Newcastle GP Access After Hours to close its doors due rising costs and lack of funding

BY JARROD MELMETH

A bulk-billed GP service in Newcastle used by around 15,000 people across the Hunter will cease operations at the end of the year.

The Calvary Mater Hospital at Waratah will close its GP Access After Hours service on December 24 due to rising operational costs and stagnant funding.

Other after hours service across the region will also have reduced hours from January 2022. These include at Belmont and Toronto where services on weekends will be halved, as well as services at Maitland and John Hunter Hospitals reduced by one hour each day.

There are concerns about the closure of the Calvary Mater service and the reduction in hours of other services across the region, as there are very limited local bulk-billing GP services. 

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon says the reduction is services will only place more pressure on a system already under the pump.

"We do not want people turning up to tertiary health settings, such as hospitals and emergency departments, when they could be well treated and much better treated in more appropriate settings.

"This is something that our doctors in Newcastle and the Hunter knew 20 years ago when they set up this service," Ms Claydon said.

John Hunter Hospital youth mental health facility set for an upgrade

BY JARROD MELMETH

Designs for the new Nexus Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit at the John Hunter Hospital have been unveiled.

The new facility, which will have the capacity to care for 12-people, has been designed co-designed with young people who have experience in adolescent mental health, their families, clinicians and staff.

The upgrades include a dedicated courtyard, carer accommodation, family zones, recreation areas and rooms which feature more natural light. 

Hunter New England Health Chief Executive Michael Di Rienzo says the proposed layout provides an environment that balances the needs for privacy, activity and creativity.

“This co-design approach enables us to provide a modern, therapeutic environment for young people admitted to the state-wide inpatient service.

“Working with teens and children with lived experience provides the opportunity to build a contemporary unit that best meets their needs," Mr Di Rienzo said.

The Newcastle facility is one of nine state-wide acute youth mental health services and supports young people from the Hunter New England region.

Hunter New England Health says work on the new unit is expected to begin in 2025 following the commissioning of the Acute Services Building, which is set to be delivered as part of the $835 million John Hunter Health and Innovation Precinct.

Premier indicates Hunter not likely to come out of lockdown as 14 cases of COVID are recorded

BY JARROD MELMETH

The NSW Premier has indicated that the Hunters lockdown will likely be extended as the region records 14 new COVID-19 cases.

Gladys Berejiklian stopped short of announcing it but, says it doesn't look like the Hunter will come out of lockdown.

The seven day stay at home order expires tomorrow and it doesn't look like the Hunter will know whether it will be extended or not.

Of the 14 cases recorded locally 11 are linked to existing cases while three remain under investigation by health authorities as they scramble to find the source.

Seven cases were in Newcastle, six in Lake Macquarie and one in Maitland.

A number new exposure sites across the Hunter have been added overnight by NSW Health including Queens Wharf Hotel, Honeysuckle Social, Central Charlestown Leagues Club, the 269 bus route from Booragul to Warners Bay, IGA New Lambton, Woolworths Marketown, Coles Waratah and Guardian Chemist Warners Bay.

For the full list of dates and times for any of the venues of concern, head to the NSW Health website.

State wide, NSW recorded 344 cases, of which at least 105 were infectious within the community.

13 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the Hunter

BY JARROD MELMETH

The NSW Premier has announced the state recorded 356 new cases of COVID-19, of which at least one third were infectious within the community.

Of the 356 cases recorded, 13 were in the Hunter region with ten in Newcastle and three in Lake Macquarie. 12 of the 13 cases were infectious in the community.

Three of the cases recorded locally are currently under investigation as health authorities try to piece together how they caught the virus.

The new cases follow the announcement from NSW Health overnight of more close contact COVID exposure sites at Wests New Lambton, Subway at Warners Bay, Air Locker Training at Kotara, and the 269 bus route from Teralba to Warners Bay.

Other new casual contact venues include Big W at Charlestown, Coles at Warners Bay, Aldi at Newcastle West, Newcastle Basketball Stadium, McDonalds at Charlestown Square and Coles at Medowie.

Shortland Public School announced via Facebook overnight it would be closed for deep cleaning and contract tracing on Tuesday after a member of the community tested positive to Coronavirus.

For the full list of dates and times for any of the venues of concern, head to the NSW Health website.

Swim Academy at Thornton listed as COVID exposure site

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Jump N Swim Academy at Thornton has received advice from Hunter New England Health that two COVID-19 positive people attended the centre between 5pm and 5:30pm on Wednesday 4 August.

In a post to Facebook, the academy says any children, guardians or staff that were in the pool or on pool deck during those times is considered a close contact and will need to be tested and isolate for 14 days.

Anyone else who was in front reception will be considered as a casual contact and will also need to be tested and isolate until a negative result is given.

Any children, guardians or staff who were at the centre between 4:30-5pm and 5:30-6pm are considered a casual contact and will also need to be tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

Its the second venue in Maitland to be added as a COVID-19 exposure site following Maitland Christian School closing on Thursday for deep cleaning and contract tracing.

Image: Jump N Swim Facebook.

Maitland Christian School closes after students test positive to COVID-19

BY JARROD MELMETH

Maitland Christian School has sent an alert out to parents urging them to collect their children immediately after being advised two students have tested positive to COVID-19.

The school says it will be non-operational effective immediately for the on-site attendance of staff and visitors to allow time for contact tracing and cleaning.

It follows news overnight three students across two schools in Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast tested positive to the virus. Morisset High School and Lake Munmorah Public School are closed today for cleaning and contact tracing.

Image: Danthonia

The notice sent to parents.

Hunter COVID testing clinics extending hours to keep up with demand

BY JARROD MELMETH

Three of the Hunters COVID-19 testing clinics have all temporarily extended their hours after an influx of people following local coronavirus cases and exposure site.

The John Hunter Hospital, Maitland Hospital and the University drive through clinics will all stay open later as queues at a number of testing facilities form in response to the latest alerts.

Overnight Lake Munmorah Public School and Morisset High School both advised they had been visited by COVID positive students.

Target at Glendale has also been added as a COVID exposure site after a staff member tested positive to the virus. Anyone who visited the store between 8:30am and 1:30pm on Sunday, August 1 must immediately get tested.

Image: The Australian

Hunter Health Workers Walking Out On Mass

BY JARROD MELMETH

Paramedics across the state will be walking off the job on June 10 for 24 hours, only responding to life threatening and emergency situations.

The action comes off the back of the NSW Governments "paltry" 0.3 per cent pay rise offer.

The issue of pay among health workers has been a point of contention between the Unions and the government for some time.

Mick Callinan from the Health Services Union says the current situation in NSW is unacceptable.

"Paramedics in NSW are the lowest paid paramedics in the country. We have to pay for all of our registration and professional costs as well as our own education.

"We aren't normally ones to take this sort of action and for us to be pushed to this point, everyone has just had enough of the constant workload and lack of respect," Mr Callinan said.

Health Minister Brad Hazard says he hopes for a mutually positive outcome.

"Me personally, I am happy to have discussions and I am having discussions with the Health Services Union.

"The HSU represents the majority of the paramedics and of course we will continue those discussions and if we can find a reasonable resolution, we will see how that plays out," Mr Hazzard said.

On Wednesday The Nurses and Midwives Association announced staff would walk out en masse for 24 hours at Belmont Hospital and the Mental Health Centre at Waratah.

The nurses action was about advocating for safer nurse-to-patient ratios which the government has to date refused.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association General Secretary Brett Holmes said industrial action does not come lightly. 

"Our members are exhausted and tired of feeling taken for granted.

"The past year has exacerbated ongoing staffing issues and taken a heavy toll on many nurses and midwives," Mr Holmes said.