring for patients undergoing head and neck cancer management are invited to share their understanding of the survivorship needs of patients in regional
Auslan survey participants sought
Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA) is looking for participants to complete a survey exploring how Auslan interpreting services are arranged and delivered in primary care settings. AHA is conducting the survey on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care and is inviting anyone who works in primary care to participate, regardless of their level
Raising chronic fatigue syndrome awareness
Thank you to Lennox Head GP Dr Dan Ewald for contributing the article below and highlighting the need to raise awareness of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), often referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). If you have an article or local update you would like to share on our website and newsletter, please submit it here
Become a SEARCH partner and increase access to women’s reproductive choices
The SEARCH Project is a free training and capacity building program funded by NSW Health and administered by Family Planning Australia. It aims to improve equitable access to abortion and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) across NSW. SEARCH offers training and support to clinicians for sustainable, safe and affordable provision of high-quality abortion and LARC clinical
Hospital bedside teleconferencing introduced for better patient care
The Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) has launched a new initiative involving bedside teleconferencing between hospital patients and their GP. NNSWLHD project officer Mel O’Reilly said it was crucial to improve continuity of care across the acute and primary care interface. ‘Many consumers of the public health system live with chronic health conditions, have
Direct Access Colonoscopy coming to the Hastings Macleay Clinical Network
Direct Access Colonoscopy will soon be available in the Hastings Macleay Clinical Network. The service is part of the Leading Better Value Care Direct Access Colonoscopy (DAC) project, which seeks to address challenges created by the demand for colonoscopy. Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia. Current estimates indicate one in 13
Voluntary Assisted Dying guidance added to HealthPathways
The Mid and North Coast HealthPathways team has launched a Voluntary Assisted Dying pathway in preparation for the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act, which comes into effect later this year. Passed on 19 May 2022, the Act takes effect from 28 November 2023 following an 18-month implementation period. It will allow eligible people to access voluntary
Coffs Harbour included in new mental health funding announcement
Healthy North Coast has welcomed the recent announcement of new mental health service funding and the planned establishment of a Coffs Harbour Head to Health service. Head to Health services are designed to be set up in convenient, central locations and to help to increase access to free mental health support for people over 18.
New campaign targets childhood vaccination rates
The Australian Government has recently launched the ‘One more way you keep them safe’ campaign, encouraging parents and carers to ensure their children’s routine vaccinations are up to date. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global immunisation efforts, resulting in a backlog of missed vaccinations worldwide. Australia has a strong National Immunisation
MRI downtime at Coffs Harbour Health Campus
The MRI scanner at Coffs Harbour Health Campus is undergoing a major upgrade to provide faster, quieter and more detailed MRI imaging. The scanner was taken offline on 21 April for an estimated four-week period. During this time, multiple alternate pathways to limit the impact of the downtime have been tabled. Increased use of other
