Join maternity nurse unit manager Tracie Norman, obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Ralph Nader and child family nurse unit manager Cheryl Feeney as they de-mystify the pregnancy journey, and discuss the services available in the Hawkesbury and how to access them.

The maternity unit at Hawkesbury is pretty unique. Generations of Hawkesbury residents return to have their babies at Hawkesbury District Health Service. In fact, some of the midwives both past and present have had the pleasure of attending and supporting mums whose births they were present for, decades before.

Join maternity nurse unit manager Tracie Norman, obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Ralph Nader and child family nurse unit manager Cheryl Feeney as they explore what makes having a baby at Hawkesbury so unique. They discuss the range of services available from midwifery and obstetrician led antenatal clinics to choosing your own obstetrician, private maternity services as well as postnatal care and beyond. 

Tracie Norman, Dr Ralph Nader and Cheryl Feeney share their most memorable experiences and also touch on strategies that families can adopt when things do not go to plan.

According to Chronic Pain Australia, chronic pain is one of the world's fastest growing medical conditions and is a significant issue affecting Australians, with over 3.2 million Australians of all ages living with this invisible illness.

Chronic pain imposes a significant burden of disease on the community with 1 in 5 people reporting that they experience chronic or persistent pain. 

Join GP Dr Rory Webb, physician Dr Michael Noel and physiotherapist Alex Shaw as they discuss the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to managing chronic pain, and the services available in the Hawkesbury.

Physician Dr Michael Noel is Clinical Director, Supportive and Palliative Care at Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District and talks about medical options for managing pain. Physiotherapist Alex Shaw facilitates the Hawkesbury District Health Services Pain Clinic and looks at the role that self-management can play in living with pain over the long-term.

As discussed in part one of our Hip Pain in the Hawkesbury, our hospital is home to some of the country’s leading orthopaedic surgeons.

In this second part of our Hip series, Tina Thew talks to Dr Michael Walsh, who discusses the presentation and diagnosis of lateral hip pain, particularly gluteal tendinopathy, which is often treated as another common condition called trochanteric bursitis.

Dr Walsh shares his unique approach to hip tendon surgery, a procedure for which he is internationally recognised. In fact people travel from all over the country and indeed the world to be looked after by Dr Walsh, here at our local hospital.

In these increasingly stressful days, sleep has never been so important. Local GP Dr Michael Crampton talks to Hawkesbury sleep specialist Dr Donald Lee about why sleep is so elusive and what can be done about it. The conversation is split into two parts. In the first 20mins the discussion is  community focussed, providing general advice about sleep, what a lack of sleep could be doing to your overall health, as well as tips for getting a good night sleep.

In the second half the program, the two delve into a more technical discussion for local GP’s. Dr Crampton and Dr Lee discuss the types of conversations GPs should be having with their patients, when it’s best to recommend a home study versus a lab study, the accreditation process for a sleep study, reading a patient report, the newest technologies, CPAP and finally the role of GPs in ongoing care. 

The Hawkesbury region has higher cancer rates than the New South Wales average, and these statistics appear to be on the rise. Recent projections show the Hawkesbury is set to have the highest incidence of bowel cancer and the fourth-highest incidence of melanoma in the State.

In this two-part feature on hips, Tina Thew talks to two doctors at the forefront of treating common hip conditions.

For a rural region such as ours, hip surgery is a strong offering, and we are home to some of the country's leading orthopaedic surgeons. Patients are known to travel from all over the country to access care here.

The range of procedures undertaken at Hawkesbury Hospital includes all of the important surgical approaches, and local residents are fortunate to have ready access to a hospital that provides advanced and specialised care.

In Part 1, Dr Michael Stening talks about the history of hip surgery innovations, the available treatments in the Hawkesbury and why he performs the 'anterior' approach to hip replacement surgery.

sjog.org.au/hawkesbury

Hawkesbury residents have markedly higher circulatory and chronic respiratory disease rates than those in the metro area. These diseases are known to underpin many breathing-related conditions.

Breathing issues are often dismissed as a normal part of ageing, but doctors say it's wise to raise the topic with your GP. While a wide range of breathing issues are easily treatable, on occasion, symptoms might indicate a more serious illness. With the added complications of COVID-19, where shortness of breath is one of the virus's hallmark symptoms, it's now more important than ever to seek medical advice as if you develop increasing shortness of breath.

To understand what causes breathlessness, what it means for your health, and what you should do if you're experiencing it, local GP Dr Michael Crampton talks to two Hawkesbury District Health Services leading specialists: respiratory physician Dr Wajid Ahmed and cardiologist Dr Grant Shalaby.

sjog.org.au/hawkesbury