Tami Photinos, Executive Director, The Prince Charles Hospital
Welcome to another week. Today, we welcome back many staff to TPCH who have been working from home in accordance with the previous Tier of our COVID-19 response. It’s good to have you back on deck.
With the transition to Tier 3 last week, we are resuming semi-urgent and long wait category 2 planned care, with the preference for virtual appointments where possible.
Fit testing
With fit testing still a high priority, TPCH has recently redesigned its fit testing booking system with the following two options:
- Initial Assessment (30 mins)
- Priority Assessment (15 mins)
An audit of the booking system has been completed, with appointments available for staff to manage their own bookings. The new design landing page now looks like this:
End of life visits
To support loved ones to undertake end of life visits, it is essential that the necessary approvals are obtained prior to arrival for visitors who are unvaccinated, COVID-19 positive, and who have arrived from overseas in the last 14 days.
Please be aware that visitors who have arrived from overseas in the last 14 days require Chief Health Officer approval, which may result in longer approval times.
To make approvals as timely as possible, clinical areas caring for end-of-life patients are asked to consider establishing methods to help them identify if a patient may have a visitor who is unvaccinated, COVID-19 positive or who has arrived from overseas.
This will enable TPCH EOC to support clinical areas in facilitating timely approvals of their patient’s loved ones.
Ward 1E access
Please note that the zip walls outside the entrance to Ward 1E have now been removed which means that staff can access the corridor outside the ward as normal.
Fraud Awareness Month
February is Queensland Health Fraud Awareness Month. Over the next two Mondays the Department of Health is holding a series of online seminars that Metro North staff are invited to attend:
- Monday 21 February, 1–2pm – If you see something, say something… the importance of encouraging and supporting staff to speak up with Ms Louise Rosemann, Principal Advisor Public Interest Disclosures, Queensland Ombudsman
- Monday 28 February, 1–2pm – Keeping watch: Fraud risk monitoring and management with Patrick Millwood, Senior Manager Fraud Risk & Controls team PriceWaterhouseCoopers
A reminder that Code of Conduct is included in orientation for new staff and all staff are required to do annual refresher training through TMS.
Quote for today
“Integrity is telling myself the truth. Honesty is telling the truth to other people” – Spencer Johnson
Tami Photinos
Executive Director