Healthcare staff and volunteers across NSW were recognised for their significant achievements at the 2025 NSW Health Awards at the end of October, including several individuals, programs and teams connected to care for those with a life-limiting illness. Palliative Care NSW would like to congratulate the winners and finalists for their outstanding contributions to the NSW health system and their local communities.
Our heartfelt congratulations go to Nicole Winters, a proud Dharug Woman and a Senior Aboriginal Health Education Officer in the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Palliative Care team, who was the winner of the Staff Member of the Year Award. Nicole has helped shape the delivery of culturally safe, respectful and compassionate end-of-life care for Aboriginal patients and their families. Her work has addressed systemic barriers to palliative care, by fostering trust and ensuring Aboriginal voices are listened to and respected within end-of-life care plans.
Nicole also supports staff across WSLHD to improve their cultural understanding, and she has worked with multidisciplinary teams, government agencies, non-government agencies and networks across NSW to improve the inclusivity and accessibility of health services. Nicole’s work has increased understanding of palliative care and engagement within Aboriginal communities, leading to lasting change in the health system and the communities she connects with.
“I love my role in the fact that I’m able to be with people at their hardest time, and to be able to navigate the health system with them. To be able to support families during their journey is very honourable,” Nicole explained in a video capturing her work by NSW Health. “Palliative care, working with our mob can be a very, very hard day, but it’s always a worthwhile day because Sorry Business is something that is a major thing in our community. So we need to make sure we’re doing it the right way, and the right way in NSW Health is making sure we do it the way that the client wants it.”
Ryan Park, Minister for Health, highlighted Nicole’s significant work in ensuring “Aboriginal voices are heard and respected in care planning especially in shaping culturally safe, respectful, and compassionate end-of-life care”. He also congratulated the winners and all 41 finalists for “their remarkable achievements in providing the very best care to the people of NSW”.
Many other award winners and nominees were also recognised for delivering health programs and services that focus on delivering person-centred care for patients across NSW:
- Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare Award Finalist: Western Sydney Local Health District, ‘What it Means and How it Seems’ in Community Palliative Care
- Excellence in Multicultural Healthcare Award Winner: South Western Sydney Local Health District, The Natural Helper Program for Chronic Disease Management
- Health Research Award Winner: South Western Sydney Local Health District, Nurse-led Geriatric Oncology Model of Care
- Transforming Patient Experience Award Winner: Western Sydney Local Health District, iGEM: An Integrated Geriatric Emergency Medicine Model
- Keeping People Healthy Award Winner: South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Protecting Aged Care Residents from Vaccine Preventable Diseases
- Volunteer of the Year Award Winner: Diane McPhail, Northern Sydney Local Health District
- Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award Winner: South Western Sydney Local Health District, Aboriginal Chronic Care Program
- Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award Finalist: Sydney Local Health District, Stronger Together: Culturally Safe Cancer Screening for Aboriginal Women
View the full list of 2025 NSW Health Awards winners and finalists here.
Watch Nicole Winters’ winning video here.
Read more about the 2025 NSW Health Awards here.