The West Coast District Health Board has recently been chosen to become a Safe Staffing Healthy Workplace (SSHW) national Demonstration Site.
All District Health Boards were invited to submit proposals to become a SSHW national Demonstration Site and three have been chosen; the other sites being Bay of Plenty District Health Board and Counties Manakau District Health Board
The purpose of the national Demonstration Sites is to provide working examples of District Health Boards using a whole systems approach to progress the recommendations outlined in the Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces Committee of Inquiry Report and to support excellence and safety in frontline service delivery in the interest of
Chief Executive and sponsor of the initiative, Joel George said that the West Coast District Health Board has been working steadily in partnership with the New Zealand Nurse Organisation (NZNO) to meet the recommendations of the SSHW Committee of Inquiry Report. Becoming a national Demonstration Site will provide the DHB with additional resources to support work begun as well as support for many other projects to improve patient services and safety already underway on the coast.
Jane Lawless, Director of the Safe Staffing Healthy Workplaces Unit, District Health Boards New Zealand said she was delighted the West Coast District Health Board had been chosen as one of the sites. "The West Coast District Health Board has already undertaken a great deal of work in this area and this makes them an ideal site to work with. We are looking forward to meeting and working with nurses, midwives and all DHB staff on the Coast".
The Safe Staffing Healthy Workplace Unit was established in 2005 as a partnership initiative between all 21 District Health Boards nationally and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. The Unit exists to support and assist District Health Boards and nurses and midwives to work together to improve the working lives of nurses and midwives and to improve safety for patients.
Director of Nursing and Midwifery for West Coast District Health Board, Jane O'Malley and Acting General Manager for Secondary Services, Wayne Champion will lead the work in partnership with a New Zealand Nurse Organisation delegate soon to be named.
For more information please contact
Bryan Jamieson
Community Liaison Officer
West Coast DHB
PO Box 387
Greymouth 7840
Phone (DDI): (03) 769-7665
Mobile: 027 245-9595
Email: