No information about planning for Omicron

Transcript: ASMOFQ President, Dr Hau Tan, ABC Radio Brisbane, Breakfast with Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan, Friday 21 January 2022

Subject: Lack of information about Queensland Health’s forward planning for Omicron surge

CRAIG ZONCA:     This morning, the industrial organisation for doctors in the state's public hospital system is taking Queensland Health to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission over a number of workplace concerns. The Queensland President of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation is Dr Hau Tan. Good morning to you, Doctor. Just exactly what issues are being raised here?

HAU TAN:    We’ve taken Queensland Health to the QIRC back in 2020 and a few times over the last two years, the main issue being over PPE, or personal protective equipment, but in particular fit-testing of N95 masks. As the doctors’ union, we believe that every doctor has the right to a safe workplace. And they should be afforded the best protection against contracting COVID-19 while they're working on the frontlines, battling this Omicron wave. So, our issue is that we understand there are significant numbers of doctors - and other health care workers, I might add - who have not yet been fit-tested for these N95 masks, which offer the highest protection against contracting COVID at the workplace. For these N95 masks to be effective, they need to achieve an adequate seal around the user’s face. And everyone's face is different, and individual, and some brands of N95 masks will pass a fit test for a particular individual, whereas others will fail a fit test for a particular individual.

CRAIG ZONCA:     So your issue isn't with supply of the PPE, it's actually just with the fitting of these masks, is that right?

HAU TAN:     Previously back in 2020, when supply globally was very challenging, the supply of PPE at that time was one of our issues. We've been reassured by Queensland Health most recently that they do have adequate supply. However, we do want to make sure that the supply is being distributed appropriately to all the HHSs and then also within all the clinical areas within particular hospitals and health services.

LORETTA RYAN:      So when would that fit-testing take place? And why hasn't it taken place? Who does it?

HAU TAN:      That's a very good question, Loretta. Fit-testing normally would take place at the start of employment. So if you look at other industries, for example, construction, mining, agriculture, where respirators are being worn by employees, it is actually mandatory that fit-testing takes place before that employee commences work using that respirator. Now, given that COVID-19 came on very suddenly in 2020, obviously those processes and the ability to fit test at that time was very limited. We pushed for it in the QIRC to make sure that fit-testing occurred over the last two years. But we feel that more can be done in terms of fit-testing all health care workers, now that we're in the middle of an Omicron wave, and all health care workers have been directed and are required to wear an N95 mask whenever they're in contact with patients now.

LORETTA RYAN:      Okay, but at the moment, they just basically, I suppose, grab them and put them on?

HAU TAN:      Yes, there's another process called fit checking, which is entirely different, and not equivalent to a fit test. A fit test is a formal test that's provided by a professional using quite sophisticated measuring equipment, whereas a fit check is something that you do on your own where you wear a mask, and you, on applying the mask, you push around the edges of the mask, you breathe in and out vigorously to test whether you're achieving a seal or not, and you may get some sense that a seal is being achieved. But you don't actually have that confirmation from a formal test that you do have an adequate seal.

CRAIG ZONCA:     Dr Hau Tan, and this is really interesting given the spate of cases that we're seeing at the moment - the stress on doctors, I can understand your concerns over this right now. How do you describe the current situation facing medical professionals in Queensland?

HAU TAN:      I would describe it as unprecedented, I guess. Our health system has already been under strain prior to COVID, just with the burden of disease, the lack of funding in terms of matching growth in hospitals to population. There's a number of factors that feed into that. But put a pandemic on top of it, then obviously that's an extreme stress that's being placed on the system.

CRAIG ZONCA:     We heard from the Health Minister yesterday that there was a lot of planning leading to this point,that the health system can cope with the case numbers that we're seeing. Dr Tan, are you satisfied with the workforce planning that has been happening within Queensland Health?

HAU TAN:      Well, that's a good question, Craig, because one of the other issues with our QIRC hearing was trying to get Queensland Health to forward the COVID surge plans and also the COVID-19 safe workplace plans for each and every HHS across the state to us. In fact, that was a recommendation made by the Commissioner in one of the hearings earlier this month. Unfortunately, Queensland Health is still yet to provide those documents to us. So we are very unsure at the moment whether those plans have been finalised, whether they've been approved, whether they're still in development. So we certainly feel that more can be done in this area. And certainly we'll be holding Queensland Health to account to make sure that these plans are appropriately shared with all stakeholders. We are expecting the peak of the Omicron wave to occur over the next two weeks. So it would make sense that these plans are readily available.

CRAIG ZONCA:     And when are you next due to a QIRC hearing?

HAU TAN:      The next hearing that we have will be at the end of the month, on the 31st of January.

CRAIG ZONCA:     Okay. And these issues up for discussion. Thanks so much for your time. Dr Hau Tan, President of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation Queensland.