![\"Metro](\"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/mn-health-incident-controller2.jpg\" "\\"Metro")
<\/span><\/div>Dear Colleagues<\/p>\n
This morning we had more than 200 staff join us for the first of our daily vidcasts. \u00a0These vidcasts are designed to keep you as up-to-date as possible and they will be hosted by the Chief Executive (Shaun Drummond), the Chief Operating Officer (Jackie Hanson) and the Incident Commander (Elizabeth Rushbrook\/Alanna Geary).<\/p>\n
As much as possible, three people will be hosting the vidcasts to ensure you get the most current messages and can ask any questions that you may have. \u00a0Thank you to everyone who joined, and everyone who posted their questions.\u00a0 Between the three of us, we were able to answer 85 questions from staff, and it was clear there were a few common themes in what staff were asking.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s message, I\u2019ll try to provide some clarity around some of these and refer you to the overarching documents where you can find further detail.\u00a0 The documents as they are the Metro North single source of truth.\u00a0 They do change from time to time, and we\u2019ll alert you to these changes as they come about.<\/p>\n
PPE usage<\/strong><\/p>\n A new Metro North Clinical Practice Guideline<\/a> with about masks has been issued and is available on QHEPS. \u00a0This document is likely to be updated, and we will alert you to that as it happens.<\/p>\n Staff working in our Emergency Departments, Residential Aged Care Facilities and Disability Support Services, will now be wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) \u2013 this is full Droplet Precautions.\u00a0 There are no exceptions from this directive at this time.\u00a0 Please know however that if you are providing clinical care do not lose sight of the fact that standard precautions still apply to every other clinical scenario, so ensure that while you are looking after yourself from a COVID-19 perspective, we still need to ensure that we don\u2019t let down other good infection control practices, like handwashing!!!<\/p>\n For those that don\u2019t know I was an Infection Control nurse in a previous life and old habits die hard<\/em>\u2026.wash those hands!!!!<\/p>\n As Shaun Drummond, our CE said this morning, our general approach for other clinical areas is to have a permissive environment, allowing staff to wear surgical masks provided by Metro North when they feel appropriate and necessary.\u00a0 To be clear however, no staff should be wearing masks they have made themselves, or that have been brought in from home.\u00a0 The only masks that may be worn are those Metro North has provided. \u00a0We have plenty of PPE in stock, and you are encouraged to use it wisely, but also when you feel there is risk to yourself or others.<\/p>\n When not to come to work <\/strong><\/p>\n If you have a fever or any respiratory symptoms, you don\u2019t come to work and you should get tested.<\/p>\n You then stay home until you have a negative result, and are well again.<\/p>\n A question has arisen around what happens when someone in your household has been tested and is awaiting a result, and whether or not this means you should also isolate and not come to work.\u00a0\u00a0 If a family member that you reside with has been tested and is able to be adequately isolated at home, the household contacts can go about their normal business even whilst waiting for results.\u00a0 If the tested person is unable to be isolated at home away from the rest of the family \u2013 then all need to isolate together until test results are negative.<\/p>\n If you are in any doubt, contact your line manager before coming to work. \u00a0\u00a0If you have concerns about your leave entitlements and what leave you should be taking, please talk to your line manager as there are provisions in these unprecedented times.<\/p>\n Visitor registers <\/strong><\/p>\n As part of the changes enacted yesterday morning, we now will be keeping a record of everyone coming and going from our facilities.<\/p>\n The Hospital Visitor Direction<\/a> has significantly limited the number of people coming to our facilities, but there will still be some circumstances where visitors are permitted \u2013 maternity, paediatrics, and palliative patients.\u00a0 This afternoon we provided EOCs with material to support a new online system where visitors can register their details using their mobile phones.\u00a0 We hope this assists not only you in managing the flow of visitors but also to streamline the process of registration.\u00a0 The reason for registration is to ensure that we can track everyone who visits our facilities in the event that we have any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.<\/p>\n The same system will also be used to record patients attending our facilities for outpatient appointments. \u00a0There will be no changes to service delivery at this stage, so outpatient clinics will continue as planned.\u00a0 Please ensure that if you are working in an outpatient setting that, as much as possible, patients are physically distanced.\u00a0 If there is an inability to do this, please provide patients with a mask to wear while waiting for appointments.<\/p>\n Staff access and registers <\/strong><\/p>\n Yesterday morning many of our facilities, including RBWH and TPCH, acted quickly to change the way their facilities were accessed.\u00a0 We all recognise that for many staff it was an inconvenience, but it was a necessary change, and it was well executed.<\/p>\n In coming days facilities will try to refine this to make it work better for staff. \u00a0We are very mindful that it has meant that over the weekend people have had to walk significantly longer distances.\u00a0 We apologise for this, but please know it was done with good reason and was a strategy which met the Chief Health Officer\u2019s (CHO) direction and was designed to keep you and our patients safe.\u00a0 Over the coming days we will review this and ascertain the best way forward.<\/p>\n We will now also be keeping a register of staff access to our facilities and hospitals.\u00a0 In many places, this will be done using ID and swipe cards.\u00a0 In other places, this may require clinical staff to physically sign-in and answer screening questions each day. \u00a0We are also looking at developing an app that will work in a similar way to the one we\u2019re now using for visitor registrations.<\/p>\n Posters<\/strong><\/p>\n We are developing posters to assist in the messaging to visitors and patients with regard to the requirement to wear masks.\u00a0 We hope that this will assist you in explaining the situation to patients, and will help clear up any potential confusion.<\/p>\n Students<\/strong><\/p>\n Students of all professions are still able to come to Metro North facilities as part of their education requirements.\u00a0 We will not be placing students in the Emergency Departments or in community settings (home-based).\u00a0 Where students had been allocated to those clinical areas, we will work to move them to an alternative clinical area.\u00a0 Please work with your professional leads to ascertain alternative placement for these students, and please advise staff and students that we will ensure we provide them with an appropriate clinical setting to meet their educational requirements.\u00a0 Professional leads will also work with university partners and advise accordingly.<\/p>\n With regard to students who may be working in RACF\u2019s.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the aged care restrictions mean that students who work in aged care will have to choose between working in their aged care role or undertaking their student placement. \u00a0If students need to clarify, they should contact their university, and we will work with the universities to assist where we can.<\/p>\n Vidcasts <\/strong><\/p>\n We have another vidcast again tomorrow at 11 am. \u00a0You can access the session on Teams here<\/a>.<\/p>\n