Northern NSW Local Health District is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a second person with measles who was infectious while visiting Lismore Square Shopping Centre last week.

The new case is a family member of a person who had recently returned from overseas and was confirmed on 9 February 2025 to have measles.

Northern NSW Local Health District Director of Population and Public Health, Dr Valerie Delpech, said the locations pose no ongoing risk to the public. 

Grafton, Lismore and Tweed are set to benefit from new Key Worker Accommodation which will help attract, recruit and retain more healthcare workers. The Minns Labor Government will invest $34.2 million in health worker housing in Northern NSW as part of the Key Health Worker Accommodation program.

Patients, visitors and staff at Tweed Valley Hospital are set to benefit from an additional 130 free car parking spaces, along with upgrades to existing parking areas, boosting capacity to more than 1,300 spaces across the hospital campus. The $723.3 million Tweed Valley Hospital opened to patients in May 2024 and has transformed the delivery of healthcare in the region.

39 medical interns have joined the Northern New South Wales Local Health District, taking up positions in our local public hospitals. These new graduates starting their internships will be entering a training program with networked hospital throughout the LHD, with both formal and on-the-job training.

An innovative new prostate cancer treatment is now available at the North Coast Cancer Institute in Lismore, offering significant reductions in treatment times for eligible patients.

The stereotactic radiotherapy treatment delivers a higher dose of radiation to the target area over five treatment sessions, compared to the previous standard course which delivered a smaller dose across 20 sessions.

Local and international clinical trials have shown the shorter course was as effective, while significantly reducing the time commitment for patients.

Northern NSW Local Health District is encouraging the local community to kick off 2025 by becoming a Healthcare Helper volunteer. Applications are now open for volunteer roles supporting patients, visitors and healthcare staff in facilities at Lismore, Nimbin, Bonalbo, Urbenville and Kyogle.

The Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment has taken an important step forward, with a portion of the former Grafton Gaol set to be acquired from Property and Development NSW to support the upgrade of the hospital.

People who live in, or are visiting Northern NSW are being urged to take simple precautions to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 during the holiday period.

North Coast communities will benefit from a $1.7 million funding boost from the NSW Government to upgrade hospitals and health facilities throughout the region.

Patients at Tuckeroo Mental Health Unit at Byron Central Hospital will feel the warmth of community kindness this Christmas, thanks to a donation of 25 handmade quilts lovingly crafted by local volunteers.

The patchwork quilts, stitched by craftspeople from the Mental Health Support Group, are part of the group’s longstanding commitment to supporting people throughout the Northern NSW Local Health District who are living with mental illness. 

Tuckeroo Occupational Therapist Angie D’Elboux said the quilts provided a sense of comfort and homeliness for patients.