Partnering to deliver wellbeing initiatives for regional healthcare workers

• QBE delivers workers compensation claims services to a number of public hospital and health facilities, across 13 separate Local Health Districts, statewide services and specialty networks between Northern Sydney and the Queensland border.
• QBE’s Claims team travel to regional and rural health facilities to provide on-site support to customers, including complex claims management and facilitation of wellbeing initiatives.
• Since 2021, QBE’s ‘Coffee and Conversation’ initiative has offered frontline healthcare workers a chance to debrief, receive support, and learn more about internal support offerings, over a complimentary cup of coffee.

Australian communities have faced some significant challenges in recent years, from the devastating floods across NSW and Southeast Queensland to the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the heart of these events are our dedicated frontline healthcare workers, who have continued to provide essential care and support to their communities despite facing personal hardships of their own.

Since 1926, QBE has been a trusted provider of workers compensation claims services following the introduction of the compulsory employer insurance. Evolving our expertise through decades of experience, we have been a tenured incumbent in the Treasury Managed Fund Scheme since 2010, proudly delivering services to a wide range of regional and metropolitan NSW Health facilities and support services.

Recognising the vital role of our healthcare workers, QBE has expanded the support provided to our Local Health District customers to include the delivery of on-site wellbeing initiatives. Our programs are designed to give back to the individuals who care for our communities, ensuring they receive the support they need to continue their valuable work.

“Frontline health workers are always there for people in their time of need. Our wellbeing sessions are just one of the ways we aim to support them in return,” said Aaron Young, Manager of Agency Relations, QBE Australia Pacific.

Supporting wellbeing conversations for employees

In partnership with Mid North Coast and Northern NSW local health districts, QBE launched the ‘Coffee and Conversation’ initiative. The program facilitates wellbeing conversations for frontline workers in a comfortable environment, where they can debrief with colleagues and support staff over a complimentary cup of coffee.

The QBE Claims team travels to rural and regional health facilities to host these on-site wellbeing events for our customers.

“We’re proud to partner with QBE on this initiative. Providing a safe space for our frontline workers to engage in open discussions about their wellbeing is crucial,” said Carolyn Campbell, District Manager WHS and Injury Management at Northern NSW Local Health District.

“These sessions not only foster connection among staff but also demonstrate our commitment to supporting their mental health. Together, we can create a more resilient workforce, ensuring that our healthcare workers feel valued and heard.”

This initiative is part of QBE’s broader focus on psychological safety in the workplace, a vision shared by our healthcare partners.

“The events of the last few years have really highlighted the importance of employee wellbeing,” said Andrew Little, District Manager Health Safety and Wellbeing, Mid North Coast Local Health District.

“It’s been a challenging time for many of our frontline health workers, and this partnership with QBE is a small but important way of checking-in with our staff on their wellbeing and acknowledging their contributions to our local community.”

The program began in 2021 in a pilot across some of Mid North Coast Local Health District’s seven public hospitals and 12 community health services. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from staff, the program was expanded to include Northern NSW Local Health District, who deliver health services to a rural and regional population of over 300,000, extending from Tweed Heads in the north to Grafton in the south.

“QBE are a true partner who continually show up when it counts,” said Little. “We are so grateful for their ongoing support in running these programs for our staff – it’s so valuable to us.”

Supporting psychological safety in the workplace

A large proportion of us will not only suffer from a mental health condition at some point in our working lives, but many are experiencing one right now. According to Safe Work Australia, between 2021 to 2022 mental health conditions made up 9% of all serious workers’ compensation claims. Moreover, the return-to-work rate for these claims was 79.1%, compared to 91.6% for all injuries.¹

QBE takes an active role in the return-to-work process to help people get back to the workplace as soon as they are ready.

“Our frontline case managers are supported by injury management specialists, who help people through their recovery journey with empathy and expertise,” said Young.

“Depending on the circumstances, we can also leverage our panel of providers for additional support and dedicated early access to treatment for those in need".

QBE travels to rural and regional health facilities across NSW to deliver on-site support. Image credits: (L) Northern NSW Local Health District. (R) Mid North Coast Local Health District.

The QBE difference

QBE’s Claims team collaborate with customers on the ground to deliver specialised risk solutions.

Over the past few years, QBE has conducted more than 50 site visits with our public health service customers. These visits enable us to directly support the management of complex claims and develop strategies to help employees return to work sooner.

“Being present in the communities we insure is at the heart of what we do at QBE. By understanding both the internal dynamics of the business and the external environmental factors, we can tailor solutions to meet their unique needs,” said Young.

To explore how QBE’s risk mitigation and insurance solutions could work for you, visit our Workers Compensation insurance page.

¹ Safe Work Australia, Snapshot: Psychological health and safety in the workplace, February 2024. Accessed on 7 August 2024.