Message from the Chief Executive

Statewide Food Services Workshop

This morning I had the pleasure of opening the Statewide Food Services Workshop at Herston. This annual event was an opportunity for delegates from both public and private sectors across the state, to come together, network, share expertise, and explore new ideas and products to benefit the delivery of food services within health care. High quality food services and nutrition play an important role in patient outcomes, so it was excellent to hear about some of the initiatives which are contributing to an improved experience for our patients.

Recognising our Operational Services staff

This month is dedicated to recognising the many operational services staff who support our health service each day. In celebration of the almost 2,000 operational services staff who contribute to delivery of safe, high-quality care to our patients, we will profile a different staff member each week during October. Having attended the Food Services Workshop this week, it is fitting that we profile Allocations and Training Support Officer, Emily Hinton.

Profile – Emily Hinton

Emily works in Food Services at TPCH and is responsible for rostering the staff who work within the department. She assists with staff training, payroll issues and compliance with policies and procedures to ensure a safe and high-quality service for patients.

Emily enjoys the challenging nature of her role, finding great satisfaction and stimulation in ensuring all the parts fit together and helping resolve issues that arise. She values attention to detail and contributing to the smooth functioning of a large team in a busy environment, to support a positive journey for all patients.

Workforce Reform workshops

Yesterday we held our first Workforce Reform Roadmap Roadshow at Caboolture Hospital. The session was hosted by Metro North’s People and Culture Team, accompanied by A/Executive Director Caboolture Hospital, Alanna Geary, A/Chief Allied Health Officer Michelle Stute, A/Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Cherie Franks and myself who presented Metro North’s draft Workforce Reform Roadmap.

We had a good turnout of staff who were highly engaged in the process and eager to hear about how Metro North plans to address increasing workforce demands over the next 10 years. Staff were pleased that Metro North is taking action to address workforce challenges and provided practical suggestions around how to tackle these challenges. Positive discussions were generated with staff from across a range of professional streams, and focused on the themes of career development, consumer/patient experience, relationships with tertiary and VET sectors, staff development and communications. It was excellent to see staff getting involved in the discussions, asking thoughtful questions and providing insight into what we can do differently.

A series of roadshows are scheduled across Metro North facilities throughout October and November. I encourage staff to attend a session at their local facility and get involved in the discussions.

View Roadshow schedule

Breast Cancer Awareness month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a good reminder for women to undergo regular screening to catch breast cancer early and start treatment. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst women in Australia with over 20,000 Australians diagnosed with the disease each year.

Workng in health care, we understand that taking care of our own health is just as important as taking care of the health of others. In considering this, I would like to offer all female staff across Metro North the opportunity to schedule a breast screening appointment during work hours. This would form part of a normal work day and would not need to be taken as flex or leave. Staff who are interested in scheduling a screening appointment during work time should speak to their line manager to negotiate a mutually convenient time where possible. Women over 40 can access free breast screens through BreastScreen Queensland services and women over 50 should have a screen every two years.

Frocktober

October is also Frocktober, Australia’s most fashionable month-long fundraiser to raise awareness and funds for vital ovarian cancer research through the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). One Australian dies every eight hours from ovarian cancer, and there is currently no early detection test for the disease, with most cases diagnosed in advanced stages.

One of our own staff members, Graham Winbank, Nurse Unit Manager, Day Procedure Unit, Caboolture Hospital has been has been frocking up every October for the last three years to raise funds for ovarian cancer research and an early detection test, following the loss of his wife to the insidious disease in 2020, at the age of 52.  We wish Graham all the best with his ongoing fundraising efforts. You can read more about Graham’s story and find out how to support Frocktober here.

Shatter the Stigma campaign launch

Next week Metro North is launching the Shatter the Stigma campaign as part of Mental Health Week (7-15 October 2023).

Shatter the Stigma raises awareness of the negative impact that stigma relating to mental illness and problematic alcohol and drug use has on individuals, their families, and their recovery. The campaign also recognises that, by feeling stigmatised or ashamed, people may be less inclined to seek support or access services when they’re experiencing challenges.

It is important we address this stigma as 1 in 5 Australian adults will experience a mental illness in any given year and 45% of all adults will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. Join us as we launch this important campaign and take the pledge to Shatter the Stigma.

For more information see the QHEPS page.

Cyber safety is patient safety

October is also Cyber Security month, an opportunity to think about how each of us can help safeguard our world class health care services, and protect ourselves and our patients. Health care is one of the most targeted industries by cyber criminals due to the volume and sensitivity of the data it holds. That’s why protecting our systems and networks from these threats plays a critical role in keeping our patients safe. The Cyber Security Team is hosting a series of webinars throughout October which staff are invited to join. For more information visit the Queensland Health Cyber Security website.

Have Your Say staff survey

I have received a few messages in a bottle where staff have asked the Metro North leadership teams to be more visible.

In response to this feedback, Metro North Senior Executive Team (SET) are moving around the health service for our meetings. Yesterday our team held a staff forum at Caboolture Hospital to provide an overview of our key priorities, and give staff the opportunity to ask questions, raise issues and provide feedback.

Our SET team discussed a range of topics including redevelopment across Metro North, the Workforce Reform Roadshow and how we are responding to recruiting challenges, understanding and improving fatigue in the medical workforce, and our financial position.
We fielded a range of questions from staff around Executive recruitment, infection control and future-proofing our approach to patient rehabilitation services across Metro North.

Keep an eye out for upcoming staff forums to be held at your facility so you can meet our SET team, raise issues, ask questions and receive updates. And feel free to invite us to your work unit; we are interested to hear about what you do.

Not often do we expect staff to ask us how we are travelling as an Executive team, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive the following question in the messages in a bottle:

What’s up? How are you doing? Everything OK on your end?

Thank you to whoever has asked the question. I work in the biggest and the best health service in Australia, I could not ask for more.

Shout out

I’d like to shout out to all the staff at Caboolture Hospital who this week kicked off their 30th birthday celebrations with an ice cream party. This is an important milestone for Caboolture Hospital and I thank all present and past staff for their ongoing care of our patients and community. Well done and keep up the great work!

Here are some photos from the ice cream party. Happy Birthday Caboolture Hospital!

Kind regards,

Jackie.