31 March 2020

Dear Colleagues

As the week continues, so does our response evolve.  I can honestly say that it feels like we achieve an enormous amount each day. I have never seen such willingness and support to evolve, develop and respond!  Makes me proud to be part of your team.  Today’s topics:

• Staff reallocation survey
• Vulnerable staff
• Digital visitor
• Virtual staff engagement

STAFF REALLOCATION SURVEY

I am regularly asked by our staff, ‘how can we help?’, ‘what more can I do?’. I would like to draw your attention to a survey that was emailed to you all via a Staff Update earlier today.

This survey allows personnel who are not currently working in essential roles or have identified that they have capacity and want to step up to do more to contribute to our response to COVID-19 to identify themselves so that we can match them with opportunities to support our community and colleagues.

In the first 40 minutes of the survey going online, we received a swift response from many of you – which encourages me that I am surrounded by staff committed to excellent health care, even when the ‘chips are down’.

We will start using this information to match skilled and available staff to available roles from 6 April. If you can, please register your interest here.

VULNERABLE STAFF

We recognise that not all staff will be available for reallocation to frontline COVID-19 roles, and that some may no longer be able to continue in their current role.  We are continuing to refine our advice and support for staff who are vulnerable to COVID-19 and will shortly release additional guidance for identification to your supervisor and availability of roles or tasks that will be more suitable for you. Please watch out for this guidance.

DIGITAL VISITOR ARRANGEMENTS

Yesterday I spoke about changes to hospital visitor arrangements that are designed to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. We know that visits play an important role in a patient’s recovery, but the safety of our patients, staff and visitors is paramount.

I am delighted to inform you of the hard work being done by Digital Metro North to enable “digital visitor arrangements”.  We recognise that the support of family and friends is a very important part of recovery from any illness, and so wanted to be sure that we can enable visits in any way that we can in despite COVID-19.

There is now information available to share with patients and their families / friends how they can visit ‘virtually’!  This includes information how to connect with patients via Apple devices and Android devices is available from our online Patient Resources.

I encourage you all to familiarise yourself with this information so that you can freely share it with your patients, and their intended visitors.  The more we spread this news around, the better connected our patients will be with their loved ones.

Great work Digital Metro North.

VIRTUAL STAFF ENGAGEMENT

Last week, Shaun (our CE) mentioned that we will step up our communication each week, and include a pattern for you to engage with those in Executive and leadership roles both in Metro North and in our Directorates. Our first Vidcast kicked off yesterday with Shaun and Jackie (our COO), with a very large number of staff who attended, lots of great questions and a wide range of actions (one being the staff survey that I mentioned earlier).

Today, saw a Vidcast with our consumer engagement representatives, and one with TPCH’s Infection Control Nurse, Janice Geary.  Tomorrow’s agenda has Dr Alex Chaudhuri TPCH’s Director of Infectious Diseases holding a Vidcast.  These are all great opportunities for you to ‘log on’ and check out what’s happening, and maybe even ask a burning question.

I encourage you all to come forward with your questions, keep an open mind and engage with our experts.  You are key to our ongoing success!!!

Kind regards
Dr Liz Rushbrook
Metro North Health Incident Controller

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 1000 31 March 2020
**Metro North has one recorded death