Dear colleagues,

I’d like to provide you an update on our fit testing program, discharge against medical advice, and management of clinical supplies shortages.

We are continuing to manage supplies of the Steriwrap and BD Allaris infusion pumps with a daily stocktake and regular meetings.

Unaffected BD infusion pump stock is starting to be delivered from the distribution centres and this week Metro North will be receiving our first delivery of some items. We will have a staged approach from next week for the swap out of stock until we have certainty about the availability of supply.

Metro North is actively pursuing the transition of two sites to the sterilisation container system to manage the Steriwrap shortage. The Statewide Taskforce meets weekly to focus on alternative suppliers. In the meantime, we should continue conservation measures including transition to alternative sterile barrier systems (i.e. pouch/peel, containers), reduction in loan tray usage and ongoing review and optimisation of surgical activity to minimise disruption to clinical services.

Again, I’d like to thank everyone for working exceptionally well together to manage these issues and demonstrating our values in action as a team across Metro North.

Fit testing

I’d like to acknowledge the Clinical Skills Development Service team who stood up quickly to support and deliver a sustainable fit testing program for their colleagues across Metro North. As at this week around 2200 staff have been fit tested.

Fit testing is now available within all clinical facilities across Metro North. See the schedule online for your local testing times and locations.

I ask that you please ensure staff are supported to rotate off the floor to undertake fit testing, and remember our values of teamwork and respect when interacting with testing staff who are doing a great job to keep us all safe in the workplace.

Discharge against medical advice

The MN Clinical Governance, Safety, Quality and Risk team are working  in partnership with the Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team and  clinical directorates across Metro North to address discharge against medical advice and failure to attend, particular for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

Clinical Directorates are implementing global efforts in providing culturally safe, connected care that support reducing the failure to attend for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers. This is a significant measure in closing the gap in healthcare outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with failure to attend rates twice as high as non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Similarly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are on average three times more likely to discharge against medical advice (DAMA). A Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander DAMA Working Party has been established to look at a range of strategies to address the issue. The group is also taking learnings from the Lighthouse Hospital project which was an initiative of the Heart Foundation, TPCH and other Australian Health Services  and The Australian Hospitals and Healthcare Association committed to closing the gap in cardiovascular disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Standard 1 – Clinical Governance

This month Metro North reviewed and reported against Standard 1 – the Clinical Governance Standard.

The Clinical Governance Standard ensures hospitals and health services implement a clinical governance framework that ensures patients and consumers receive safe and high-quality healthcare. The effectiveness of clinical governance is determined by the relationships, roles and responsibilities established by a health service organisation between the department of health, governing body, executive, clinicians, patients, consumers and other stakeholders. The commitment to effective high functioning governance ensures that the community and health service organisations can be confident that systems are in place to maintain and improve the reliability, safety, and quality of healthcare.

Under the Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs), we ask patients about how we are meeting their cultural and spiritual needs as part of Standard 1. Between December 2020 and February 2021, a program was piloted with RBWH inpatients. Of those who participated, 79 per cent agreed that their cultural or spiritual needs were met during their care, and 63 per cent said they felt there was good availability of culturally or spiritually appropriate resources.

If you have any feedback you’d like to share relating to the safety and quality of our supplies, resources or care, please email MN_ClinGovQandRisk@health.qld.gov.au.

Kind regards,

Michele