Dear colleagues,

Thank you to everyone who has helped to slow the spread of COVID-19. Today, Queensland Health reported 13 new cases in the state, proving that our efforts to practice good social distancing, to stay home when possible, and maintaining excellent hand hygiene and infection control is all paying off.

This doesn’t mean we can relax policies and procedures put in place to prevent the spread. It is more important than ever to maintain our efforts. Here’s an update on what’s been happening:

• PPE – correct donning and doffing
• 3D printing success!
• New fever clinic
• COVID-19 signature block

PPE – guidance and refresher training

As I mentioned yesterday, the Metro North PPE Advisory Group has been established to ensure our PPE procedures and guidelines are clear and supported. Today the first version of our Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19 was approved for publishing – it includes a summary of the standard levels of PPE for all patients in Metro North.  This will go onto our website tomorrow.  The group will review this procedure weekly as a standing agenda item for medium term.

While we work to establish the most up to date PPE information, it is vital that you continue to refresh yourself with this PPE and methods for donning, doffing and working in this PPE. We are currently reviewing all of the available guidance and training materiel with a view to further optimise this for you.

In the meantime, you can watch a detailed video on how to fit and remove PPE in the correct order here. If you have any questions or concerns, I ask you to please speak to your line manager in the first instance, they will be able to provide the appropriate advice and support for use of PPE within your unit.

3D printing success!

You may remember a call we put a call through our Metro North Facebook last week for the community to help 3D print 3000 face shields in three weeks. In just one week we’ve already reached our target! This work was coordinated by our Herston Biofabrication Institute team in conjunction with some of their partners.

It’s important to celebrate a win like this, thank you everyone who helped! It’s not too late, if you’ve got a 3D printer and want to help you can find the specs here.

IUIH Fever Clinic

We have supported our colleagues at the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) who have now opened a fever clinic at Caboolture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Patients there will be referred directly from the Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Services (Moreton ATSICHS) clinics.

The clinic will be open from 8.30am to 4.00pm on week days. You can find more information about the clinic on the Brisbane North PHN website.

COVID-19 signature block

Just in case you haven’t yet got enough COVID-19 in your life, please check out a new signature block you can use! Our incredible Design team have been busy creating all of Metro North’s COVID-19 artwork and have designed tools, flowcharts and posters that are essential to our coordinated response. You can find instructions on how to add the signature block to Outlook here.

First name Surname
Position title
Business unit
Floor, Street number and name
Building/Facility
Suburb Qld post code
Ph: (07) phone number
emailaddress@health.qld.gov.au
metronorth.health.qld.gov.au

Our COVID-19 extranet continues to grow with an abundance of resources from working from home, PPE, wellbeing and the daily Vidcasts. Please keep looking on the webpage for updated and important information.

Thank you once again for doing your part in Metro North’s COVID-19 response, and your part to flatten the curve.

Regards,

Dr Liz Rushbrook

Metro North Health Incident Controller

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 1000 07 April 2020
**Metro North has two recorded deaths