Metro North Hospital and Health Service

Twin brothers Harrison and Arthur and their parents Sarah and Matt have been on quite the journey at #RBWH. Born on 4 January at just 26 weeks and five days old, the twins weighed just 454 grams and 702 grams respectively. Now, 100 days since they were born, they weigh more than four times their birth weight! 🤗

Mum Sarah said they are so proud of their boys and how far they have come over the past few months.

“They were so tiny when they were born that we couldn’t even give them a cuddle for the first few weeks. Having a premmie baby is such an intense time – you really feel every emotion.

“The biggest thing we’ve learnt is to take one day at a time. At the beginning, we were so worried about all the things that were to come instead of focusing on the positive things that had happened that day. It’s all about the little wins.

“The nurses, doctors and support staff at RBWH have been incredible. We'll be forever grateful for what they have done for our boys."

The family are looking forward to when the twins are strong enough to be transferred to a hospital closer to their home on the Sunshine Coast. Wishing you all the very best, Sarah, Matt, Harrison and Arthur ❤ ... See MoreSee Less

Metro North Hospital and Health Service

Test your knowledge! 🧐 Can you guess what the infection is by using the clues below? Here's an extra hint: _ _ _ _ _ _ is an immune response to an infection. Check back next week for the answer! ... See MoreSee Less

Metro North Hospital and Health Service

It takes a special kind of person to work in an emergency department, and Marie is one of them! ✨ She's been at Redcliffe Hospital for more than 14 years, and, as a support worker, helps patients and fellow staff in one of the busiest areas of the hospital.

"It's fast-paced in here, it can be stressful but it's incredibly motivating and rewarding too. It's a great job and team," she said.

"Each day is different but if you can make a patient smile when they're going through a hard time, well that's a good day for me!" 🤗🏥 ... See MoreSee Less

Metro North Hospital and Health Service

We want you to meet Tracy! 👋 Tracy is a Cultural Capability Officer at STARS who ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients are supported, heard and feel safe.

"Not a lot of people can say they love their jobs, but I can! Sometimes I have to pinch myself and think, is this all real?" she said.

"I work closely with staff and patients to identify ways that we, as a health service, can improve patient journeys with a focus on creating culturally safe journeys for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

"Just the other day I sat with a young woman through some of her appointments and she was very grateful that I could be there with her. Making people feel safe, that's what it's all about."

#ShoutoutSaturday 👏 ... See MoreSee Less

Metro North Hospital and Health Service

Keeping Queenslanders informed on the most up to date information has and continues to be key to our COVID-19 pandemic response. The safety of Queenslanders is our number one priority.

ℹ️ Following new advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the Australian Government Department of Health has updated its recommendations on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

ATAGI's recommendations come after having considered the latest advice out of Europe and the UK - which follow extremely rare instances of people, having taken the AstraZeneca vaccine, developing a very specific syndrome involving blood clots with low platelet counts.

The experience in Europe is that approximately one in every 250,000 people vaccinated with AstraZeneca is diagnosed with the rare blood clots. One person in Australia developed the syndrome after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Australian Government has accepted the following recommendations from ATAGI:

👉 At the current time, the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is preferred over AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in adults aged under 50 years who have not already received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. This is based both on the increased risk of complications from COVID-19 with increasing age (and thus increased benefit of vaccination) and the potentially lower, but not zero, risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome with increasing age.

👉 COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca can be used in adults aged under 50 years where the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks for that individual, and the person has made an informed decision based on an understanding of the risks and benefits.

👉 People who have had their first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca without any serious adverse effects can be given their second dose. This includes adults under 50 years of age. People who have had blood clots associated with low platelet levels after their first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca should not be given their second dose.

👉 The Australian Government Department of Health will further develop and refine resources for informed consent that clearly convey the benefits and risks of the AstraZeneca vaccine for both immunisation providers and consumers of all ages.

As we receive more information from the Commonwealth about these changes and understand how they'll impact Queensland's roll out we'll provide you with more information. If you have immediate questions about getting vaccinated talk to your GP or treating clinician.

🌐 For further information and to read ATAGI's full statement, visit www.health.gov.au/news/atagi-statement-on-astrazeneca-vaccine-in-response-to-new-vaccine-safety-c... ... See MoreSee Less