Profile – Clinical Networks & Health Services
Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service (NSCCAHS) is committed to providing high quality health care services, ensuring informed and involved communities, and striving for a healthy population through effective use of health resources.
To improve the health of the population the right care must be provided in the right place at the right time. One of the key recommendations of the NSCCAHS Clinical Services Strategic Plan, released in 2008, was for the enhancement of Clinical Networks in a range of key specialty areas.
The focus of Clinical Networks is on clinical practice rather than facilities. It is the responsibility of the Clinical Networks to share expertise and help ensure that the best informed decisions are made about where and how clinical services should be delivered across the entire Area. The Networks are also responsible for the enhancement of efficient and equitable health services in clinical specialties that maximise patient outcomes.
Our Clinical Networks are building multi-disciplinary relationships with an emphasis on processes that traverse health facilities and cover the spectrum of care from health promotion to acute care services.
Clinical Networks also help engage clinicians from across the Area in developing clinical plans and monitoring implementation of service reviews and changes.
The Area has established the following Clinical Networks:
- Aged Care & Rehabilitation
- Cancer (including Palliative Care)
- Cardiovascular:
- Cardiac
- Renal - Child, Youth and Family (including Paediatrics)
- Critical Care Services:
- Emergency
- ICU
- Trauma - Medical Imaging
- Medicine
- Mental Health
- Stroke and Neurosciences:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery - Surgical Care Services
- Women’s Health Services (including Maternity)
Clinical Networks are supported to:
- Describe, review, improve and monitor their major care processes
- Advise on resource allocation through a clinical service plan
- Devise and implement clinical guidelines for their major care processes; and
- Advise on clinical policy.
Specific Clinical Network responsibilities include:
- Identifying, mapping, evaluating, overseeing and systematically improving the major care processes
- Promoting consistent clinical policy, procedures and guidelines for the major types of care
- Advising on role delineation for locally-based services
- Advising on workforce planning and clinical staffing, including specialist medical staff, to ensure staffing is matched to need; and
- Assessing clinical technologies.
Each Clinical Network is led by an Area Network Clinical Director and is operationally supported by a Services Development Manager.
The NSCCAHS Director of Clinical Operations has principal responsibility for the development and performance of Clinical Networks. Overall program oversight rests with the Clinical Council, a peak body reporting to the Chief Executive that comprises senior clinicians, community representatives, service partners and senior managers.
Health Services
Delivery of effective health care services to meet the needs of individual patients and clients is the responsibility of Health Services.
The Area is divided into four geographic Health Services, each led by a General Manager and supported by a management team that includes a Director of Medical Services. These are:
- Central Coast Health Service (which includes Gosford, Wyong, Long Jetty and Woy Woy Hospitals)
- Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service (which includes Hornsby Hospital)
- Northern Beaches Health Service (which includes Manly and Mona Vale Hospitals)
- North Shore Ryde Health Service (which includes Royal North Shore and Ryde Hospitals)
In addition, there are several services that are managed on an Area-wide basis, notably:
- Mental Health/Drug and Alcohol
- Pathology (now part of the Northern Pathology Cluster)
- Radiology
- BreastScreen
- Oral Health
Facilities and Services
The Area includes 10 Public Hospitals, 21 Community Health Centres and a range of other services:
Public Hospitals Royal North Shore Hospital Ryde Hospital Manly Hospital Mona Vale Hospital Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital Macquarie Hospital Gosford Hospital Wyong Hospital Woy Woy Hospital Long Jetty Health Care Centre
Affiliated organisations Hope HealthCare (Greenwich Hospital, Graythwaite Nursing Home, Neringah Hospital) Royal Rehabilitation Centre, Sydney |
Other services Northern SydneyHome Nursing Service Sydney Dialysis Centre, Darling Point BreastScreen (various sites) Sexual Assault Service Multicultural Health Service Drug and Alcohol Services Mental Health Services Women’s and Children’s Health Services Aboriginal Health Acute/Post Acute Care
Public nursing homes Graythwaite Nursing Home
|
Workforce
The Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service full-time equivalent staff employed as at June 2008 was 12,153 – 68% of whom were medical, nursing, allied health staff, oral health workers and other health professionals.
Activity
In the six months from January to June 2008 there were approximately:
- 85,728 separations;
- 418,219 bed days;
- 118,705 emergency visits;
- 32,415 same day separations;
- 24,690 operations performed; and
- 1,434,471 non-admitted patient occasions of service.
NSCCAHS has a long history in providing high quality health service, teaching and research for the population we serve as well as the wider health care community.
Some examples of innovation include:
- Interventional neuroradiology
- Research in cancer, renal medicine, diabetes, gastrointestinal and pain and a range of tumour and cell banks
- A regional heart attack centre based at Royal North Shore Hospital, utilising triage in the field
- Unique paediatric ambulatory care and early intervention services
- Internationally acknowledged treatment services for diabetes, osteoporosis and pituitary diseases.
- A senior partner in statewide spinal, severe burns network services
- Innovative models of midwife-led delivery services
- Statewide teaching and educational resource through the Sydney Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre
We welcome your interest in NSCCAHS. Further information is available from the Area’s website www.nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au or by contacting the officer nominated in the advertisement for the position you are considering.
