Dr Simon Bugden, Acting Executive Director, Caboolture, Kilcoy & Woodford Clinical Directorate

COVID is surging again, at the same time as winter flu season. This surge is estimated to last for weeks to a few months. So we need to change gear again … this time it’s back to COVID Tier 3.

Each time we go through a surge we learn, learn, learn. So this Tier 3 will be subtlely different to previous experiences:

• Staff need to wear N95 masks & eyewear in all clinical areas and in areas where you can’t socially distance from groups.
• Outpatients and Theatre will be making adjustments, in order to optimise bedspace and redeployment of staff who can look after acute medical admissions. More online, less f2f.
• Education and meetings will stop, unless they are essential. Ie. Focussed on
  • COVID or OVP or critical care skills or Fire/Gen Evac training
  • Redevelopment preparations (we need to be ready to move in less than 12 months)
  • Workforce preparations
  • Quality & safety
  • Finance
• Meetings which do occur, need to occur online or with masks/eyewear (we want to minimise sick leave, to look after our teams)
• Avoid being close to people without masks (please think about wearing a mask to the supermarket)
• Having trouble getting in to your GP, please consider a GP Respiratory Clinics. They have space and are prepared to see people face to face.

This surge gives us another opportunity to work out better ways to provide healthcare. We need to pull together and identify where the value is in what we do. Stopping things which don’t really make a difference in people’s lives and focussing on the things which make a difference in their lives.

Stay calm, slow COVID & innovate well,

Simon.