Five per cent of GC Health workers anti-vaxxers, with seven per cent out of action due to leave
Nearly five per cent of Gold Coast Health’s workforce are refusing to be vaccinated, with fears the city’s already struggling health service will be severely impacted.
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NEARLY 500 staff at Gold Coast Health have refused to have a Covid-19 vaccination, with fears growing the city’s already stretched resources will be impacted by staffing shortages.
The 488 anti-vax workers equates to 4.07 per cent of the city’s workforce – but there’s also 407 staff currently on leave, meaning Gold Coast Health currently has 7.4 per cent of its health workforce away from the frontline.
At Gold Coast Health, there are 11,984 staff. Eight-hundred and ninety-five have no vaccination record and 488 of those who have not complied with the health directive and are not on leave.
There’s also 407 staff who are on long service or maternity leave and do no need to become compliant until they are due to return from leave.
The health service has received 396 requests for exemptions from the mandate, and depending on the status of their request staff have either been stood down without pay, asked to take personal leave or are working in the health service, but not in areas where care is provided.
Last week the Bulletin reported that midwives were some of the highest unvaccinated workers in the health service, with an increase in public maternity patients being sent to the city’s private hospitals to give birth.
According to Queensland Health data, almost 4000 health workers in the state’s public hospitals have provided no evidence of vaccination against Covid-19.
The state is currently served by 16 hospital and health services, independent statutory bodies responsible for delivering public health services in their area.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has previously said those employees without proof of vaccination will be sent show-cause notices and be suspended on full pay.
She said the health system was prepared for possible disruptions to services.
Nurses Professional Association of Queensland state secretary Aenghas Hopkinson-Pearson said he knew many staff had taken leave instead of being forced to have the vaccinated.
“I don’t know how Minister D’Ath can look at Queenslanders in the eyes and say health services won’t be impacted and services reduced, I know this is already happening,” he said.
“When nearly 10 per cent of a workforce is away patients care will suffer.”
GCUH staff told to put in exemptions ahead of vax deadline
Nov 2
DOZENS of staff at Gold Coast University Hospital are believed to have been stood down after failing to be vaccinated for Covid-19 by November 1.
A Queensland Health spokesman says it has received more than 2500 vaccination exemptions requests across the state and the team was “working incredibly hard” to process them as “quickly as possible”.
It’s understood between 200-300 requests have been lodged on the Gold Coast, and depending on the status of their request staff have either been stood down without pay, asked to take personal leave or are working in the health service, but not in areas where care is provided.
Staff who have had one dose and are on an “evidenced pathway to full compliance” were told last week they can remain working where it is “safe to do so, for example if there remains no or limited community transmission”.
“If this changes we will work with you to find alternative arrangements,” they were told.
“This may include taking leave, working remotely or being moved into an alternative temporary role where the vaccination is not mandated.”
Earlier this week Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said more than 92 per cent of health staff had been vaccinated, but that 7000 were yet to confirm their vaccination status.
She said about 4000 were expected to receive show-cause notices and be suspended on full-pay.
But according to a health source, staff were told in September to put in exemptions on “religious, medical or exceptional circumstances” to prolong their employment.
“Senior management weren’t very clear or knowledgeable of what was required of them from the directors of Queensland Health,” the worker said.
“No one knew what was happening, it seemed to be a bluff to force staff members to keep working until staff were replaced with new vaccinated staff or to coerce staff to change their minds.”
The worker also said there were now hundreds of third year nursing students, who are fully vaccinated, that are close to finishing their qualifications and expected to step into roles of unvaccinated staff.
“They have been keeping people employed through October to keep staff levels up,” they said.
Nurses Professional Association of Queensland state secretary Aenghas Hopkinson-Pearson said since the November 1 mandate had come into effect, health services across the state had been impacted.
“I’ve been told that multiple hospitals have had services reduced because of a lack of staff, this is in maternity and mental health units, with some having to close beds in emergency departments,” he said.
“When you lose 10 per cent of your workforce, patient care will ultimately suffer.”
Mr Hopkinson-Pearson said that staff who had “caved” and got vaccinated to keep their jobs were “dirty” that others who hadn’t may be allowed to continue working.
“Then there’s staff who have had exemptions not to get vaccinated and are being treated passively aggressively by those who firmly believe in the mandate,” he said
“Staff are also being asked to work double shifts across some health services or fill in shifts.
“In some regions there definitely has an impact on patient care.”
A Queensland Health spokesman said since the Covid-19 vaccine mandate announcement managers had worked with staff yet to be vaccinated to assist them in becoming compliant.
“While we are disappointed there are staff choosing to be unvaccinated, a number of our health services have no impact, but as expected, there is some disruption at others that is being worked through,” they said.
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