Western Health has experienced very high demand for our services over recent weeks and I wanted to acknowledge the efforts and teamwork of staff, working together to ensure that we continue to respond to our communities.
Fixed COVID vaccination sites closure
After 16 months of operation and almost 1.5 million doses administered, existing fixed sites of the West Metro COVID-19 Vaccination Program will close this month. The Melton West, Wyndham drive-through and Caroline Springs sites closed earlier this week and West Melbourne and Sunshine Hospital will close on 26 June. We’re working with the Department of Health to establish two smaller fixed sites as well as a mobile outreach team, and I hope to share more details with you shortly. Thank you to all staff involved over the course of the program and to the many community members who got vaccinated through these services.
Western Health will continue to operate COVID testing sites at Melbourne Showgrounds, Melton and Sunbury. Showgrounds and Melton sites operate seven days a week while Sunbury operates Monday to Friday. PCR testing is still available for staff at Sunshine Hospital with 8.45am-4.45pm hours of operation.
Free flu vaccinations throughout June
The Victorian Government is providing free flu vaccinations for everyone aged 6 months and over throughout June. The government is directing the community to get their vaccinations through GPs or pharmacists. Please encourage all friends, family and connections to get their flu jab this year as we are already seeing increased flu hospitalisations and severity of illness, with the situation likely to worsen over winter.
Sixty-two per cent of Western Health staff have received their annual flu shot. If you haven’t yet got yours, please make it a priority. Fixed and roaming immunisation clinics are occurring at all sites and the session times can be found on the Infection Prevention Calendar on the intranet webpage.
New procedure for requesting additional care resources
Following a review of Western Health’s patient observation (specialling) procedure, the ACCC and EMA Divisions have revised the clinical procedure for requesting and approving additional care resources. The revised procedure aims to guide clinical assessment and decision-making processes regarding additional care resources and provide a standardised approval process. The revised procedure prioritises patient and staff safety and operational support, and aims to improve access to the right support for the patient and team. Detailed notes on the revised procedure are available on Westerly.
Regards
John
Executive Director Operations (Acting)