Message from the Executive Director, Redcliffe Hospital

Staff Update

Louise Oriti, Executive Director, Redcliffe Hospital

You may not have noticed it, but there was a big change at Redcliffe Hospital over the weekend. The leadership, management, and governance of Patient Support Services, Medical Imaging, Security, and Food Services have all now shifted from Metro North to Redcliffe Hospital.

These are some of the hospital’s most essential services. Every day they care for patients, protect us, and keep patient flow moving. While they’ve always worked here at the hospital, before this change, they were managed at the Metro North level. Now, everything from day-to-day operational and clinical decisions to budgetary and long-term strategic plans will be made here at Redcliffe.

As a result of this change, the Medical Imaging department is now part of Redcliffe Hospital’s Allied Health team. Security and Patient Support Services will be managed by Facility Services, and Food Services will be shared between Allied Health and Facility Services.

It’s also a positive change for the 300 staff who are part of these services. They’re now 100% part of our #IamRedcliffe hospital community.

What won’t change though is the essential work these services and staff do each day, or our respect for them.

To celebrate the change and to show our appreciation, this morning we held a special welcome BBQ in the Staff Courtyard for these teams. Thank you to everyone who came along to share in the celebration. We say thankyou to show our appreciation #IamRedcliffe.

Louise Oriti
Executive Director
Redcliffe Hospital

Louise Oriti, Executive Director, Redcliffe Hospital

The first few days of this week were very busy with a high volume of patients presenting to the Emergency Department.

Throughout the week, I’ve seen exceptional teamwork at all levels across the organisation. I want to commend the clinical leaders and staff of all disciplines for how everyone collaborated to enhance models of care and flow to meet the needs of our patients. This level of cooperation and synergy meant that we only needed to be on a Code Yellow for part of Wednesday.

While many hospital areas have been under pressure this week, our Operating Theatre has also managed the emergency board cases exceptionally well. Their efforts have supported patient flow across the hospital. It proves yet again that we are stronger when we work together.

It’s also been a very big week within the organisation, with some big changes and important strategic work underway.

Changes in service governance

On Tuesday, we celebrated a landmark change in how Patient Support Services, Medical Imaging, Security, and Food Services are provided at Redcliffe Hospital. These services, and the 300 staff who provide them, have now transitioned from Metro North governance to Redcliffe Hospital management. Find out more about that change and why it’s good news.

Budget

As we get closer to the end of the financial year, Karyn Hicks and the hospital’s finance team are working closely with our service lines and clinical leaders around the hospital budget for 2022-23. We’ll be sharing more about that at a staff forum soon.

Staff flu vaccination

With winter just around the corner, we’re getting ready to roll out this year’s staff flu vaccination campaign. We expect this will get underway toward the end of this month.

While talking vaccinations, if you have had your COVID-19 vaccination booster recently, please remember to upload your evidence so we keep that record up to date.

Fever Clinic

Some important decisions have been taken around the future of our Fever Clinic.

First, the Fever Clinic will be continuing at the hospital until at least the end of June.

Second, governance of the Fever Clinic will now shift from the Emergency Department to Luke Tung in the hospital’s EOC. The Emergency Department has done an excellent job in managing the Fever Clinic since the earliest days of the pandemic. This change will help the Emergency Department to focus on its clinical workload.

Have Your Say Staff Survey update

We’re about to enter the next phase of our Have Your Say Staff Survey response. Everyone is invited to a Special Staff Forum on Thursday 28 April, where we’ll talk more about what we’ve learned and how we’re using the results to make Redcliffe a truly great place to work. The invitation to that staff forum should be in your Outlook calendar. Please join us if you can.

COVID response leave

The HR team would like to remind everyone who still has unused COVID response leave that it needs to be used by 9 September 2022. COVID-response leave was a one-off allocation of two additional leave days granted to health workers in 2020. If you do have an available balance to utilise, please talk to your line manager. The HR team can help if you have any questions.

Metro North Staff Expo

Next Monday, it’s Redcliffe’s turn for the Metro North Staff Expo. These Expos have been held at other Metro North facilities this week, helping staff access services like superannuation and salary packaging providers. The Expo will be in the Staff Courtyard from 11am on Monday.

Lastly this week, a quick update on our COVID-19 response. Redcliffe Hospital and Metro North remain at tier three of our response, primarily because of workforce impacts. At Redcliffe, we’re still seeing more than 100 staff unable to attend work each day because of COVID-19 reasons.

If you do test positive or become a close contact, please let the hospital’s staff case management team know as soon as possible, either by email or by using this QR Code. The case management team is there to support and help staff navigate the isolation rules in each specific circumstance. We do better work when we care for ourselves and each other #IamRedcliffe.

Louise Oriti
Executive Director
Redcliffe Hospital