The population of Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) is growing, including an increasing aged cohort. Recent factors such as floods and the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted services, adding to the challenges of meeting community needs. In this context, NNSWLHD Executive have recognised the need for an integrated, long-term plan for surgical services across the region – the NNSWLHD Surgical Services Plan.
The Plan will:
- be focused on meeting community needs
- have a strategic, longer-term focus (out to 10 years)
- be informed by NNSWLHD and state-wide strategies and guidelines, and contemporary, evidence-based practice
- be informed by data and a robust consultation process.
The Plan will consider issues around service networking, peripheral hospitals, relationships with other public and private organisations and service specific considerations. It will document current issues and challenges, emerging trends, future service vision and service development strategies and actions.
The Working Group overseeing the development of the Plan recognise the value in consulting with general practice, Aboriginal Medical Services, private allied health including pharmacy, and non-government organisations. Issues of particular interest include:
- prehabilitation
- patient access to surgery including associated wait-times and travel
- post-surgery communication
- follow-up care.
There will be opportunities for all stakeholders to have input into the Plan’s development in the following ways:
- respond to a simple survey that has been prepared to understand the broader views of key stakeholders upfront – visit qars.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/Survey?p=B6C19184 (open until 3 November 2023).
- email [email protected] directly with any specific feedback you would like to be considered in the Plan.
Please note that NNSWLHD has engaged and will be partnering with a consultancy called Johnstaff to develop the Plan. Johnstaff has several years of experience in planning within NNSWLHD and has worked in a range of jurisdictions across NSW and Australia. Although Johnstaff will assist in writing the Plan, it will be owned by NNSWLHD and require review and endorsement through NNSWLHD governance.
NNSWLHD are excited about the opportunity to form a clear vision for how our services need to change and respond to community needs in surgical services. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions about the planning process, please contact Gavin Dart, Senior Health Service Planner, NNSWLHD at [email protected].