The Hunter's remaining COVID-19 testing clinics to close

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

The six remaining COVID-19 testing clinics in the Hunter will be closed by the 13th of May, the New South Wales Government has announced.

The Hunter testing sites impacted include Morisset, Wallsend, Warners Bay, Wickham, Raymond Terrace and Telarah. 

High costs and low demand have been cited as the reason for the closures across the state.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park says the clinics have cost the state between $11 and $12 million this year alone.

"It's money we simply don't have... the money needs to be going into health services across New South Wales," said Mr Park.

The 165 walk-in and drive-through clinics across New South Wales will be replaced by a referral system.

High risk patients will be able to get a PCR referral from their GP to be completed at a pathologist.

The cost of this is not yet clear.

Hunter hospitals hoping to bounce back after busy winter

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter New England Health District is hoping for a quieter summer, after another busy winter at the region's hospitals.

According to the latest Bureau of Health Information data, more than 109,000 people visited the Hunter's emergency departments in the three months to September, though more than half were not in need of life-threatening or critical care.

It's understood, COVID-19 and other winter illnesses are continuing to put pressure on health staff.

65.5 percent of patients started their treatments on time, while 78.3 percent were transferred out of ambulances within the half-an-hour benchmark, compared to a state average of 74.8 percent.

6,497 elective surgeries were performed across the region, with 99.6 completed on time.

Alzheimer's drug proves promising in Hunter trial

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A drug being trialed around the globe and at the Hunter Medical Research Institute is being hailed as a major breakthrough when it comes to slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Lecanemab is showing promise in helping the body's immune system get rid of amyloid plaques which impact the neurons in the brain.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, but lecanemab is the first and only drug which has been proven to be effective in treatment.

University of Newcastle neuroscientist Professor Michael Breakspear says the next step will be another clinical trial with members of the community, in the hopes of nipping the disease in the bud.

"Either showing the very earliest signs of cognitive impairment, so they don't yet have dementia, but they might have memory problems, they might have a little bit of confusion, but they don't have dementia," he said.

"And other people who, because of their genetic risk, are known to be at very high risk of developing dementia, but don't have any cognitive impairment."

"The goal of this study, another international study, is to see if we can actually prevent people from developing dementia or halt it in its tracks at its very earliest onset, before there's been any underlying destruction of brain tissue."

Prof Breakspear describes the drug as adding an extra six months of cognitive function.

It's hoped lecanemab could soon win approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia.

Margaret Williamson and her twin sister Meryl often take part in clinical trials as self-described "human guinea pigs", who researchers can compare.

The 68-year-old retired nurse says it was a shock to find out their own risk, but they're glad they're involved in the trial.

"Well, now I hope it will," she said. "We had no idea that we had high amyloid until we went to the study."

"No signs of dementia, nothing. Just very high amyloids."

"How far down the track would we have lost our minds? I don't know. It was a scary thing when they said it, and we went, 'oh well,' we'll go in the study and try and prevent it getting any worse." 

Image credit: Australian Dementia Network.

Cruise ship skips Newcastle after COVID outbreak

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A cruise ship with COVID cases onboard has skipped its planned Newcastle stop on Tuesday morning.

The Grand Princess was scheduled to reach the Port of Newcastle around 6am, but continued down the coast.

It's understood, the company cancelled the stop late on Monday, because of uncertainty from Hunter New England Health around whether passengers could disembark.

A spokesperson for the health district said the Public Health Unit had applied the Eastern Seaboard and Western Australian Cruise Protocols, asking that all passengers be tested before disembarking.

It's believed there's a large number of infected passengers on the vessel.

"[Hunter New England] had also engaged Princess Cruises on ways to best manage and support those on board with COVID-19," the spokesperson said.

"And how to reduce COVID-19 transmission in regional communities if passengers were to disembark in Newcastle."

It's understood the ship is set to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday, though it's not clear how many passengers are infected with COVID.

Hunter projects make the cut in budget overhaul

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Labor says its new budget is a show of confidence in the Hunter, with key infrastructure projects here to stay despite the Treasurer's financial overhaul.

Jim Chalmers told Parliament on Tuesday night, the Federal Government's latest blueprint is carefully designed to make savings, while addressing cost-of-living concerns and boosting the country's productivity.

$100 million in funding for hydrogen projects at the Port of Newcastle, $55 million for a new terminal at Newcastle Airport, and $500 million to investigate high-speed rail from Sydney to Newcastle have all made the cut.

At the University of Newcastle, $16 million is being spent on a new clean energy research centre, as well as funding for 967 more university places for teachers, nurses, and engineers over the next two years.

$28.7 million has been allocated to revive GP Access After Hours services across the region, and money's also been put aside for an election commitment to develop Urgent Care clinics to help ease the pressure on the Hunter's hospitals.

The price of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme has been slashed, meaning savings as much as $12.50 a script for more than 3.5 million people by January.

Works are set to go ahead on the New England Highway bypass at Muswellbrook, and $10 million's also been allocated to upgrade the Muswellbrook town centre.

Labor's also set to follow through with a commitment to upgrade Mandalong Road at Morisset, and there's $10 million each toward a mine grouting fund for Lake Macquarie and to dredge the Swansea Channel.

Energy prices are expected to surge by 50 percent over the next two years, but there's no immediate relief on that front outside of investment in renewable and clean energy projects.

The Federal Government is also pledging to work with industry to build a million homes over the next ten years, with a focus on shortages in the regions.

John Hunter doctors call on Health Minister to address poor conditions

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Twelve doctors at the John Hunter Hospital have signed a letter, calling on Health Minister Brad Hazzard to address concerns which they say are impacting their ability to deliver adequate healthcare.

The doctors co-signing the letter include vascular surgeons, anaesthetists, and an obstetrician.

They've ranged concern about workload pressures, staff shortages, inadequate equipment, and poor resource allocation at the John Hunter, saying it's having a major impact on staff morale.

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery says she'll raise the issue in State Parliament next week.

"The letter is a damning indictment on the way this Government is running our State’s health system," she said."The John Hunter Hospital is the largest regional hospital in the state. It needs to be resourced appropriately."

"It is always concerning for me to hear that staff are not having their complaints adequately addressed by HNEH and that there is a culture of silencing and fear implicit in the workplace."

"We are hearing now about a situation where the largest regional hospital in NSW has doctors who are being forced to compromise patient safety because of improper equipment and inadequate resourcing."

Tropical trek to raise money for Hunter research into premature birth

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A seven-day trek is setting off across Costa Rica this Friday to raise money for Hunter research into premature births.

Borne HMRI is a collaboration between the Hunter Medical Research Institute and the UK initiative Borne, with the aim of finding answers for what causes preterm birth, and how to prevent it.

Former Wallaby Captain Dean Mumm helped found the local branch four years ago - he and wife Sarah have lost four children to pre-term birth.

"Would you walk across the country for your children?" he said. "We're a very literal group, it seems."

"You would walk across the country for your children - we just happened to choose one that's maybe a bit thinner than Australia."

Mr Mumm will join six other Aussies in the 280 kilometre coast-to-coast trek from the country's Caribbean to Pacific shores.

Seven Brits are also taking on the trek, as well as a doctor, a pair of guides, and former British SAS officer Allen Chambers.

Mr Mumm says it's an important initiative, and one which will always hit close to home.

"One in ten babies in Australia are born preterm," he said. "Roughly about 26,000 per annum."

"We as a family, my wife and I, we've unfortunately lost four children, simply because they were just born too early. If any of those things happened later in gestation, our children would've been here."

"Australian researchers are pretty excellent, and particularly those at HMRI. There's lots for us to do, and lots for us to collaborate on across the globe using Australian researchers."

Hunter diabetes care clinic-on-wheels boosted by $12 million investment

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A Hunter diabetes care project has been given a $12.4 million grant to help fund further research and the creation of a new medibus, to bring much-needed services to rural and regional areas.

The Diabetes Alliance Program - a partnership between the Hunter Medical Research Institute, Hunter New England Health Health District, and the University of Newcastle - is set to be scaled up thanks to the Colonial Foundation grant. 

One in ten people in the Hunter New England region have diabetes, but over half of them are yet to be diagnosed with the condition.

It's hoped, developing a new clinic on wheels will help extend specialist treatment to communities which often struggle with healthcare access. 

The bus will bring multidisciplinary teams, including nurses, dietitians, Aboriginal health workers, and endocrinologists, both to deliver treatment and to train local providers.

New data reveals nearly one in four emergency patients leaving Maitland Hospital early

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The latest Bureau of Health Information data has revealed, almost a quarter of patients are leaving the Emergency Department at Maitland Hospital early.

The quarterly report found 24.91 percent of patients left without completing their treatment, not only the highest number in New South Wales, but a new record.

39.5 percent of patients who waited for treatment, spent more than four hours in the waiting room.

Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison says it's proof the health system is in crisis.

"I think it's just showing the lack of staffing in the system," she said. "We've got a really dire state of the health system in Maitland particularly."

"It's not fair on hardworking staff in those sections, and the nurses and the midwives. It's contributing to ramping with the ambulances."

"We're just seeing a huge increase in the number of people that are coming into the hospital over the last little while, with the new relocation, but we just haven't seen enough staff being able to get in there to do the work."

Across the state, 62.8 percent of all emergency patients started their treatment on time, and one in five who left early returned within three days.

The Nurses and Midwives Association has reiterated its calls for nurse-to-patient ratios in public hospitals, as well as action to ease the pressure on staff and ensure patient safety.

Ms Aitchison says the situation is "unacceptable".

"We're hearing, routinely, people waiting almost 24 hours to be seen," she said. "I've heard of a case of someone waiting on an emergency bed for 100 hours."

"Now that is just absolutely unacceptable, and really needs to be addressed."

Hunter researchers make major step forward in melanoma treatment

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Researchers at the Hunter Medical Research Institute and University of Newcastle have made a breakthrough in treating late-stage melanoma.

Using a combination of two existing drug treatments, they've managed to significantly improve survival times for patients.

Professor Nikola Bowden says the results are exciting. 

"This clinical trial was people with melanoma who are resistant to all our current treatments," she said.

"What we did was take really old chemotherapy drugs and repurpose them to treat the patients and then to put them back on their previous immunotherapy treatment."

"The combination has worked really well."

The team says it was able to re-sensitise cancer cells to immunotherapy, through the combination of Azacitidine and Carboplatin.

It's been investigating their potential since 2015, with 20 people taking part in the trial between 2017 and 2021.

The patients survived an average of 47 weeks, and four of the patients are still alive today.

A second stage of trials is now underway using updated immunotherapy drugs, and initial results suggest it could be even more promising. 

"This group of patients have no other treatment options and have a very short prognosis usually," Prof Bowden said.

"It's an option for them, when all the other drugs have stopped working, and there's potential that it will work in other cancers as well."

Image credit: Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Campaign calling on Hunter residents to register as organ donors

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter's being urged to consider signing up as an organ and tissue donor, this Donate Life Week.

The Great Registration Race campaign is back for another year, hoping to encourage at least another 100,000 people to register in 2022, and perhaps beat 2021's 108,000.

Dr Adelaide Charlton, an intensive care and organ donation specialist at the John Hunter Hospital, says it's something important to think about.

"I have a lot of discussions with families in very difficult situations, when people are dying of illnesses in intensive care," she said.

"It makes it a lot easier for families if these discussions have been had when people are well, and it takes the burden of some of that decision-making off them and then we know that whatever we're doing is in our patient's best interest." 

Just two percent of people who die in hospital can donate their organs - while only 420 Australians were able to donate their organs last year, 1,000 people managed to receive a transplant.

Around 1,850 people are currently on the country's waiting list, as well as another 13,000 on dialysis, who could benefit from a kidney transplant.

"Increasingly, more and more people are eligible," Dr Charlton said. "Even if you have your own health issues, such as heart or lung disease, that's part of a complex workup that we do in the hospital for organ donation."

"There are people with underlying illnesses that can still be organ donors and can change someone's life."

Priority areas revised in hopes to cure Hunter's GP shortfall

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Federal Government has changed the rules for recruiting doctors across the Hunter, in hopes to make it easier to get more GPs into the region.

The Distribution Priority Areas have been updated in more than 700 areas across the country, in hopes to cure the GP shortfall.

International medical graduates and overseas trained doctors are only able to access Medicare if they work in a priority area.

The change applies to the Kurri Kurri – Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland, Morisset – Cooranbong, Toukley – Budgewoi, Cessnock, Cessnock Region, and Nelson Bay catchment areas.

Hunter residents urged to stay up to date on COVID shot ahead of latest wave

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Residents across the Hunter and New South Wales are being urged to make sure they're up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, as a new wave of infections continues to grow.

NSW Health is calling on the community to practise COVID-safe behaviours like social distancing and mask wearing.

There's concern the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants could cause the number of serious cases and deaths to skyrocket.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says 56 percent of COVID-related deaths this year were people with two or fewer doses.

"We are at the beginning of the third wave of Omicron which is likely to peak in late July or early August. This increase in community transmission brings with it greatly increased risks for those not up to date with their vaccines," he said.  

"The best way you can protect yourself from serious illness or worse is to get every vaccination that is available to you."

Works underway on new John Hunter Hospital facility

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Works are set to soon begin on the new Health and Innovation Precinct at the John Hunter Hospital.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard visited the site on Tuesday morning, picking up a shovel to turn the first sod at the site.

The $835 million project includes a seven-storey, state-of-the-art acute services building.

Mr Hazzard says it's important the Hunter has the healthcare services to keep up with the population.

"I know from my local family members that the growth in the Hunter particularly is quite incredible," he said. "We're probably expecting, I think, about 22 percent growth just in the next 15 years."

"Increasing the emergency department by about 40 percent, the theatres by about 50 percent, the ICU by about 60 percent, and of course all of the other services, including the paediatric services and so on, is just going to make a huge difference."

The facility will also include more adult and paediatric critical care services, a birthing suite and inpatient maternity unit, a neonatal intensive care unit and special care nursery, a new rooftop helipad, and more than 900 car spaces for staff and visitors.

The project is expected to be complete in 2026.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard visited the site on Tuesday morning.

An artist's impression of the John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct.

Health data proves Maitland Hospital under the pump, nurses say

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Nurses at Maitland Hospital say new health data has "vindicated" their concerns around conditions at the new site, revealing it's facing the busiest period in the hospital's history.

According to the latest Bureau of Health Information data, presentations at Maitland Hospital increased by 7.1 percent between January and March, compared to the same quarter last year.

Presentations fell by the same amount at the John Hunter, and 8.1 percent at the Mater.

The Nurses and Midwives Association has raised the alarm, the Maitland Hospital's move to Metford has meant the catchment has expanded to encompass patients from Raymond Terrace and Port Stephens.

Maitland Branch Acting Secretary Kathy Chapman says the numbers are "not surprising at all".

"We've been feeling this ever since we got there at Maitland," she said. "The patients have been feeling this."

"Now that [the data's] come out, we do feel vindicated in saying, you know, this has been happening, it's wrong, let's get the Ministry of Health to do something about it."

Arrivals by ambulance also rose by 9.5 percent, while falling by around three percent at the other two hospitals.

Just over 50 percent of Maitland Hospital patients began their treatment on time, down more than ten percent on the same time last year.

There was an almost 15 percent fall in the percent of patients transferred from paramedics to the emergency department in less than half an hour, though the John Hunter saw a five percent improvement, to be the fastest in the state.

Ms Chapman says the State Government needs to start by taking a serious look at the numbers.

"I think they should read it for a start," she said. "I think they should honestly look at it, and go, 'Okay, what have we done here, and do we need to  redirect some services to Maitland?'"

"We're in a bad way, so I would say look at the data and do something about it."

Nurses raise alarm New Maitland Hospital could struggle to make accreditation

BY DAKOTA TAIT

New Maitland Hospital is undergoing accreditation this week, but it's feared issues around staffing and resourcing could mean the hospital will struggle to meet the standards.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is examining eight standards, including clinical governance, infection control, communication for safety, and comprehensive care.

But staff have raised the alarm the audit doesn't take ongoing issues at the hospital into account when making a judgement.

Detailed outcomes of the audits are also not made public to allowed to be discussed with the media.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Branch Secretary Kathy Chapman says staff shouldn't have to pick up the slack.

"This is often where accountability is directed - to the nurses," Ms Chapman said. 

"We feel that it's just another opportunity for the Perrottet Government to tell our crippling health care system, our Maitland Hospital, to do better with less."

"We do shine our shoes to make things good."

It's understood, long wait times in the emergency department and outpatient clinics, surge capacity levels in wards, and heavy workloads have become the norm at the hospital.

Hunter New England Health has maintained demand for services has not increased since moving from the original Maitland Hospital to Metford, which only opened earlier this year.

Nurses insist, however, the catchment area has expanded without an appropriate increase to staffing.

Ms Chapman says it's very possible the hospital will fall short in a number of areas.

"I reckon it would be embarrassing, for a start," Ms Chapman said. 

"What does it tell our community? What have we been given? What resources haven't we been given to meet the needs of our community, our patients?"

"It's just really sad to watch every day how those needs aren't met."

Image credit: newmaitlandhospital.health.nsw.gov.au

Dr David Durrheim named Lake Macquarie Ambassador for 2022

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Dr David Durrheim has been named as the Lake Mac Ambassador at the 2022 Lake Mac Awards.

The physician is being honoured for his work in helping guide the Hunter through the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health controller at Hunter New England Health.

He says, the past few years have shone a spotlight on public health.

"It's quite clear that everybody is now an amateur epidemiologist, and all of us really, as a very large team, have worked together in this public health crisis," Dr Durrheim said.

"The last time this happened was 100 years ago, in the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, and it's been to me, incredibly heartening to see how the community and the health service have all worked together."

Dr Durrheim joined more than 90 nominees, finalists, and thirteen winners at Belmont 16s on Saturday night.

Rhiannan Iffland, a five-time world champion diver, was named Sports Star of the Year, while 11-year-old Xavier Neil was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for his efforts to raise more than $70,000 for local cancer charities. 

Lake Macquarie charity Hope in a Suitcase, which helps supply foster kids with necessities, received an award for Community Group of the Year, while OzHarvest volunteer June Butler was named as Volunteer of the Year.

Dr Durrheim says it's a real honour to be recognised alongside so many other members of the community.

"It's incredibly humbling to actually have attended the event and just to have heard the wonderful and remarkable stories of community volunteers and the work that's being done across Lake Macquarie, by diverse groups of people, particularly during the last two very challenging years," Dr Durrheim said.

"It's an absolute delight to be part of the Lake Macquarie community. It's a beautiful part of the world - arguably, the most beautiful city in Australia, and I think we're very fortunate to live in a community where people do look after each other in a beautiful environment."

Lake Macquarie man passes away as restrictions eased this evening

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter New England is again leading the health districts, with 2,105 new COVID cases today.

Sadly, a man in his 70s from Lake Macquarie has passed away with the virus.

The Health District is caring for 98 people in hospital, with two people in intensive care.

Isolation requirements for close contacts of COVID cases will also be ditched in NSW from 6pm this evening.

However, household contacts will need to do daily RAT tests, wear a mask indoors, and avoid high-risk settings and elderly and immunocompromised people.

Two new COVID deaths as Hunter New England again leads in new cases

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Hunter New England has recorded 2,417 new COVID cases today, almost 400 cases more than the second-highest district.

Sadly, a woman in her 80s from Cessnock and a man in his 80s from Lake Macquarie have passed away with the virus.

91 patients are in hospital across the health district, with three people in intensive care.

Hunter's at-risk residents apprehensive as COVID rules dropped

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter's saying goodbye to isolation requirements for close contacts of COVID cases tomorrow, but not everyone in the community is welcoming the move. 

Business is praising the State Government's decision, with hopes it will ease the pressure on hospitality and retail grappling with staff shortages. 

But people living with disabilities and immunocompromised conditions have raised concern, it's too soon to lift the restrictions.

David Belcher, a peer organiser with Community Disability Alliance Hunter, says the pandemic is far from over.

"Again, it seems like the State Government is just glossing over the fact that's there still vulnerable people out in the community," Mr Belcher said.

"The general public should still be aware, that COVID's very, very real in our community, people are still dying, and there's high death rates of people with COVID since the pandemic started."

From 6pm on Friday, unless they have symptoms, close contacts won't need to spend seven days at home.

The scrapping of isolation rules does have caveats, however - they will need to do daily RAT tests, wear a mask indoors, and avoid high-risk settings and elderly and immunocompromised people.

But Mr Belcher says, despite the terms and conditions, it still leaves people with few options.

"It's all well and good for those without a pre-existing condition - you can just isolate until you feel safe and comfortable," Mr Belcher said.

"But the reality is for most people with disability, one, it's mentally not a great idea, and two, in a lot of circumstances it's actually not even capable, because people with disabilities may need support workers, or other types of support to come into their house."

It comes as Hunter New England continues to lead the health districts in the number of new cases across New South Wales.

Vaccine mandates for most workers and passenger caps on public transport are also set to soon be ditched.

Mr Belcher says the community should have been properly consulted before the move went ahead.

"What we should be looking at is a way where we can truly live with COVID in our community, where people are still feeling safe, where their needs and their desires to be a part of the community are respected," Mr Belcher said.

"That may mean using masks, it may mean isolating for a short period of time."