No-jab suspensions hit Gympie health service

A week after the deadline, hundreds of Gympie and Sunshine Coast health workers remain unvaccinated and could lose their jobs because of the Queensland Government’s order that all employees must get the jab.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett put a Question on Notice in October, asking the Health Minister to reveal exactly how many people employed at the Gympie Hospital had been impacted because they were not vaccinated. An answer is due this Thursday, November 11.

A week after the deadline passed, hundreds of Sunshine Coast and Gympie Hospital health workers remain unvaccinated and could lose their jobs because of the Queensland Government’s order that all employees must get the jab.

As of 9am Monday, November 8, 763 of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service’s 8729 employees - including Gympie Hospital staff - had no vaccination and were not on leave.

Queensland Health said it was unable to provide specific data for the number of staff at Gympie Hospital affected, they are included in the Sunshine Coast numbers.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett put a Question on Notice in October, asking the Health Minister to reveal exactly how many people employed at the Gympie Hospital had been impacted because they were not vaccinated. An answer is due this Thursday, November 11.

“Will the Minister advise the number of staff, including student nurses, at the Gympie Hospital who have either been laid off, redirected to other tasks, or on forced leave, because they haven‘t met the mandatory vaccination deadlines and (b) how is this shortfall being replaced?”

Gympie MP Tony Perrett put a Question on Notice in October, asking the Health Minister to reveal exactly how many people employed at the Gympie Hospital had been impacted because they were not vaccinated. An answer is due this Thursday, November 11.

A total of 464 had been suspended, while 461 were “on leave and do not need to become compliant until they are due to return from leave’‘. More than 330 exemption requests had been received.

Across Queensland, more than 4000 unvaccinated health workers were suspended on full pay and issued show-cause notices when the deadline arrived at the start of November.

More than 7000 staff did not confirm their vaccination status.

Queensland Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Peter Aitken said on Monday there was an increasing number of Queensland Health employees taking up the offer of vaccination and the number who were out of the workforce at the moment continued to decrease.

“And that’s a really positive thing and I just ask all Queensland Health employees and actually all health workers across Queensland if you haven’t been vaccinated yet please get vaccinated,” he said.

“A key tenet of healthcare is first do no harm and getting vaccinated and stopping yourself being the person who spreads COVID to patients in our hospitals and healthcare centres is absolutely vital.