Emergency medicine specialist Dr Matt Davenport thanks community for 'protecting everybody' during tough year

Emergency medicine specialist Dr Matt Davenport is one of many frontline healthcare staff working at Port Macquarie Base Hospital during the busy Christmas and New Year period.

Dr Davenport said the community should stay COVID-safe, look out for each other and eat and drink in moderation during the festive period.

"We are incredibly grateful as a group of emergency frontline workers that the community has taken its responsibility in protecting everybody else so seriously this year," he said.

"Thanks to everyone's efforts in complying with those hard measures we are not dealing with the numbers of sick and dying people or having to make the difficult decisions that other countries are."

Dr Davenport said he is expecting an increase in emergency department presentations in his second Christmas in Port Macquarie, due to the summer holidays and an influx of visitors to the area.

"Over the Christmas period it won't just be us working, it's a massive team effort," Dr Davenport said.

"When we talk about emergency frontline workers, we mean a whole group of people that work together to ensure the hospital runs smoothly.

"That includes those cleaning the wards, moving patients around, working in the kitchen and in administration, the specialists, the surgeons, nurses and general practitioners."

Working in a hospital emergency department over Christmas can be challenging as you deal with people at their most vulnerable, said Dr Davenport.

"The really nice thing is that you get lots of visitors who say what a beautiful place it is," he said.

"On the flip side, it's obviously a difficult time for some people who are a bit more isolated, for people who are alone, for people who are struggling with their mental health. So it's about offering those people support."

The former Manchester and London emergency doctor originally moved to Australia with his wife, Carrie and their two children in November 2019.

Dr Davenport then worked in central Australia with the Royal Flying Doctor Service before settling down in Port Macquarie.

"It was the best introduction to Australia. I loved being outback and I really fell in love with the place, the real bits of Australia," he said.

"Christmases in Australia are totally, totally different. Rather than expecting snow, you spend the day barbecuing and going to the beach, it's seems quite surreal."

"We feel incredibly lucky, we could have been in the UK right now. They are having a much different time and we've been really lucky to be in a beautiful place where we've all looked after each other."

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