Adj Assoc Prof Jackie Hanson, Chief Executive, MN Health

Did you know RBWH produces the equivalent amount of waste as a small town?

I had no appreciation for the amount of waste our RBWH waste management team deals with until I visited the unit with our COO Jane Hancock on Monday. We were shown around by Cathy and Mark and it’s clear how passionate they are about their work and the innovative approaches taken in this vast space. There is so much material saved and recycled. Thank you and well done to the entire team.

There are a couple of take away messages I would like to share with you from my visit. There is so much opportunity across Metro North to make our handling of waste more efficient and green – it’s not just up to our waste teams. Please think about whether you’re throwing away things that can be reused or recycled. Incorrect battery disposal can cause real issues. Please dispose of lithium batteries promptly and safely. The other key message is to reduce the amount of consumables we purchase so we aren’t overordering and disposing of clinical consumables as soon as they expire. Please choose wisely.

As our business as usual starts to pick up, don’t forget to keep your mandatory training up to date. In addition to relevant clinical and safety training, all staff are required to complete Code of Conduct, Fraud Awareness and Public Interest Disclosure modules through TMS. You might be interested to know that from July to December 2022, our Metro North Integrity Unit assessed 107 allegations of potential corrupt conduct.

This week we received some lovely patient experience feedback from a staff member whose family member was treated at Caboolture Hospital:

“All staff from admission to discharge were fabulous. I cannot sing their praises highly enough.

I believe all went above and beyond to ensure (she) was well looked after, remained settled and catered to her needs as they arose…

We appreciate the genuineness and thoughtfulness that enabled what could have been a terrible experience, to be one that ensures she won’t be frightened to return another time. It’s great to see staff make decisions ‘outside the box’ and put patient centred care at the forefront.

I wish I could nominate your team for well-deserved accolades for upholding the Metro North values, especially when they were just doing their business and thought no one was watching how well they do it 😉.” 

Now that we are all more mobile, if you would like Jane and I to visit your workplace please feel free to contact my office and arrange a date.

Have a great weekend.

Kind regards,

Jackie