Dear colleagues,
Over the weekend, the Director-General announced that vaccinations will become mandatory for all Queensland Health employees working in locations where care is provided to patients and consumers.
Given the widespread distribution of our services across Metro North Health, this mandate will apply to all staff, both clinical and non-clinical, at all of our hospitals and facilities.
The mandate requires that all unvaccinated staff obtain their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 30 September and second dose by 31 October 2021.
The decision to mandate vaccinations for healthcare workers is supported by evidence around the world that health workers are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace.
Our HHS has worked very hard to stay safe from COVID-19 over the past 20 months, however we cannot expect to maintain our good fortune through hard work alone in the months and years ahead.
This is why we must take steps to protect ourselves and each other now.
Getting vaccinated
If you are not yet vaccinated, we will do what we can to support you to meet this requirement.
Staff will be prioritised at our vaccination clinics at:
- Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
- The Prince Charles Hospital
- Kippa-Ring
- Boondall (Brisbane Entertainment Centre)
- Doomben Racecourse, and
- Caboolture Square Shopping Centre.
The clinics will offer walk in times as well which will enable easy access before, after or during working hours.
Full vaccination means having two doses of the Pfizer vaccine spaced 3 weeks apart or two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine spaced up to 12 weeks apart. You can find out more about the vaccines on the Queensland Health and Australian Government websites.
Queensland Health has set up an intranet page on mandatory vaccinations to answer the main questions you may have.
You are also welcome to be vaccinated at a location of your choosing. Visit the Queensland Health Getting Vaccinated page to view the other options available.
Communication
We will be working through these changes with staff and unions. We will circulate more information to staff and hold several vidcasts where you can have your questions answered, or you can seek advice directly from your line manager.
I’ll be holding a vidcast at 3pm today with Executive Director HR Peter Patmore to answer questions. Join the vidcast.
Support
If you have any questions, concerns or difficulty obtaining your vaccination, please reach out to your line manager.
We will support staff with specific medical conditions to access the medically supervised adult vaccination clinic at RBWH. Please contact your local EOC for details on how to access this clinic.
We understand that in some very specific circumstances there may be a medical reason why a staff member cannot be vaccinated. Where this is the case we will work with the individuals to look at ways we can keep them and the workplace safe.
We also encourage you to contact external supports, such as your GP or our Employee Assistance Service Benestar which provides confidential counselling.
Thank you to everyone who has already made a commitment to be vaccinated for their own protection and that of the community we care for.
Useful links
Queensland Health mandatory vaccination QHEPS page
Queensland Health COVID-19 vaccination information
Regards,
Jackie Hanson
Acting Chief Executive
Metro North Hospital and Health Service