Please be advised that the Building Management System which delivers critical alarm alerts to mobile phones and pagers is currently offline due to an unexpected technical issue.
Last week we received some exciting news about our Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgical Services which have been prominently listed in the Newsweek’s World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2023.
Today is Allied Health Professions Day and I’d like to acknowledge the many allied health staff at TPCH who support the delivery of high quality care to our patients. These staff play an important role in the physical and mental recovery of patients with diverse clinical conditions, helping improving their health outcomes and overall quality of life.
This week, I was told by a patient I must be a fun boss, not a stern boss. This comment came about through a conversation I started up with this patient during my visit to the GEM (Geriatric Evaluation and Management) Ward in recognition of it being Older Persons Week at TPCH.
Over the last week, we’ve heard a lot in the public arena about the current challenges facing our health care system. As health workers, hearing about these challenges strikes a chord with many of us, as we are aware of the diverse and complex issues associated with working in a large busy hospital like TPCH.
Following on from the Metro North Chief Executive’s message on Friday, I would like to clarify those TPCH buildings where face mask requirements have been relaxed:
Yesterday was a national public holiday to mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. While most of us had the day off from work to acknowledge this significant event, many of our staff came to work to support the continuation of planned care for our patients.
Earlier this week, we transitioned to Tier 0 which indicates mild community transmission and a return to more business-as-usual activity. Great news!
This morning, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet received formal advice that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away. The Prince Charles Hospital has a special affiliation with Her Majesty and the Royal Family because of our hospital’s name, and we extend our condolences to the entire family.
Today is R U OK Day, a day to remind us about the importance of looking out for our colleagues to make sure they’re okay. This year, the Metro North message is ‘Am I OK?’.
Yesterday was the official start of spring. This is a timely reminder that we have passed through the worst of winter and are now looking ahead to getting back to business as usual - as well as some much awaited warmer weather!
With the move to Tier 2 last week, we are gradually getting back to business as usual with the recommencement of more planned care. We are hopeful this trend will continue in the coming weeks, so more of our patients can continue to receive the care they need.
This week, we welcomed the much-awaited step down to Tier 2 of Metro North’s COVID and Influenza Response Plan, which means the recommencement of more planned care within our facility. You can read more about Tier 2 in this week’s Metro North Incident Controller messages.
As advised on Friday, Metro North is planning to move to Tier 2 in its COVID and Influenza Response Plan this Wednesday 17 August. This is based on the continuation of the downward trend in active cases in Metro North’s care and staff away from work.
This afternoon it was announced that Metro North is planning to transition back to Tier 2 in its COVID and Influenza Response Plan from next Wednesday 17 August. This transition will depend on the continuation of the downward trend in active cases in Metro North's care and staff away from work.
This week we celebrate an important milestone with the 10th anniversary of our Children’s Service. While I have only been at TPCH for a small part of the service’s operation, I have witnessed the Children’s Services team perform well beyond expectation when it comes to supporting our patients and their families.
Saturday 6 August marks the 10th anniversary of Children’s Services at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH). To celebrate this milestone, TPCH was planning to host a range of events for staff, however due to the current pandemic response, we were regrettably unable to proceed with these activities.
As we reach the end of another busy week, I would like to thank everyone for their unwavering efforts and support. Your hard work and commitment are ensuring TPCH can continue to provide great care to our patients, despite the high demands we are experiencing on our services and workforce.
Thank you to all staff for everything you’ve been doing to keep yourselves as healthy and as safe as possible in the current environment. We have many staff away at present due to illness and being a close contact which is placing additional pressures on our already busy services.
Due to our current surge with increasing numbers of COVID-19 admissions and furloughed staff, additional measures will be implemented over the next 4 weeks as part of Metro North’s current Tier 3 COVID Response.
We are all feeling the demands of our busy winter period which is likely to continue for several weeks. Large admission numbers, COVID, flu and staff illness are all impacting our services, so I thank everyone for stepping up when needed to ensure we can continue to provide great care to our patients.
TPCH continues to experience increasing demands on our services. The Executive team would like to express a sincere thank you to everyone for your hard work and efforts in continuing to support the delivery of high quality patient care in this extremely challenging environment. We know it’s a big ask at the moment!
It’s good to be back at TPCH after spending a month in at Metro North as Acting Chief Operating Officer. It was an excellent opportunity to work with other facilities to learn about their priorities and challenges, particularly during such a busy period for our health service, but I did miss the team at TPCH!
A lot is happening at the moment, so I felt it was important to update everyone on the main challenges TPCH is facing at the moment.
A reminder that TPCH Governance Implementation Change Plan will be announced via Teams TODAY, Thursday 31 March 2022, from 11.45am – 12.15pm.
Please be advised that TPCH Governance Implementation Change Plan will be announced via Teams tomorrow, Thursday 31 March 2022, from 11.45am – 12.15pm.
We would like to extend a sincere thanks to each and every staff member at TPCH for their extraordinary efforts over the last few weeks. This week has been extremely challenging with consistently high demands on our services resulting from large numbers of admissions and ongoing staff absences due to illness.
Today is my last day as Acting Executive Director TPCH and I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and support, especially in the current environment. While my time here at TPCH has only been short lived, I have had ample opportunity to see the high level of teamwork and commitment clearly present throughout all areas of the hospital, which is so essential during the current winter period.
What another busy week it has been for TPCH! All areas of the hospital are experiencing a high level of demand as we head further into winter.
I have reached the end of my first week as Acting Executive Director TPCH and am very excited to join the Charlies team, even if only for a short while.
Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), a time for all of us to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme of the week is ‘Be Brave, Make Change,’ challenging us all to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation for the benefit of all Australians.
Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), a time for all of us to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme of the week is ‘Be Brave, Make Change,’ challenging us all to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation for the benefit of all Australians.
This week is National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to celebrate the valuable work of our volunteers who generously support TPCH in providing a high quality and compassionate experience for our patients and visitors.
Please be advised that with the upcoming Federal Election to be held this Saturday, 21 May, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has confirmed there will be no mobile polling services provided at hospitals.
This week, we celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is an opportunity for staff to learn about First Nations culture and participate in activities to recognise the oldest, continuous living people on earth.
TPCH Executive Leadership Team in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services and TPCH’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team are pleased to open nominations for TPCH’s inaugural NAIDOC and Reconciliation Excellence Awards for 2022.
It’s been an increasingly wet week and I hope everyone is staying safe and dry. We know these weather conditions can impact staff travel to work, so please keep this in mind when planning your journey.
Today is Administrative Professionals Day where we recognise the great work of our administrative staff in supporting the delivery of high quality patient care at TPCH.
This week, we have seen changes to our local pandemic response with the transition to Tier 3, as well as broader changes with the further easing of restrictions with regard to quarantine requirements. Please refer to yesterday’s message from the Metro North Incident Controller for details on this.
As advised in today’s Metro North COVID-19 Vidcast, Metro North will move to Tier 3 from 7am, Tuesday 26 April. This change will result in more planned care and some face-to-face training and meetings. Further specific details of what Tier 3 means for our service delivery will be provided in the Metro North Incident Controller’s message early next week.
On Tuesday afternoon, Metro North moved to Tier 4 in its COVID-19 response plan due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in its care, and the large number of staff currently out of the workplace as close contacts or COVID-19 positive.
With the transition back to Tier 3 this week due to the number of staff away from the workplace, I would like to thank everyone for being so flexible and resilient with the changing requirements of the current COVID-19 response.
This week, we celebrated the transition of Clinical Support Services back to TPCH with a free staff breakfast. We had a fantastic response from staff and it was great to acknowledge the valuable contribution of these services which support the delivery of great patient care at TPCH.
Most of you would be aware that Metro North remains in Tier 3 of its COVID-19 due to the number of staff away, either with COVID-19 or as close contacts.
As you may have seen from yesterday’s Metro North Incident Controller message, we have again moved to Tier 3 due to the increase in the number of staff who are away from the workplace due to having COVID-19 or being a close contact.
As we reach the end of another week, I hope that everyone is staying well and safe. In recent weeks, a lot has happened, not only with the severe flood event, but more broadly. We only need to turn the television on to see the many struggles and pressures being faced by people not only within our own community, but around the world.
As we reach the end of another week, I hope that everyone is staying well and safe. In recent weeks, a lot has happened, not only with the severe flood event, but more broadly. We only need to turn the television on to see the many struggles and pressures being faced by people not only within our own community, but around the world.
Happy International Women’s Day! Today, March 8 is the day when we celebrate the many achievements of women and girls across the world.
It has been an unforgettable week for everyone in south east Queensland. Many of us probably know someone whose home or business has been adversely impacted by the recent severe weather event, and it’s very disheartening to see the level of damage caused and the ongoing effects it will have on people’s lives and livelihoods. Our thoughts are certainly those staff and families of TPCH who have been affected by this event and we offer our support in whatever ways we can.
I would like to extend my thoughts and wishes to those TPCH staff and families who have been impacted by the recent severe weather event in South East Queensland. I appreciate this is a very difficult time for many staff so please know we are here to support you.