Thank you to all of our teams who are mobilising the various changes required following Metro North’s transition to Tier 4 in its COVID-19 Response Plan yesterday. Details of the key elements of this Tier are outlined in yesterday’s Metro North Incident Controller message which I encourage staff to read.

For Tier 4, one of the biggest changes is enacting contracts to move non-COVID patients to private hospitals to create bed capacity in our facilities. TPCH is currently reviewing bed capacity and identifying patients who could be transferred. This is so we can create enough capacity to be ready for the anticipated peak at the end of January. We will let staff know when the transfer of patients commences.

To help create additional bed capacity, TPCH has been a set a daily target for Hospital in the Home (HITH) of 28 patients. Our hospital is one of the best performers within Metro North when it comes to HITH referrals, so let’s keep doing our best to ensure we can meet this target.

Returning COVID-19 impacted staff to work

To allow us to support impacted staff to return to the workplace in the required timeframes, we ask that staff and/or line managers email the name and contact number of the relevant staff member/s to: TPCHContactTracing@health.qld.gov.au.

Important note: Staff should wait to be contacted by TPCH’s Contact Tracing Team to receive formal advice on their return to work.

TPCH Vaccination Hub

TPCH Vaccination Hub in the Education Centre will close at 5pm on Friday 4 February 2022. This is to enable staff currently working in the Vaccination Hub to be redeployed to other critical areas to support the current COVID-19 response.

Staff or their household contacts who are due for a booster, i.e. 13 weeks (3 months) after their second COVID-19 vaccinate, are encouraged to visit the Vaccination Clinic and make a booking before the closing date.

The Pfizer vaccine will then be available from the Staff Vaccination Clinic operated by the Infection Management Service. There will be limited bookings available every Monday and Thursday, 8.30am – 4pm. hours. More information about the booking process will be provided in due course.

Fit testing

TPCH Fit Testers are continuing to work through high priority staff. This includes new starters, staff entering a nominated work environment; and staff who have been fit tested to a single mask that may become unavailable due to supply issues. An assessment is currently being conducted to determine priority staff across the organisation.

Please be reassured we are working with managers to ensure fit testing occurs in a timely manner.

New Staff Psychology Open Door session – tomorrow 2.30pm

TPCH Staff Psychology Service, in collaboration with Metro North’s Culture and Wellbeing team is launching a new group support program for staff. The Staff Psychology Open Door is a virtual session available to all TPCH staff every Thursday 2.30pm – 3.15pm with the first session commencing Thursday 20 January. The purpose is to provide a space for staff to talk through their feelings and experiences, as well as explore strategies to support with coping with the current COVID-19 situation. The session will be offered via Teams. Join Staff Psychology Open Door session.

For the Staff Psychology hotline please call 3647 9673 or email: MNStaffPsychology@health.qld.gov.au

COVID-19 Support Hotline

COVID-19 Leave

Updated leave options for Queensland Health staff impacted by COVID-19 are now available. Please refer to the following flow charts:

Employee options for leave due to COVID-19

Leave options for employees with COVID-19 infection

Reminder – Fever Clinics / COVID Testing service

Public Fever Clinic – 8.30am to 4pm, 7 days

Staff Only Testing Clinic – 7am to 2pm, 7 days.

Other Staff Testing Clinics 
Metro North is also offering a number of staff only testing clinics

• RBWH Education Centre, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.15pm
• Caboolture Hospital staff carpark, Monday to Sunday, 7.30am to 3.30pm

Other News

Research grant success

Congratulations to the following TPCH staff members who have been successful in acquiring part of almost $2.7 million in grants under the Queensland Advancing Clinical Research Fellowships which will support various research projects aimed at improving patient outcomes.

Name	Project Title
Oystein Tronstad	The ICU of the Future – evaluating implementation of a new ICU bedspace environment and outcomes for organisations, staff and patients
Dr Eamonn Eeles	The Development of an Electronic Bundle of Care for Smarter Management of Delirium in the Frontline Healthcare Setting
Usha Gurunathan	Hip Fracture Cohort Study Linking Obesity to Thromboembolism post-surgery (HipCLOTS)
Dr Isuru Ranasinghe	Urinary sodium guided titration of diuretic therapy for expedited care of acute heart failure: A multicentre randomized controlled trial

View the full list of recipients.

Some perspective

During these times, while we are all challenged by the current situation, it is important to remember that there are others whose lives are also impacted by tragic circumstances. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to members of the Tongan community who have suffered great loss and adversity following the recent tsunami. We have a number of TPCH staff who are connected to this community so please support them at this difficult time.

My quote for today

“The highest form of knowledge is empathy” – Bill Bullard

Tami Photinos
Executive Director