The Victorian Chief Health Officer on 30 September published the directions regarding requirements for workers in all healthcare settings to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
These directions are consistent with those issued for aged care workers and those in other states and territories across the country. They apply to all workers or contractors in health care settings, including those working in shops located within health settings.
The directions apply to all Victorian healthcare workers including nurses, midwives, maternal and child health nurses, those working in the student employment models – Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing (RUSONs) and Registered Undergraduate Students of Midwifery (RUSOMs) and nursing and midwifery students on clinical placement.
From 15 October 2021 all healthcare workers at public, private, and not-for profit healthcare settings in Victoria must be able to, as a minimum, provide evidence showing they have:
- received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 15 October 2021, or
- an appointment to receive at least their first dose by 29 October 2021, or
- a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
From 30 October 2021, healthcare workers must be able to provide evidence showing they have:
- a full COVID-19 vaccination of two doses, or
- one COVID-19 vaccination dose and a booking for a second by 15 December 2021, or
- a medical exemption evidenced by an authorised medical practitioner.
Medical exemptions
If you are unable to be vaccinated due to a medical contraindication as determined by ATAGI clinical guidance you will be required to provide evidence to your employer from an authorised medical practitioner. This evidence must be from one of the following:
- a general practice registrar on an approved 3GA training placement
- a public health physician
- an infectious disease physician
- a clinical immunologist
- gynaecologists
- obstetricians
- a GP who is vocationally registered
- a GP who is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- a GP who is a fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.
Your GP will be able to advise you if they meet one of the above criteria.
The full Victorian Chief Health Officer directions are available.
Read the ‘Department of Health’s Healthcare worker update – COVID-19 vaccination requirements’ [PDF]
Some Important Agency updates…….
We understand everyone’s level of concern at the moment around working shifts particularly in the hospital settings. We hope that everyone has taken the time to complete the COVID, PPE and Infection Control modules loaded on to the Qintil system. No staff are being sent to a high risk area without being made aware of this prior to accepting the shift providing we have been notified of the status of this ward being a high risk area. PPE is being provided across most ward shifts in hospital settings and we ask that you ensure there are no PPE breaches given the current situation at the moment. This should never happen regardless but most definitely at the moment the concerns are heightened around this topic.
This does bring us to another level of concern we are having with staff at the moment specifically around withdrawing from shifts once confirmed and not answering/responding to texts when shifts are being offered according to your availability placed online. This creates an enormous amount of pressure on the allocations team and we ask that as much as possible you keep your availability updated. We understand you may have other commitments which changes this situation for you on a daily basis however it does raise a level of concern around your reliability when we are trying to find you a suitable shift.
Can we also please ask that if you are working anywhere else at the moment in particular if you are working in a covid affected facility that you report this to the agency ASAP. We are trying our very best to not send staff across certain sites/areas at the moment and in some cases this has been a request by our clients so we are needing to know should this apply to you.
Thank you to all of the staff that have been so wonderful in picking up shifts when they are perhaps not listed as being available, we appreciate the committment, loyalty and dedication by all of our members. You may have noticed some new voices on the phones as well and this may continue to be the case as we are looking for an additional 2 allocators to assist our busy team at the moment. Stay safe everyone as always and should there be anything at all that you wish to discuss feel free to contact us anytime. ?
