Vision

That specialist clinicians actively contribute to decision-making around the planning, design and delivery of quality health services through all levels of the health system in NSW in response to COVID-19.

Purpose

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council is a multidisciplinary group that represents clinical specialties linked to the pandemic response and provides independent and impartial strategic advice on system-wide issues that affect preparedness and response to community and patient care in the COVID-19 environment.

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council functions under the authority of the Secretary, NSW Health, and is chaired by the Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Planning, NSW Ministry of Health.

Clinical advice provided by the Council will be provided to the State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC) and Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and other operational arms of NSW Health designed to plan, prepare and execute measures related to the pandemic.

Guiding principles

• Connect clinicians from all major disciplines across the health system in NSW.
• Provide leadership to achieve health preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Provide constructive advice that is timely, inclusive, transparent and evidence-based and contributes to setting Health’s readiness to respond to COVID-19.

Role

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council provides a peak governance body for clinician engagement to provide expert advice and guidance to the system and to escalate matters that require a statewide or system response.

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council connects clinicians from across the health system to:

• provide clinician leadership
• provide evidence-based, trusted, independent advice
• champion invention and health research
• identify opportunities to improve the system wide response to COVID-19 and patient outcomes through coordination and integration between specialties.

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council will deliver its role by:

• developing strong links and working collaboratively with other jurisdictions and stakeholder groups to improve the evidence-based knowledge and advice on which pandemic preparedness is undertaken in NSW
• using national and global networks to source the most current clinical intelligence
• implementing effective communication and engagement mechanisms across NSW Health
• providing timely, relevant, evidenced-based advice.

Chair

Deb Willcox, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Planning, Ministry of Health.

Membership

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council is comprised of the Chair and the clinical leads from each COVID-19 Communities of Practice together with senior Public Health clinicians nominated by the Chief Health Officer, the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Chief Executive of the Clinical Excellence Commission and Clinical Lead for the dedicated Critical Intelligence Unit.

Appointment process

All clinical members of the NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council are to be experienced health professionals who are held in high regard by colleagues, have influence within their organisation and perform regular clinical duties.

Meetings

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council will meet as required via Skype or teleconference facilities.

Other guests, including additional representatives from the LHDs, Networks, Ministry of Health or Pillar Agencies will be invited to attend meetings at the discretion of the Chair. Attendance is limited to that particular meeting and any subsequent working group activity on that specific topic.

Reporting

The NSW COVID-19 Clinical Council will report to the Secretary, NSW Health.

Clinical advice will be provided to the State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC) and Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) to help shape and steer the NSW response to COVID-19 as outlined above.​