Allied health support in South Western Sydney
04 Jun 2025
Strengthening allied health support in South Western Sydney is part of our long-term plan to boost collaboration and teamwork across primary care.
We want to better understand the needs of allied health professionals, support your work, and help you feel more connected to general practice and the local health system. This work is part of a national effort to strengthen health services, address workforce shortages, and improve access to early care.
Our team includes people who know what it’s like to work in allied health. Brenden is a pharmacist with over seven years of experience. Nisha is an occupational therapist who has worked in aged care and with people with disability. Anielka is a registered nurse with a background in emergency care and chronic disease management. They’re here to listen, connect, and support you.
We’re already supporting allied health professionals through several key programs and initiatives, including:
- The HEAL grant program – funding free lifestyle programs run by exercise physiologists and physiotherapists
- Advance care planning – involving allied health in shaping local care pathways
- CPD events and updates – sharing learning and networking to support your professional growth
- MRFF COPD Research Grant – SWSPHN is collaborating with the University of Sydney to engage with exercise physiologists and physiotherapists to participate in a trial to evaluate the impact of two strategies aimed to improve people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) living in South Western Sydney
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be calling allied health professionals across the region. We’ll say hello, introduce who we are, and talk about how we can support your work. Most of all, we want to hear from you and your goals, your challenges, and how we can help.
This work supports the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report and our goal to build a more connected, collaborative, and team-based health system in South Western Sydney.
Meet our team
Anielka – Workforce Engagement Team Lead
Anielka is a registered nurse with experience in emergency care and chronic disease management. She leads the Primary Care Workforce Engagement team at SWSPHN. Anielka has played a key role in strengthening connections between general practice and allied health, particularly by coordinating case conferences for patients at risk of hospitalisation. She is passionate about showcasing the vital role allied health plays in chronic disease management. Her focus is on strengthening collaboration in primary care to improve patient outcomes, reduce preventable hospitalisations and support nurses to better connect GPs and allied health professionals.
Brendan – Workforce Engagement Coordinator
Brendan is a registered pharmacist with seven years’ experience in community and aged care settings across regional NSW and Sydney. He’s passionate about making team-based care easier for allied health professionals by breaking down system barriers and encouraging better collaboration between professions.
Brendan still works as a pharmacist part-time, giving him valuable frontline insight. At SWSPHN, he’s working to improve integration across primary care by helping allied health professionals connect with general practice, access funding opportunities, and shape practical, long-term solutions for the region.
Nisha – Workforce Engagement Coordinator
Nisha is a registered occupational therapist with five years of experience across paediatric, community, and school-based settings, as well as occupational rehabilitation. She continues to practise part-time via telehealth, supporting adolescents and adults.
Nisha is passionate about making allied health voices heard in primary care and helping professionals connect more easily with GPs. At SWSPHN, Nisha is working to strengthen collaboration, support workforce development, and drive practical solutions which improve care across South Western Sydney.