As we approach the end of 2022, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the past year, and thank our dedicated staff and volunteers for another year of providing care to our community.

Over the last 12 months, the themes that stand out are the resilience of our staff and the willingness to work together to find innovative solutions.

After two years of being focused on our pandemic response, we saw a return to some level of business as usual. Although we continue to live under the cloud of the pandemic, we are hopeful that the effects will become more manageable as time goes on.

Our health service has undergone considerable change and growth in the last 12 months. The mental health disaggregation on 1 July saw us welcome 800 new members to the Northern Health family. We are now the third largest mental health provider in Victoria. Early next year, we will open a new mental health building, with 30 additional beds to provide for the increased demand within our community.

We also saw the expansion of the Virtual ED service to become the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), servicing the whole of Victoria. This service continues to gather momentum, and has significantly eased pressures on our physical Emergency Department.

These are just two examples of the great work being undertaken across our entire health service.

Each and every one of you, across every Northern Health site, both clinical and non-clinical, should be extremely proud of the contribution you have made. Together, we continue to work towards our ultimate goal of providing outstanding healthcare to our patients, and kindness to their loved ones and each other. I personally thank you for your efforts and your continued support.

Next year is shaping up to be an exciting year, as we embark on some new capital projects and continue to consolidate all the learnings and new skills we have gathered over these challenging times.

On behalf of the Board and Executive, I extend to you and your loved ones my very best wishes for the festive season.

For those of you taking a break, please enjoy your well-deserved rest. And to those who will be working during the festive period, we thank you for your commitment.

Siva Sivarajah

Chief Executive