From Ukraine to Western Sydney: Focus on Mental Health Recovery
A special delegation of eight Ukrainian Fellows visited WentWest this week to learn about Australia’s psychosocial mental health support and its support for people affected by war in their recovery journey. Led by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), the delegation also met with staff at Blacktown […]
Syphilis Cases on the Rise in Australia
Syphilis cases are on the rise in Australia, with case numbers more than doubling over the past decade (2014 – 2024) (1). Due to the scale and severity, syphilis was declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance (CDINS) in 2025 by the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) (2). Syphilis can affect anyone, with […]
Meeting Rising Demand for Early Psychosis Care in Western Sydney
The future of early psychosis care for young people was the focus of the annual Australian Early Psychosis Program (AEPP) forum, held in Westmead earlier this month and supported by WentWest. Demand for youth mental health and early psychosis services is rising sharply across Western Sydney, with headspace services reporting that presentations have doubled in some areas. In just six months, […]
Healthy Ageing Frailty Early Intervention Program
Frailty Impacts Felt Across Western Sydney Increased visits of older people into General Practices are continuing to highlight the importance of early prevention and timely intervention of Frailty. A commonly held misconception of frailty is that it is a normal part of ageing. Frailty affects up to one in four people aged 70 and over, […]
Collaborating Across Care: Strengthening Integrated Health Services with WSLHD
Collaborating for Better Health Outcomes Strong collaboration and integration of community health services was showcased at the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Integrated and Community Health (ICH) Conference 2026 in Blacktown this week. Attended by more than 130 ICH clinicians, leaders and partners from across the district, the Conference focused provided an important opportunity […]
New Specific Populations Resource Hub for GPs
The General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) has developed a new suite of resources to assist GPs in providing inclusive, trauma informed and culturally safe care to patients from diverse backgrounds. These resources, each developed in collaboration with GPs, a carer representative and a consumer representative, are designed to support Mental Health Treatment Plans, […]
Helping to Support Young Patients to Quit: A Call for Western Sydney GPs
Many parents are not aware that their children had tried or were currently using nicotine products, as reported by Quit Centre. The latest National Child Health Poll from The Royal Children’s Hospital found that of those children who reported current use of nicotine, more than a third (38%) indicated they were using multiple types of […]
Better and Faster Access (Share by Default) Implementation Update
Earlier this month, Faster Access to diagnostic imaging reports went live. This means consumers can now view reports for X-rays of their limbs as soon as they are uploaded to My Health Record. Other diagnostic imaging reports are available after a 5-day delay (previously 7 days), regardless of the result. Where a diagnostic imaging report […]
Supporting Trans Communities in Western Sydney this Trans Day of Visibility
Tuesday 31 March is Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) — a moment to stand proudly with trans and gender‑diverse people across Western Sydney, where vibrant and diverse communities continue to grow despite persistent barriers to visibility and safety. Western Sydney is home to large LGBTQ+ populations spread across suburbs including Parramatta, Blacktown, Auburn, Fairfield, Penrith, Liverpool, Bankstown and […]
Primary Care Nurses 2026: Award Recipients Announced!
Patient care emerged as the strongest theme across the nominations submitted for WentWest’s newly launched Primary Care Nurses Day recognition program. Almost 40 nominations were received, with many team members putting forward a colleague for the Nominate a Nurse campaign. A panel selected five outstanding Western Sydney nurses whose submissions closely reflected the program criteria, including their impact, contribution to their workplace, […]