![\"Message](\"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/03\/exec-e-banners-COVID-LizRushbrook.jpg\" "\\"Message")
<\/span><\/div>Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n
There have been so many great and important messages today, so I will be brief.<\/p>\n
A special thank you to everyone who is helping to keep our hospital and health service operating humming along. All of you play a role in preparing and managing Metro North during this time, so thank you.<\/p>\n
As of 4pm today, Metro North had 109 confirmed cases. As the numbers in Queensland continue to rise, our \u2018share\u2019 will also rise. From today, I will include a daily tally at the end of my message for your information.<\/p>\n
As we work through our last week of planning, and into \u2018operations\u2019 proper I\u2019d like to highlight a few key things:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Preparing for closure of school and childcare centres<\/li>\n
- Working from home resources<\/li>\n
- Commencement of Metro North Virtual Wards<\/li>\n
- Changes to clinical services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Preparing for closure of schools and childcare centres<\/strong><\/p>\n
As you know there are ongoing discussions regarding the closure of schools and childcare centres. I understand that there is high-level consideration to retain education and care services for \u2018essential services\u2019 workers (including healthcare workers). We need to plan for all possibilities including full closures, including understanding how closures will impact our staff who are parents or guardians. To gain a better understanding of how these closures may impact you in your role, I am asking you to inform your manager of the potential impact ASAP and also by answering this online question<\/a>. This will allow us to plan for continuing services.<\/p>\n
Working from home resources<\/strong><\/p>\n
Putting people first includes our staff, not just our patients. We are currently maturing standardised guidelines and forms to allow for transparent decision making in relation to approving work from home arrangements. For those of you that have already been approved by your manager to work from home, we have established a COVID-19 HR Hotline Service. Staff can reach in via metronorthhr@health.qld.gov.au<\/a> or by calling 3647 2819 from 8am \u2013 5pm, Monday \u2013 Friday. There are a number of resources available on the COVID-19 webpage<\/a>\u00a0 to guide decision making and support services.\u00a0 These will be matured during this week so that we can move to the new arrangements as soon as possible.\u00a0 Please be mindful that not all positions are suitable for work from home, and Line Manager approvals will always be subject to operational requirements.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>Commencement of Metro North Virtual Wards<\/strong><\/p>\n
Up until now, our Virtual Ward service has been expertly managed by our inpatient teams at RBWH and TPCH.\u00a0 These teams have done an outstanding job setting up these new services. It is now time for us to transition these services to a more enduring model and allow our inpatient teams to prepare for more acute, on-site inpatient work.<\/p>\n
As such, today we opened our \u2018first\u2019 independent Virtual Ward Service! A big thank you to the leadership team who made this possible. The virtual wards will clinically operate from 8am \u2013 9pm daily, supported by an on-call service. The wards will manage those patients that are COVID-19 positive and considered suitable for virtual management in their own home. These patients will be supported by expert clinicians, with access to \u201cconsult liaison services\u201d and relevant referral pathways into supporting community and hospital services.\u00a0 I look forward to sharing more information about these services in the short term.<\/p>\n
Changes to clinical services<\/strong><\/p>\n
I\u2019m incredibly impressed at how efficiently many of you have transition from businesses as usual to COVID-19 preparedness over the last few weeks. The work being done to ensure the security and conservation of PPE, the creation of clinical spaces and models of care for COVID-19 as well as the maintenance of essential BAU services is amazing. THANK YOU!!!<\/p>\n
I ask for your co-operation and patience as we work to realign our services to meet the needs of Queenslanders at this most extra-ordinary time.<\/p>\n
As always, I cannot stress enough the importance of good and regular hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and social distancing (please see the pawfect example below \u2013 as modelled by my two canines).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/03\/dogs.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKind regards,<\/p>\n
Dr Liz Rushbrook
\n<\/strong>Metro North Health Incident Controller<\/p>\nMetro North HHS \u2013 Overview of Cases*<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\n
\n Confirmed COVID-19 Cases<\/strong><\/td>\n Fever Clinics<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Number of clinics<\/strong><\/td>\n Presentations<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Virtual Ward<\/strong><\/td>\n Inpatient Ward<\/strong><\/td>\n Inpatient ICU<\/strong><\/td>\n Recovered<\/strong><\/td>\n Yesterday<\/strong><\/td>\n Total<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 77<\/td>\n 22<\/td>\n 0<\/td>\n 6<\/td>\n 6<\/td>\n 412<\/td>\n 5612<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n *With effect 0800 24 March 2020<\/p>\n<\/div>
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