Today’s 08:27 was led by Roland Sinker, chief executive

Flu vaccination – Giles Wright

  • Flu vaccination programme started last Wednesday; we have given 1,500 vaccinations so far
  • Waiting times are low, so thank you to everyone who has come forward so far
  • We encourage all colleagues to come forward as soon as possible; don’t delay. The drop-in clinic is 07:00-17:30 Monday to Saturday
  • For red or amber staff it is not necessarily the case that you can only have one type of vaccine. If 65+ there is a particular vaccine for that group; if you have an egg allergy we have an alternative vaccine for you
  • When you attend, the vaccinator will assess your individual circumstances and history and will make a clinical judgment and recommend the best vaccine type for you, whether egg or cell vaccine.

Covid-19 vaccination – Giles Wright,Sani Aliyu and Hsu Chong

  • We will be offering 3rd doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the Deakin Centre
  • First you must register your interest through form online. MyChart will then send you an invite to book an appointment
  • 2,000 staff have registered so far
  • Even if you have had 2 doses, over time the efficacy will wane so it’s very important to get a booster 3rd dose
  • 60% of patients in ICU have not had a single dose. Even one dose reduces transmission, so getting vaccinated is extremely important for you, your family and your patients
  • Vaccination in pregnancy:
    • Now have data points from over 200,000 women combined from USA and UK that shows the vaccine is safe for pregnant women; the vaccine will not harm the unborn baby
    • Catching Covid itself increases chances of thrombosis and catching Covid in pregnancy has more severe adverse outcomes
    • Some women are now afraid to get their 2nd vaccine or which type to have – data shows you should have the same vaccine each time
    • Some have concerns on how vaccination may affect fertility. Information suggests that vaccination may delay menstrual cycle but no longer-term harms when it comes to reproduction or fertility
    • If you choose to breast feed, the antibodies provided in the vaccine will offer your baby protection.

Launch of national staff survey –David Wherrett and Gillie Booth

  • We are committed to a regular rhythm of listening to staff, including through surveys
  • Our three local pulse surveys are complemented by the national survey once a year
  • The national staff survey opens on 04 October and it’s really important that as many staff as possible complete this
  • This year there are additional questions on health and wellbeing
  • We are interested in the results of professional groupings, divisions as well as the overall theme of what it’s like to work here now
  • We confirm that the survey is confidential and anonymous, and is provided by a third party
  • We will share the results over the subsequent eight weeks after the survey closes
  • Really positive things have come out of the staff survey which we can improve on
  • It really matters and it’s important we get the uptake. We urge you to find the time to complete this please. Thank you to everyone who undertakes this survey.

Carin Charlton – Covid-secure environment

  • Firstly I’d like to extend my thanks to the Covid-secure taskforce
  • We are now able to soften our approach in a deliberate way
  • Working environment:
    • We should continue wearing masks, social distancing and good hand hygiene
    • We are not expecting to see lots of staff coming back to site. Staff should continue with the rota basis
    • We recommend online meetings where possible. If face to face, we must practise social distancing and comply with maximum occupancy in rooms
    • Local teams must take responsibility for managing their area, taking consideration of all employees, whether on or offsite
  • Training:
    • All training and education can now proceed, but it must be risk assessed and comply with Covid-secure measures
    • Planning is important to ensure the training is well managed
    • All staff are encouraged to use lateral flow testing before training
  • Events:
    • We are providing a framework for people to make decisions
    • Individual teams must take responsibility for their own actions
    • Carefully consider the impact on our patients and staff if we can’t deliver our service
    • External events – proceed with caution
    • Onsite events – must be managed with a risk assessment in a Covid-secure way
  • The one-way system will remain in place for now
  • Guidance will be repeated in the bulletin
  • We are in a different environment in our hospitals; so we have a different set of requirements
  • Local managers and staff must take responsibility.