Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to complete the Have Your Say staff survey. We have had almost 8700 staff participate so far. The survey has been extended another week, so if you haven’t done it yet, there’s still time. The feedback we have received from previous surveys has been genuinely useful in identifying things that make Metro North a great place to work and also told us where we need to improve. We have expanded on some of the good things, like our staff wellbeing support options and middle management professional development, and taken action where possible on the not so good things. I’m under no illusion that everything is as good as it could be everywhere across our organisation and I greatly appreciate you sharing your thoughts. The survey has been extended to next Friday, 16 June.

Thanks to the following teams who have 100% survey completion so far:

• Car Park Group, Chief Finance & Corporate Officer
• CPIU, COH
• GP Pine Rivers, COH
• Rehabilitation Engineering, STARS
• Nursing Case Managers, STARS
• Senior Admin, TPCH
• EPIC Nursing & HP Management, TPCH
• Sleep Disorders Laboratory, TPCH
• MNPHU Management, Public Health Unit
• Allied Health Directors, Redcliffe
• Infection Monitoring Prevention, RBWH
• Social Work, STARS
• EPIC Medical Management, TPCH

Performance and Development Plans

One thing we can also do to make Metro North an even better place to work is developing our own people. Your annual performance and development plan is a great way to identify your development opportunities, including formal training, mentoring, and on the job development. If you have completed your PDP in the last year, please make sure it’s been recorded in TMS. You don’t have to upload the plan itself, just put in the completed date (managers – please check if you have any items for review or approval in TMS too). If you haven’t done a PDP in the last 12 months, talk to your supervisor about scheduling one soon. A mid-year review also assists in checking to ensure goals and agreed activities are on track.

Executive update

I also wanted to let you know that Michele Gardner, Executive Director, Clinical Governance, Safety, Quality and Risk (CGSQR) has advised me she will be leaving Metro North to pursue other career opportunities and her last day will be 2 July 2023.

Michele joined Metro North from Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service as the Executive Director, The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) in February 2019, before being appointed Executive Director, CGSQR in February 2021. During her tenure Michele has overseen and led several significant quality and safety reviews for Metro North, the Caboolture Hospital Surgical Services Review and contributed extensively to Metro North during the pandemic response at TPCH, across Metro North and Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service (NIHRACS).

I would like to acknowledge Michele’s leadership since October 2021 as the Metro North executive lead for the Norfolk Island, Intergovernmental Queensland State Government Agreement with the Commonwealth Government.

Michele leading the Metro North Norfolk Island Support Program team has resulted in the very successful transition on 1 January 2022 of the NIHRACS health care support partner to Metro North from NSW Health.

Michele has demonstrated her ability to implement Statewide priorities through this very rapid establishment of services and worked very collaboratively and established enduring relationships with the health staff at NIHRACS, the Norfolk Island Community, the Commonwealth, the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Health.

Michele has been committed to the health equity agenda, and has passionately championed Metro North’s transition to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Short Notice Accreditation Program.

I would like to sincerely thank Michele for her contribution and commitment to Metro North Health and for the support she has afforded me, executive colleagues, the Board and Metro North Health staff and I know you will join with me in wishing her every success in her future endeavours.

Innovation and ideas

There is so much happening across Metro North to improve upon the ways we work, how we collaborate, and how we create a welcoming and supportive environment.

Yesterday I attended the Metro North Telehealth Codesign Project Celebration and Showcase and today the launch of the Helix Hub, another mechanism to support you realising your great ideas. The Helix Hub launch included presentations from some of the contributors and leaders of the project, including Acting Executive Director Clinical Services Associate Professor Glen Kennedy and Project Manager Sharon Hodby (pictured).

Last Friday I also attended the launch of three Rainbow Rooms within Metro North. As always, the work, the continuous improvement and engaging culture inspires me to come to work every day.

Health Equity

This week the Queensland Audit Office released a report on Queensland’s progress towards closing the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There is still a lot of work to do to reduce the inequities in healthcare outcomes. The Metro North Health Equity Strategy and Implementation & Evaluation Plan are critical in ensuring we are doing our part to make that happen. I strongly encourage you to review the strategy and the plan to see what actions you can take personally and in your role to help achieve the key performance areas:

1. Actively eliminate racial discrimination and institutional racism within the service.
2. Increasing access to healthcare services.
3. Delivering sustainable, culturally safe and responsive healthcare services.
4. Influencing the social, cultural and economic determinants of health.
5. Working with First Nations peoples, communities and organisations to design, deliver, monitor and review health services.

Next Wednesday, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team is holding a Mabo Day celebration at Brighton Wellness Hub, Brighton Health Campus. The event will be from 10am-2pm and is open to staff and community members. The celebration recognises the work led by Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo that resulted in the historic High Court decision to recognise traditional land rights on Mer (Murray Island) on 3 June 1992.

Men’s Health Week

International Men’s Health Week 2023 is 12-18 June. This year’s theme is Healthy Habits, focussing not only on physical health but also emotional wellbeing and mental health. On average, Australian men have a lower life expectancy and have higher rates of chronic disease. Earlier this year Metro North launched the Healthy Body and Mind Hub which offers a range of resources such as healthy recipes, financial wellbeing information, and a library of videos to help you look after your body and mind.

World Blood Donor Day

June 14 is also World Blood Donor Day. Blood donors provide an invaluable and finite gift which saves lives and improves people’s health. Many Metro North patients – and probably staff – benefit from blood products. Thank you to all our blood donors!

Act of kindness

The world is a small place sometimes. Last December we featured a story on Facebook about Jess from RBWH orthopaedic prosthetics creating a Glasgow Rangers themed prosthetic leg for a patient, Phil. They are both big fans of the Scottish football team from Jess’s home town.

Another Queensland Health staff member who has a connection to the Rangers saw the post and shared it with the team. They were keen to give Phil a signed jersey. Last month Jess was in the UK visiting family and picked up some jerseys from their favourite team while she was there. It’s a really lovely reminder that while we often see the negative side of social media, it also brings people together in a positive and sometimes unexpected way.

Thank you Jess and our Qld Health colleague for helping Phil receive his unique gift.

Kind regards,

Jackie.