24 April 2020 – COVID-19 (coronavirus)

Dear Colleagues,

When the first COVID-19 patients appeared in Australia we had no idea how bad things would get. The modelling showed that by now our ICUs and wards would be filling up and health services across the country would be approaching crisis point. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened. I’m not going to hang up a Mission Accomplished flag just yet, but I do want to acknowledge the immense work you have all done to get us to this point.

Over the past three months, we have seen an enormous amount of innovation and teamwork, far exceeding the pace of anything we achieved previously. Our health service has leapt forward in how we now deliver care. Six months ago, the thought of establishing a 1600 bed virtual ward in only a few weeks, delivering a huge amount of outpatient appointments by telehealth, and holding most of our meetings virtually would have been candidates for the too-hard basket.

I’m excited by what we’ve achieved and what it means going forward as we cautiously transition back to activity (but not business) as usual. From next week we will resume much of our elective surgery and procedural work, along with outpatient appointments and routine breast screening. We will continue to take precautions with appropriate PPE and social distancing. If the situation with COVID-19 changes, we will respond accordingly as we design and define our new normal. I anticipate that in the coming months we’ll flex up and down several times. If we can find a positive in the pandemic, it’s that we have proven our ability to be agile and responsive in the face of uncertainty.

You may be noticing some differences in PPE being supplied, i.e. different colours, styles and materials. These are suitable alternative products which have been sourced to ensure our clinicians are protected and allow them to continue to provide first class medical care. We appreciate your support and understanding.

As part of moving back to usual activity, training and development and ‘business as usual’ meetings can resume from the week of 4 May, with distancing measures in place.

In my message on Monday I said we will cease COVID-19 specific working from home arrangements after next week. I recognise that in maintaining social distancing requirements we may need to explore creative solutions in how we facilitate this next step back to working from work. I understand there is some genuine need, especially for our vulnerable staff, and some working spaces that don’t allow distancing. Please talk to your line manager about how this can work for you and your team as part of the usual flexible working arrangements guidelines.

I mentioned in the vidcast on Monday that we will be reviewing MN32, our plan for Metro North to 2032. As with all plans, some of our goals have shifted and we have some new opportunities, so we’ll be adjusting the timeline and outcomes of the plan. I’ll be working with groups across the HHS to review and refresh MN32 in the coming months. I’ll keep you updated. What won’t be changing is our goal of being recognised as Australia’s biggest, best and nice health service!

ANZAC Day

Tomorrow is ANZAC Day. Usually we hold several events to commemorate the day. This year with distancing restrictions we are not able to acknowledge ANZAC Day in the same way. There will be a multifaith service broadcast from the TPCH chapel to the patient televisions and RBWH will play the Last Post over the loudspeaker system.

While we can’t attend a dawn service in person this year, we can still participate and pay our respects. RSL Queensland is encouraging people at home to light up the dawn this year by a holding simultaneous service in your driveway at 6am. Details are available here.

Communicating with you

Over the past four weeks we have been communicating through multiple channels to keep you up to date with information and answer your questions as best we can. The vidcast series has been incredibly popular and I’ve enjoyed the personal interaction each week. We are going to change the vidcast format now that things are starting to revert to activity as usual. Every Monday I’ll do a live session with a different Executive Director, staring with our ED Clinical Services Dr Liz Whiting. I’m committed to keep going as long as you’re interested in participating.

The new format will let you vote between Friday afternoon and Monday morning on the topics you’d like us to cover. You can also ask questions in advance via Slido that I’ll answer during the session – this will give me time to find the answers for things I don’t know. We’ll continue with the live Q&A as well.

The COVID-19 weekly wrap newsletter can be found online.

Thanks for all the messages people have sent me about Buckley. I think the biggest challenge for us is to see him not even wag his tail at mealtimes. However, he is certainly getting a lot of attention and is now allowed to sit on the couch.

I was asked a couple of weeks ago if I would be shaving if we had to wear masks. Today I participated in the fit testing of our new 3D printed P2 masks. In volunteering to be a test subject I have had to come to terms with seeing my chin and top lip for the first time in 30 years. When I go home tonight it will be the first time Ned has seen me without a goatee. You can watch my transformation here.

It is my birthday next week and Ned was saying last night that I was turning 53 (it is actually my 51st). I quickly responded that I hadn’t planned for her 50th birthday (Ned is 3 years younger than me). At this point she gracefully exited by asking did anyone want a coffee and fled to the kitchen. For all my prompting Sam is still set on regifting a present to me. I sent him some links for a drone, his response was how could he operate this from our lounge room!

Regards,

Shaun