Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) will reschedule planned surgery and temporarily suspend outpatient services over the next two days as the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred begins to take effect across the region.
Temporary changes to medical services are being made to allow NNSWLHD to prioritise the emergency medical response and provide the best possible care for patients, while ensuring the safety and welfare of staff.
Planning is underway to ensure ongoing care for the community, with NNSWLHD activating its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and emergency management plans.
All necessary steps are being taken to prepare for this major event, including potential impacts from heavy rainfall and flooding, high winds and tidal inundation of low-lying areas.
To help focus on emergency care, the following service changes will apply on Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March 2025:
- All planned surgery and outpatient services will be postponed and rescheduled for as soon as possible. Urgent cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, will be brought forward to Thursday morning.
- Any postponed planned surgeries will be rescheduled. We are contacting patients to confirm further details. Community Health services will suspend outpatient appointments on Thursday and Friday.
- Hospital in the Home (HiTH) services, including palliative care, will temporarily stop taking referrals. Patient cases will be reviewed and strategies put in place to facilitate care while not conducting home visits over this time.
- BreastScreen NSW services will be closed from 5 – 9 March at Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Ballina and Grafton, with services at Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie under review.
- Communications have gone out to all impacted patients, community and health service providers.
- Wherever possible, patients have been discharged from facilities across NNSWLHD where clinically appropriate, and increased patient transport services introduced to help with transfers.
Quotes attributable to Northern NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Tracey Maisey:
“We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
“We have made temporary changes to our services to ensure we are appropriately resourced and can focus on providing the best possible care for our community over the coming days, while providing certainty for patients and staff.
“We know some staff will be affected by this weather event. We are supporting our staff to stay safe, while also ensuring we can continue to deliver health services to the Northern Rivers community.
“All necessary steps are being taken to prepare for this major event, including ensuring our facilities are stocked with sufficient medication, food and linen supplies, with contingencies in place for potential power and communication outages.
“We know many people may be feeling concerned about the approaching weather event and we encourage them to seek help if needed. Please check our social media pages for useful links to get help.”
Helpful resources:
If your life is in danger, please call Triple Zero.
If you or someone you know needs specialist mental health care, please call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. It is a free service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is staffed by specialist mental health professionals who offer mental health advice, and referrals to local mental health services.
If you need crisis support, please call Lifeline Australia at any time on 13 11 14. Children and young people can call Kids Helpline at any time on 1800 55 1800 or chat online at kidshelpline.com.au
For non-crisis support, please call Beyondblue on 1300 22 46 36. There’s also a range of online resources to support you and your loved ones. Please visit Beyondblue and Lifeline online. Young people should visit heaspace.org.au, Kids Helpline or ReachOut.com
For free health advice anytime day or night, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. Need support in your language? You can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask for Healthdirect.