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Public Sector Updates – South

Royal Hobart Hospital

Emergency Department

The ANMF conducted a meeting with members at the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department on 23 September, to discuss ongoing workload concerns. Several key themes were evident including: staffing, workloads, and COVID-19 related logistics and protocols. Members resolved to escalate these concerns to a Step 1 Grievance. The ANMF will be writing a letter to this effect with the Tasmanian Health Service as soon as possible. We will notify members once a response to this has been received.

Main Theatres

The ANMF conducted a meeting with nursing members at Royal Hobart Hospital Main Theatres on 24 September. The main themes related to caseloads, geographical footprint and transit times, storage confusion/inefficiencies, and recurrent overtime. Significantly, the effect of Industrial Action taken by other disciplines within Theatres (TSO’s, Aides) and the flow-on effect to nursing workloads was thoroughly reviewed. The ANMF will relay the outcomes of this meeting to management as soon as possible and liaise with Workplace Representatives as to ensuing plans for action.

Ward 2D – Cardiology

The ANMF conducted a meeting with members on 24 September at the Royal Hobart Hospital Ward 2D – Cardiology to review and discuss the Tasmanian Health Service response letter to workload/staffing concerns raised on 13 August 2020. These discussions identified several ongoing points of concern, each considered to bear significant influence over Cardiology’s clinical and professional prospects. As such, members resolved to pursue these matters via a Step 1 Grievance procedure. The ANMF will raise these concerns with the Tasmanian Health Service management as soon as possible and will reconvene with members once a response has been received.

Diabetes Education Centre

The ANMF conducted a meeting with members in the Diabetes Education Centre on 25 September, to collate feedback from members regarding the current Change Proposal regarding workload allocation and rotations for staff. Having arranged an extension to the deadline for feedback from the Tasmanian Health Service, the ANMF invite members who wish to submit their views on the proposed change to get in touch with our Member Support Team here.

Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (NPICU)

The ANMF will be holding a meeting with members at the Royal Hobart Hospital Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care Unit on 6 October at 1400 hours. This meeting is in response to contact from members regarding the upcoming move of the service to K-Block, rostering, and other clinical concerns. All members are encouraged to attend this meeting, with further information available here.

Mental Health Updates

Adult Community Mental Health Service (ACMHS)

The ANMF met with members on Friday 4 September 2020 at St John’s Park. The meeting was to discuss a formal response from the Executive Director of Nursing Mental Health Services Adie Gibbons to ANMF correspondence regarding concerns raised by members of the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams and Case Managers.

Further response to the reform projects plans were put on hold until Operational Service Model’s (OSMs) were received. The OSM for the Continuing Care Stream has now been sent to members by Mental Health Services management and the ANMF have scheduled member meetings to discuss feedback and concerns raised, as well as to collate and provide feedback directly to management.

The ANMF have communicated with management in relation to a separate issue regarding headsets for the Mental Health Services Helpline Nurses and have contacted those individuals directly.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the ANMF Member Support Team here.

Psychiatric Emergency Nurses (PENs)

The ANMF have been advocating to keep Psychiatric Emergency Nurses (PENs) in the Emergency Department at the Royal Hobart Hospital since the Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU) was proposed in January 2020. The ANMF have been working closely with members to ensure their concerns have been accurately and strongly represented. In May 2020 the matter was referred to the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

The three major outcomes achieved from this first hearing in the Tasmanian Industrial Commission. were that (1) status quo would remain while consultation was still underway, (2) PEN’s would retain their Statements of Duties (SoD), and (3) there would be a trial of the MHSSU to ensure ongoing consultation would occur once the unit opened with the opportunity to provide feedback at regular intervals.

At this stage members, the ANMF, and Mental Health Services Management, in conjunction with Human Resources have worked through three different versions of the MHSSU Trial Parameters. To date there is still no definitive agreement on all trial parameters and as such the matter has now been returned to the TIC. The next conference will be on Monday 19 October 2020.

Mental Health Inpatient Unit (MHIU) – K2W and K3W

The ANMF have been working with members and Mental Health Services management to resolve concerns that have been raised around the removal of CCTV surveillance stream to the nurse’s station from the bedrooms of the High Dependency Unit.

Consultation regarding this change has been found to be inadequate as a formal change proposal for the change has not been provided by Mental Health Services management, despite requests.

As a result, the matter has been lodged the Tasmanian Industrial Commission. Work Representatives will be notified when the conference will be and are invited to attend. A meeting with members has been scheduled for October 2020. Please see the latest correspondence sent to members vie email here.

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

ASSISTANCE & SUPPORT

Member Support Team:

The ANMF Tasmanian Branch is 8000 plus members strong! Supporting nurses, midwives, and care workers as the only union in Tasmania employing nurses and care workers to represent members. This is why our Organisers and Member Support Team are uniquely positioned to understand your experiences, represent you in your workplace, and offer industrial advice that’s relevant to you.

Please contact our Member Support Team if you need workplace support, would like to discuss any matters or raise a concern. Alternatively, you can send an email outlining your concerns to our team - membersupport@anmftas.org.au. Email is the preferred and fastest way of contacting the team, however if your matter is urgent, please phone (03) 6223 6777 or 1800 001 241 if you are outside of Hobart.

Member Support Team

Nurse and Midwife Support
If you are seeking confidential support and advice, members have access to 24/7 phone support from Nurse and Midwife Support.

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2020-10-01T14:55:57+10:00

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