I would like to provide some further advice about the COVID-19 outbreak at the Albert Road Clinic. Any person who attended this clinic on or after Tuesday, March 24 is considered at risk of developing COVID-19. This includes clinical and non-clinical staff members, patients and visitors.
Importantly, Western Health staff who have attended Albert Road Clinic on or after that date should not work in any clinical setting for 14 days after their last attendance to the Albert Road Clinic. Further details can be found in today’s bulletin.
Some staff might not feel comfortable discussing their attendance at the Albert Road Clinic but I want to stress the importance of having yourself tested and following the DHHS guidelines. I would like to reassure everyone of the confidentiality and professionalism of our staff working in the Respiratory Assessment Clinic at Sunshine, and also advise that testing at other health services can be facilitated.
Today Western Health is also encouraging staff to download the COVIDSafe App, which was launched by the Federal Government yesterday. Please also ask your colleagues, family and friends to consider doing so too.
Thank you for reading.
Regards
Natasha
COVID-19 Daily Summary
• Respiratory Assessment Clinic presentations yesterday: 35
• Numbers of individuals tested for COVID-19 at Western Health to date: 5231
• Numbers of individuals tested positive to date: 75
• Numbers of current inpatients with COVID-19: 2
Risks presented by the unidentified COVID-19 patient
Late last week, a patient presented to a Western Health emergency department and required emergency surgery. The patient had no known risk factors for or any symptoms of COVID-19. Following surgery the patient was transferred to a ward for recovery. Over the weekend, the patient developed a mild cough and was tested for COVID-19 in a really timely manner. The results identified the patient was COVID positive.
The safety of our staff is paramount and Western Health took immediate action in response to this positive result. This included contact tracing of staff and notifying DHHS, who have then in turn commenced an extensive contact tracing process within the community.
Staff who were identified as having contact with this patient have been requested not to attend work whilst we progress more detailed analysis of close contacts with the patient. Staff safety is a key priority and we will also be requesting some overly cautious precautionary measures within the clinical environments where this patient spent time pre identification of COVID.
Many patients have contact with multiple departments and staff during their inpatient stay. As we have seen from this case, it is important that all staff remain vigilant and adhere to all PPE and standard precautions at all times. A patient might present for an unrelated condition or injury and be assessed as low risk and still later test as positive for COVID-19.
Albert Road Clinic
On Friday, the DHHS reported a COVID-19 outbreak at the Albert Road Clinic, a Ramsay Health facility on Albert Rd, Melbourne.
Any person who attended this clinic on or after Tuesday, March 24 is considered at risk of developing COVID-19, including all clinical and non-clinical staff members, patients and visitors.
The DHHS has advised:
- Patients who attended the Albert Road Clinic on or after Tuesday 24 March should be treated as close contacts, and placed into quarantine for 14 days after their most recent contact with the clinic.
Any patients of our health service who were patients of the Albert Road Clinic on or after 24 March should be moved to a private room, nursed in droplet and contact precautions and screened for symptoms daily.
Any patient who has attended Albert Road Clinic in the last 14 days should also be tested for COVID-19, regardless of the presence of symptoms consistent with COVID-19. - Staff who have attended Albert Road Clinic on or after Tuesday 24 March should not work in any other clinical setting for 14 days after their most recent contact with the clinic.
This is a precautionary approach until a full investigation can be completed. Individual staff are being contacted by the department to further refine their level of risk and determine requirements for quarantine.
In some cases, the department will identify that there was clear close contact and will direct quarantine of that staff member for the required period.
Staff who have worked at Albert Road Clinic in the last 14 days should also be tested for COVID-19, regardless of the presence of symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Ramsay Health is contacting all staff who have attended Albert Road Clinic in the last 14 days to offer testing. - Visitors who attended the Albert Road Clinic on or after Tuesday 24 March should be tested for COVID-19 if they have symptoms compatible with COVID-19 now, but are not required to be quarantined if they are well.
They should carefully look out for symptoms, and isolate and be tested if they develop illness consistent with COVID-19.
The Western Health Respiratory Assessment Clinic is screening in accordance with the above guidelines.
Click here for more details.
Elective surgery
Following the decision by the National Cabinet last week to relax some of the restrictions that have been placed on elective surgery, we’re pleased that Western Health will be providing additional services from this week.
Elective surgery is an important component of providing best care for our community. The COVID-19 leadership team is exploring how we will further expand elective surgery in a carefully considered and controlled manner.
Face shields
Re-usable face shields are available to staff working at Western Health. Face shields protect us from droplet spread by protecting our mucous membranes and their use will reduce our risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus. They are not compulsory, but if you do not have a face shield and would like one , click here for details.
Telehealth website
A reminder that all details about Western Health’s Telehealth services can now be found at telehealth.wh.org.au
The rapid expansion of our Telehealth services is a wonderful example of how Western Health staff have improvised since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment.
CBORD Patient App
The CBORD Patient App is now available across all Western Health sites, allowing patients to self-order meals on their own phone or tablet or via the Western Health loan devices. This app will help to support patients in isolation, reduces the movement of Menu Monitor staff around the hospital and would assist with managing potential staff shortages in Food Services.
The CBORD Patient App can be downloaded from the Apple or Google Play Store and is completely free for patients to download and use. Family members can use the App to order meals on behalf of the patient, either from within the hospital while they are visiting or from outside the hospital.
For further information please see the QRG’s Food Services – Meal Ordering Using CBORD Patient App: Information for Clinicians and Food Services – Meal Ordering Using CBORD Patient App: Information for Patients both available under ‘F’ on the QRG page of this site.
Pathways for patients suspected of COVID-19
Please familiarise yourself with the pathways and flow charts that our clinical leaders have created for patients under investigation of COVID-19.
For full details, click here.
Social media posts
In the current environment we understand that staff want to keep up their spirits and bring some light relief to the workplace. We encourage this and want to do what we can to enable it.
In turn, we ask that you speak to your line manager and contact Public Affairs on 0422 947 810 or 0435 964 657 to discuss what you would like to do.
In line with our social media policy, there will be a number of considerations to be taken into account before you proceed, especially if your plan involves filming or photography on Western Health premises; in patient or treatment areas; or while wearing staff uniform or PPE.