Public sector updates: southern region - Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (Tasmanian Branch)

Southern Updates

From the public sector

Catch up on the latest news and updates from the ANMF. Here you will find information relating to the public sector from the south of the state.

Need Assistance?

Please contact our Member Support Team if you would like to discuss any of the outlined issues or raise a concern. Alternatively, and you can send an email outlining your concerns to our team - membersupport@anmftas.org.au. Please note that due to the current COVID-19 situation, our Member Support Team is practicing social isolation measures and working from home. Bearing this in mind, email is the preferred and fastest way of contacting them, however, if your matter is urgent, please phone (03) 6223 6777 or 1800 001 241 if you are outside of Hobart.

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Royal Hobart Hospital

Main Theatres
The ANMF has written to Tasmanian Health Service Management on behalf of members working in the Royal Hobart Hospital Main Theatres regarding the reported heights of new standing-benches in the 4K Theatres. A response to this letter is anticipated by close of business Friday 12 June 2020. Once this has been received, we will relay the response and more information via email.

Ward K9W – General Surgical Unit
The ANMF has received a response from Tasmanian Health Service Management regarding identified workload/staffing concerns in the new K9W Surgical Unit. We are working on an email to be sent to members with more information ASAP. The ANMF will contact the K9W Nurse Unit Manager to arrange a member meeting and gather feedback from those affected.

Bicycle Access
The ANMF has received a response to correspondence regarding the lack of available/suitable bike parking facilities at the main body of the Royal Hobart Hospital. A summary of the response can be read here. The ANMF is developing a survey for members and will advise when this is available. We appreciate the importance of giving a voice to those wanting to undertake more active forms of transport to/from work.

Whittle Ward
On 4 June 2020, the ANMF attended a Step 2 Grievance Meeting with Tasmanian Health Service Management. This meeting was to further member claims regarding workload and staffing concerns. As a result, the Tasmanian Health Service will endeavor to collate all data relevant to the main points of concern before re-convening in approximately one week. The outcome of this subsequent meeting will be relayed to members via email. At this point, we will also work with members on a plan for proceeding forward with your concern if necessary.

Repatriation Centre
On Monday 1 June 202, the ANMF emailed members working at the Repatriation Centre detailing staff entitlements to taxi-vouchers and how best to access them. You can read the full email with the latest updates here. For additional information members are encouraged to contact the ANMF Member Support Team.

Mental Health

Mental Health Hospital in the Home
The ANMF will meet with members of Mental Health Hospital in The Home (MHHiTH) on Thursday 11 June 2020, to discuss matters previously raised in relation to base salary, single nurse visits, late admissions, and study days. New concerns have also been raised in relation to rosters and this will be discussed on the day.

Psychiatric Emergency Nurses
The ANMF received a feedback response for the Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU) Change Proposal on 28 April 2020. Following this, ANMF officials spoke with Psychiatric Emergency Nurses (PENs) at the Royal Hobart Hospital, as well as members from the Emergency Department (ED). Following a unanimous direction from these members, the ANMF wrote to the Group Director Mental Health Services South, Chris Fox. A letter from Chris Fox was received on 13 May 2020 in response to the unresolved concerns. Again, members made the unanimous decision to raise the matter in the Tasmanian Industrial Commission (TIC). The first conference meeting took place on Wednesday 3 June 2020 and a second meeting is scheduled for Monday 22 June 2020.

Department of Psychiatry
The ANMF has been contacted by members of the Royal Hobart Hospital Department of Psychiatry (DoP), to discuss the new Mental Health Inpatient Unit (MHIU) in K-Block. Issues raised are in relation to the size of the space and safety concerns in relation to the layout. A meeting was held with members on Wednesday 10 June 2020. If you were unable to attend and/or have feedback to provide, please email your concerns to ANMF Workplace Representative Jennifer Stevenson or ANMF Member Support Team via membersupport@anmftas.org.au.

Inpatient Mental Health Services
A new change proposal titled, Proposed Revised Department of Psychiatry (DoP) Management and Patient Flow Structure was received by the ANMF on 1 May 2020. This change proposal affects all inpatient units including PENs, Clozapine Clinic, DoP (to be called MHIU), Mistral Place, ECT Services, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Mental Health Hospital in The Home (MHHiTH) and the new Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU).

The ANMF attended an information session on 7 May 2020, where we sought feedback from members of each affected area. This feedback was provided to management on 29 May 2020 and posed a number of questions in relation to how the model would be able to provide the level of support that is intended, particularly in relation to opening a new unit (the MHSSU as well as the new homeless person’s service). On behalf of members, the ANMF has asked for the below.

Justification for the reduction of high-level support, by way of removing the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) position in DoP
Additional CNE resources
Support for the NUM managing Clozapine Clinic, Mistral Place, Clinical Liaison and MHSSU. Especially in the first few months, when MHSSU is a new service
Reconsideration of the stage 2 removal of the NUM of MHHiTH, given three NUMs are currently managing these services without the MHSSU and Homeless Person’s Service being operational
If stage 2 goes ahead as planned, consideration for an additional Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC), so that MHHiTH can have their own for continuity as associate nurse unit managers work a rotational shift work pattern and do not have continuity across the week for oversight of the service

If you have any questions in relation to the change proposal or other related matters, please contact your ANMF Workplace Representative or ANMF Member Support Team via email membersupport@anmftas.org.au.

Adult Community Mental Health Services and Crisis Assessment and Triage Team
The ANMF met with members of the Adult Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS) and the Crisis Assessment and Triage Team (CATT ) on Thursday 4 June 2020, following a request from members to discuss the consultation process around changes that may be being planned by management. At this stage, there has been no formal change proposal received by members or the ANMF. As such, in the first instance, the ANMF will raise the issue informally with management while we continue to ascertain the facts.

During the meeting, 12-hour shifts were also discussed. The ANMF is seeking to clarify whether or not CATT nurses and allied health are doing, and claiming 12-hour shifts. Once we have a response, we will communicate it back to members via email. Additionally, a question in relation to police escorts was raised in the meeting. It appears that at this stage, the issue may be isolated to the eastern district only. A further meeting has been organized for Wednesday 17 June 2020, to discuss this matter with members of the CATT eastern district team. If you have any concerns or feedback in relation to the above, please contact your ANMF Workplace Representative or ANMF Member Support Team via email membersupport@anmftas.org.au.

Updates correct as of 10 June 2020.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary