Mental Health Updates – Statewide

Mental Health Inpatient Unit

The ANMF have received a response to Step 1 Grievance letter from Statewide Mental Health Services (SMHS) which will be forwarded to members via email for their review. The ANMF will seek to arrange an urgent member meeting in the unit to review the feedback and seek resolution with members as to how best to proceed.

Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU)

This unit is opening at the Royal Hobart Hospital, although some concerns remain about staffing and the impact this unit will have on the role of the Psychiatric Emergency Nurse (PEN) in the Emergency Department. It is hoped that the unit will allow for mental health presentations to be deflected from the Emergency Department.

Northside

The ANMF attended the Mental Health Service Statewide Industrial Consultative meeting on Wednesday 10 February 2021. The ANMF was the only Union representing nurses at this meeting. We took the opportunity to advocate for our members across the state working in inpatient mental health. The ANMF have requested that Tasmanian Health Service management increase FTE in line with the proposed new staffing model. This model has identified a need for nursing FTE increases in each facility. The ANMF firmly pressed that the Tasmanian Health Service has a safety obligation to staff each inpatient unit to the identified increase in FTE. Tasmanian Health Service management continued to assert that the FTE increase will not occur until the model is signed off at the Statewide Safe Staffing Committee. We are now considering industrial options to get the Tasmanian Health Service to implement the full FTE increase. Further information regarding this will be sent to members via email as information comes to hand.

Crisis Assessment Triage Team (CATT)

The ANMF have secured a date for a Step 2 Specialist panel meeting with Mental Health Services (MHS) North management, regarding the workload concerns raised by Crisis Assessment Triage Team (CATT) members prior to Christmas. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 23 February at 1400 hours. This meeting was secured via ANMF’s advocacy at the MHS Statewide Industrial Consultative meeting held on Wednesday 10 February 2021. The ANMF was the only Union representing nurses at this meeting and will continue to advocate for nurses working in mental health to ensure safe staffing is established and maintained. Further updates to follow via email.

Updates correct as at 18 February 2021.
Authorised by Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary