As the state’s ongoing COVID-19 outbreak continues to put pressure on public hospitals, MQ Health is doing its part to support the health system in assisting with the timely and safe care of patients and vaccination of the population.

Macquarie University Hospital has been accepting urgent (non-COVID) public surgical patients under agreements with Local Health Districts, as public hospitals increasingly focus on COVID-19 patients. To date, these have largely been general and cardiac surgical patients.

Our hospital stands ready to take more patients in the coming weeks as state-wide hospitalisations increase, with the health system projected to reach its peak activity in mid-October.

The Hospital has also been holding a ward on standby to assist with non-COVID patients requiring ongoing nursing and medical care.

Both the Hospital and the University are also providing staffing assistance at NSW Health vaccination hubs and hospitals in the form of nurses and final year medical students.

Twenty MUH nursing staff have been seconded for the past two months to support the vaccination rollout. This is provided in addition to the activity of our own vaccination clinic at the MQ Health General Practice, servicing Medicare eligible staff, students, and the general public.

Twenty-one final-year MD students have begun six-week placements as part of NSW Health’s Assistants in Medicine program. The students are based in Northern Sydney Local Health District, gaining vital experience in a busy public hospital environment.

MQ Health is incredibly proud of its staff, students, doctors and volunteers for their resilience, hard work and rapid pivoting to support the whole of health system effort in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.