Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was no match for the incredible, dedicated team we have the privilege of working with.
NNSWLHD Chief Executive Tracey Maisey thanked the hundreds of hospital staff who went above and beyond, including some sleeping on site and even kayaking to work – to continue to provide health care services to our patients. She also extended her thanks to other NSW Health staff who came from across the State to support the District.
"They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that is certainly the case when it comes to our workforce," Tracey said.
"More than 370 staff stayed away from their homes - some for up to four days - to ensure emergency and urgent care services to patients across the District’s eight hospitals and four multi-purpose services.
"Most of these staff slept on-site in the hospitals to ensure they were able to report for duty the next day, lending a hand to unpack and deliver supplies and assisting in evacuation centres. We even saw our Nurse Manager at Bonalbo paddle into work on a kayak to ensure she was on site to assist with patients and staff!”
Over the course of the emergency (from Thursday 6 to Monday 10 March), our staff cared for a total of 569 ED presentations by NSW Ambulance, a significant rise on the usual average of 100 presentations per day. They also cared for an additional 2,085 walk-in ED presentations over the same period.
It’s the forward planning of the team who keep the system running
The rubbish doesn’t stop
Lismore Base Hospital Domestic Services Manager Simon Piper did a quick calculation and realised rubbish buildup could be an issue.
“He had the foresight to arrange two additional large skip bins to be delivered on Thursday 6 March in anticipation,” Lismore Base Hospital General Manager Ian Hatton said.
“It was enough to tide us over until Monday when luckily collection has occurred as they were starting to overflow!”
When life gives you no linen …
Our staff are experts at making the most of any situation. So, when linen supplies hit a rough patch at Grafton Base Hospital, the team stepped up in true style.
With quick thinking and a can-do attitude, they ensured patients continued to receive fresh linen by ensuring supplies weren’t used for anything other than patient care.
These are just some of the many ways our dedicated team across the District came together during this emergency.
Because when it comes to challenges, there’s no obstacle they can’t overcome.
"While the clean-up isn’t over yet, we’re indebted to all our staff, both clinical and non-clinical, for their incredible efforts to provide the best possible care for our community over the duration of this weather event,” Tracey said
"We are also extremely grateful to those NSW Health staff, including registered nurses, mental health and allied health workers, who travelled from other locations across the state to provide back-up support in our hospitals thank you!
“With their support we were able to return to business as usual in most services within days of the storm passing."
Pictured:
Casino cleaning and HSA staff prepared all our beds and rooms for staff to remain on site. They had a bit of fun testing the beds out to make sure they were comfortable for the staff before starting to dismantle the temporary accommodation this morning.