Caring for staff through COVID-19
COVID-19 has changed the way that health professionals deliver patient-centred care. Public restrictions protecting against the pandemic have challenged normal practice, and the primary care sector has never been under so much pressure. Studies from Phoenix Australia, the Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, show that health care workers across the system are feeling the […]
Improving Refugee Health in Our Community
People from refugee backgrounds and Asylum Seekers are one of the community groups that present with the poorest health outcomes. They have higher rates of chronic diseases and mental health problems than migrants due to past experiences of exposure to violations of their human rights, persecutions, exposure to civil war or traumatic scenes, deprivation as well as post-migration stressors. Environmental change and unfamiliarity with Australian healthcare services systems and procedures add more challenges to accessing […]
Tackling Childhood Obesity in Western Sydney
One in five children and adolescents are either overweight or obese. Sadly this figure is higher in Western Sydney. Western Sydney Diabetes recently hosted a forum on child and adolescent obesity with tips for health professionals on preventing, identifying, and treating childhood obesity. Alarming statistics highlighted the sensitivity of health professionals required to […]
Boosting the health of our planet and patients
The health care sector is responsible for 7% of Australia’s carbon emissions. This figure reflects the health system’s impact on the environment and the ripple effect on human health. Pollution and climate change contribute to food insecurity, the rate and scale of natural disasters, and the contamination of air, water and natural resources. These, […]
Improving Bowel Cancer Survival Rates in Western Sydney
Bowel cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer if found early, yet it currently claims the lives of over 5,300 Australians every year. After lung cancer, bowel cancer has the second-highest mortality rate of cancers in NSW, with 36 people dying from the disease every week in our state. Despite these […]
Introducing Western Sydney Care Collective
We are pleased to announce that Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) and WentWest, Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WSPHN) are joining forces to deliver a new project that will provide patient centred, value-based health care to the people of Western Sydney. The ‘Western Sydney Care Collective’ is a collaborative commissioning project that will significantly […]
National Reconciliation Action Week
Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (27th May – 3rd June). This year’s NRW theme is ‘More than a word. Reconciliation takes action’, which asks us to move beyond awareness to take action. Western Sydney has one of the largest urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in the nation, and supporting Aboriginal […]
COVID-19 Vaccine: A Patient’s Experience
Jenni is a pharmacist working in a Western Sydney hospital and was one of the first people in her community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccinated on the first day of the rollout at Rosedale Medical Practice, Jenni shared that she was very pleased that her GP was amongst the first selected by the […]
Western Sydney COVID-19 Vaccination Hubs – access for those eligible as 1b
The Western Sydney COVID-19 Vaccination Hubs are now opening to all people categorised as 1b under the NSW Health COVID-19 Vaccination roll out plan. People eligible for vaccination under Phase 1b are: Healthcare workers currently employed and not included in Phase 1a Household contacts of quarantine and border workers Critical and high-risk workers who […]
Ground-Breaking Partnership Welcomes New Senior Lecturer
Caption: Dr Liliana Laranjo (MD, MPH, PhD) The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine Health and WentWest, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WSPHN) welcomes Dr Liliana Laranjo (MD, MPH, PhD) to the inaugural position of Senior Lecturer in Community and Primary Health Care Practice at the University of Sydney Medical School. Liliana is an […]