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At the height of the Delta surge, NSW Health Pathology faced the incredible task of setting up six rapid testing clinics in Sydney and community testing in Far North West NSW in a matter of days.
It would usually take weeks or months to attract, recruit, onboard and train staff and set up clinics with enough capacity to test thousands of people a day.
But NSW Health Pathology’s Human Resources, Workforce Risk and Point of Care teams joined forces to achieve this, working seven-days-a-week and on weekends they’d usually spend with their families.
Their indefatigable commitment enabled us to test in hotspots and for some of our most vulnerable communities at a critical time in the Delta outbreak.
Within three days they had established rapid testing for 15,000 Year 12 students from areas of concern receiving priority vaccinations at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, helping alleviate HSC stress. Within five days, they opened a rapid testing clinic at Lakemba, and others at St Marys, Newcastle, Ashfield and Lalor Park in the two weeks after.
They arranged for two staff to fly at short notice to remote Wilcannia to provide rapid testing there and also provided rapid support to Moree at a critical time for these affected communities. Team members not only organised these clinics by rapidly recruiting the new staff to run them – they sourced and set up the equipment, inducted and trained the staff, and then managed the clinics.
They remained hands-on in the months following, a time of huge testing volumes and sustained pressure on us to deliver. They exceeded expectations in providing innovative, quality services and outcomes and personified our RITE values of Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Excellence.
In recognition of their efforts, these teams have been named as finalists for keeping people safe and healthy in the 2022 NSW Health Pathology Awards.