In the public health system, can I take personal carer’s leave to provide emotional support to a family member who is under full-time professional care in a hospital?

Personal carer’s leave is not usually approved for this purpose. This is because the NSW Health Leave Matters Policy Directive PD2024_046 in clause 4.2.1 specifically states that:

In normal circumstances, the employee must not take personal carer’s leave where another person has taken leave to care for the same person. The use of sick leave for personal/carer purposes would not usually be appropriate in cases where the person is under professional care, for example under professional care in hospital. However, the specific circumstances are to be taken into account to establish whether the employee’s presence is required to provide care and support. This may include supporting documents or advice from relevant clinicians, to determine eligibility to use personal carer’s leave in these situations.

If the person you are caring for is ultimately discharged from hospital and you become their full-time carer at home, then personal carer’s leave would apply from that time onwards.

If personal carer’s leave is declined and you still wish to take leave to provide emotional support, it may be possible to apply for some other type of leave such as annual leave or long service leave.

Personal carer’s leave comes out of your sick leave balance and the amount of sick leave you have available may also be a consideration when deciding what type of leave to apply for.