Community Board of Advice
REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY
WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
The Community Board of Advice is an advisory committee of Hawkesbury District Health Service which facilitates community participation in the provision of quality services for all .
Members of the Community Board of Advice continue to engage with the Hawkesbury community through their forums and were delighted to join the Kurrajong Country Women ’ s Association in March to speak with its members . They were joined by Hawkesbury Hospital Director of Emergency Services Dr Umair , to talk about what to expect when attending an emergency department .
Dr Umair explained how the emergency department triage system is used to assess and prioritise patients on arrival so that the most life-threatening conditions are treated first . The aim is to treat patients as soon as possible but sometimes if the nurses and doctors are treating serious conditions , patients may be required to wait . Dr Umair went on to assure the group that while patients are waiting , staff always do their best to keep them comfortable .
When Dr Umair asked the Kurrajong Country Women ’ s Association group for feedback , he was pleased that they had positive experiences when attending Hawkesbury Hospital ’ s emergency department .
Loneliness and isolation were identified as a concern and Dr Umair agreed that this affects people of all ages . He stated that it is not uncommon to see patients presenting to emergency departments with signs of illness relating to loneliness or isolation .
The group spoke about aged care services and the difficulty in accessing home care packages . Also discussed were issues experienced by those living in Hawkesbury ’ s remote areas . An example of this was community transport buses dropping people at their gates when they live down a long drive . Maybe an innovative community transport system is required ?
The Community Board of Advice spoke about the various community health services available to residents of the Hawkesbury . Feedback from the group was that they had little knowledge around the services and more promotion was required to raise community awareness .
In other matters , the forum highlighted community concerns around disability access in Windsor and Richmond , particularly around Richmond Marketplace . Concerns were also raised about the lack of a pedestrian crossing in Kurrajong Village and the lack of disabled parking in that area . Although not health matters , they do affect the way we live in our communities .
OPERATIONAL CHANGE AT HAWKESBURY DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICE
The Community Board of Advice looks forward to meeting with Bethany Pade , the interim General Manager for the transition of St John of God Health Care to Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District . The transfer is planned to be complete by 30 June 2024 .
Members of the advisory committee have met with the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Chief Executive Lee Gregory and his team , and can reassure the community that there will be no fees for car parking and current public services will continue as usual after 1 July 2024 .
The Community Board of Advice would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the support from St John of God Hawkesbury District Health Service Chief Executive Officer Strephon Billinghurst , and Director of Finance and Contract Performance Belinda Mott , who have served the community and health service well .
COMMUNITY SERVICES – STEPPING ON PROGRAM
If you have recently had a fall or are worried about falling the Stepping On program can help you to stay steady on your feet .
Stepping On is a free 7-week prevention program for adults aged 65 years or over . The program is held at Hawkesbury ’ s Community Health Centre and involves weekly 2 hour sessions delivered by health experts . You will learn balance and strength exercises , ways to reduce hazards in the home , receive nutrition advice and more !
To find out more or to register for the program call 1800 255 775 or visit activeandhealthy . nsw . gov . au / so
Helpful tips from the Community Board of Advice
If your doctor is CLOSED to find a service near you visit : www . doctorclosed . com . au or www . healthdirect . gov . au or phone the National healthdirect after-hours GP helpline on 1800 022 222 .
For life threatening medical emergencies , the Hawkesbury Hospital Emergency Department is OPEN 24 hours a day , 7 days a week .
2 DAY STREET , WINDSOR NSW 2756
16 ISSUE 167 // APRIL 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT