Never before have health volunteers been so essential

As our nurses, doctors and paramedics continue to navigate through difficult times, their workload is about to become worse as we enter the deadly flu season.

But there is one shining beacon of hope - volunteers.

Last week Hunter New England Health noted that volunteers such as pastoral carers, were notably missed through the height of the pandemic.

Now they are back on deck and have helped buoy our exhausted health workers.

But there is still a need for more. The main prerequisites? A kind smile and a caring heart.

There are also calls for consumer representatives - people who have been through a hospital experience either as a patient or carer and can tell health administrators how their experience could be better handled or improved.

Recently members of the Nurses and Midwives' Association rallied for more staff, better working conditions and a much deserved pay increase.

But they are just one arm of a system screaming for help.

Australian Community Media published a special report in September which revealed a rural and regional hospital system which was under great duress - even before COVID hit.

Local health leaders told how they feared that post COVID lockdown, health services across the Hunter New England Health District would struggle to cope and already the cracks are appearing.

NSW Health considers its volunteers to be an essential and valuable asset to the delivery of public health services across NSW.

Their tireless and enormous effort directly supports and delivers better outcomes for patients, staff and visitors.

While our health volunteers can't provide care of a clinical nature, they can provide a different form of 'acute' care through comfort and compassion.

Laurie Bullock

Group Editor