Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) Updates

Integrated Operations Centre (IOC)

The ANMF have received a request for an extension to the deadline for a response to the letter sent on behalf of members new due date 3 April 2020.

Management have provided assurances that an opportunity for members to respond to the current IOC Change Proposal will not be altered by the lateness of this reply. The ANMF will endeavor to consult with members once the response has been received to collate Change Proposal feedback.

Acute Pain Service

The ANMF have received a request from management for an extension to the deadline for a response to feedback taking that date to 27 March 2020. We will share the outcomes of this letter to members via email.

General Medicine 2J

The ANMF received a response to Change Proposal feedback which was relayed to members via a newsflash. The ANMF will post hard copies in the 2J staff room as soon as we can.

Department of Psychiatry

The filling of roster gaps and recruitment of new staff has been an ongoing discussion between the ANMF and Mental Health Services management since 2018. The ANMF have been reassured that agency nurses are now being used, where possible, to fill vacancies in the Department of Psychiatry (DoP).

The ANMF regularly seek updates from management in relation to recruitment and will continue to advise with members with updates and raise issues as required. We are continuing to request evidence from members around their concerns with 7-hour shifts for casual nurses. Please note that we require this evidence to argue for shifts to be filled on an 8 hour basis.

Please contact our Member Support Team if you would like to discuss this, or any other issues further. Alternatively, you can submit a copy of your incident report to your Workplace Representative or via email to the ANMF Member Support Team membersupport@anmftas.org.au

Psychiatric Emergency Nurses

The ANMF met with members of the Psychiatric Emergency Nurses (PEN) team on Monday 24 February 2020 as a follow up to a Change Proposal meeting held on 5 February 2020 attended by Mental Health Service management, PENs and Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) staff.

The Change Proposal is in relation to major changes to the PENs role. The proposal involved removing the PENs from DEM for the purposes of staffing the new Mental Health Short Stay Unit. A letter was sent to management on Thursday 27 February 2020 and a response was due by Friday 6 March 2020. The ANMF are yet to receive a response from management and were advised on Thursday 26 March, that feedback is being collated. The ANMF were advised that management are aiming to have a response to the feedback out by Friday 2 April 2020.

A follow up meeting will be scheduled with members of PEN team once a response is received from management. Click here to read more details in the latest ANMF Newsflash. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact your ANMF Workplace Representative or ANMF Member Support Team if you have any queries.

Mental Health Hospital in The Home

The ANMF conducted a meeting with members at Mental Health Hospital in The Home (MH HiTH) on 27 March 2020. Members raised several concerns, including; overtime, single person visits, break entitlements, ADO’s, and role classifications. The ANMF recently met with Nurse Unit Manager Louise Megson, and were able to answers some of the matters raised within the meeting.

The ANMF will contact the unit’s Nurse Unit Manager to discuss the matter of single person visits, with emphasis on afternoon shift staffing numbers. For staff safety ANMF, on the advice of members, will be calling for an additional staff member on an afternoon shift.

Please contact our Member Support Team if you would like to discuss this, or any other issues further.

Correctional Primary Health Service

The ANMF met with members of Correctional Primary Health Service (CPHS), Risdon Prison, on 12 March 2020. Ongoing matters were discussed in relation to; Associate Nurse Unit Manager (ANUM) positions, medication management, work health and safety concerns, and the clinical nurse educator. A letter was sent to Adie Gibbons, the Clinical Executive Director for State-Wide Mental Health Services on 17 March 2020. The ANMF have been advised  that, due to the additional workload created by COVID-19, there will be a delay in response time. Presently management have given a commitment to respond by Friday 3 April 2020.

The ANMF will provide a summary of the response to members once received. You can read the latest newsflash to members working at CPHS here. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact your ANMF Workplace Representative or ANMF Member Support Team if you have any queries.

Repatriation Centre: Peacock 1

The ANMF attended an informal meeting with members on Peacock 1 at the Repatriation Centre on Friday 27 March 2020. This meeting was to gain insight into the integration of 6A staff and discuss upcoming developments with the planned implementation of the transitional care beds at Old Beach. We would like to thank members for their input. We will remain involved in these proceedings as they unfold and continue to communicate any changes to members.

Updates correct as at 1 April 2020.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary