Dr Liz Rushbrook, Chief Medical Officer
CrazySocks4Docs Day
Today is CrazySocks4Docs Day, when we wear our most fun socks to spark a conversation about the mental health of doctors and health professionals and spark positive change. Some of the ways we can make change is by normalising conversations about mental health in our day to day work conversations and team meetings, including the range of support services available on the CrazySocks4Docs site and through Drs4Drs, as well as our Metro North wellbeing support services.
I also encourage medical staff to look into either being a mentor or mentee through Metro North’s LevelUp program which aims to support all medical staff to achieve their career goals – including work/life balance.
Voluntary assisted dying
Queensland’s voluntary assisted dying legislation has now been in effect for around 18 months. In the past three months there has been a significant rise in the number of patients requesting access. We are looking for more medical staff to become Authorised VAD Practitioners.
Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) gives eligible people diagnosed with a life-limiting condition who are dying and suffering an additional end-of-life choice by allowing them to choose the timing and circumstances of their death. The Metro North VAD Team has been in place since January 2023 when VAD was legalised in Queensland. At present the Metro North VAD Team works alongside a rotating roster of medical practitioners in different fields to manage the care of VAD patients.
We would be very interested in talking to medical practitioners who would consider becoming Authorised VAD Practitioners. Practitioners must complete a 6-hour training package and remuneration for this VAD training and VAD work that is not able to be done as part of your usual rostered duties may be negotiated. Information on becoming an Authorised VAD Practitioner is available on the Queensland Health website. For more information or to discuss your circumstance, please reach out to Lisa Blyth (CNC) 0447 451 220 or Megan Fletcher (CNC) 0474 757 480 with any questions.
Below is feedback from one of our Authorised VAD Practitioners:
“Being part of the Metro North HHS VAD Team has been a very rewarding part of my work as a physician. Helping people at a very scary and traumatic time in their life has been a privilege, and seeing how much relief they get when they have the option of VAD is truly amazing. The Metro North VAD Team are an awesome group of practitioners, and it has been an honour working with all of them. VAD is an important service for our patients, and it will continue to provide care and comfort to those people at the end of their lives.”
Kind regards,
Liz.