Wellbeing

As of 2022, we are now in Year 2 of a global pandemic, and community transmissions and hospital presentations are rising as public health mandates are being rolled back in the wake of an upcoming Federal election.

There’s no other way to say it: it’s been hard on Allied Health Professionals in every sector, and that is likely not changing soon. VAHPA have been consistently calling for the Government to acknowledge the immense pressure Allied Health Professionals have been under since 2020 from high workloads, inadequate amenities and safety protocols, physical and mental fatigue, and constant changes.

We have been continually fighting for awareness of the Allied Health crisis in letters to the Healthcare Worker Infection Prevention and Wellbeing Taskforce, missives to Health Minister Martin Foley, press releases about the recent rollback of close contact quarantine requirements… it goes on. You can review VAHPA statements and press releases here.

We hear stories from members every day about the hard-won victories and the ongoing difficulties of working through a global pandemic. We are fighting for stronger entitlements and protections in your Enterprise Agreements across the public sector, disability, diagnostic and primary care, and community health.

Your leave entitlements under your Agreement or Award still apply. If you are having trouble with a leave application, contact VAHPA

Self-care, and looking out for your colleagues and community members, is also an important part of wellbeing. However, individual practices alone cannot make up for an unsafe or discriminatory working environment. Australian Unions published an article discussing mental health at work on 22 March 2022.

Mental and emotional health is explicitly included under Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) legislation in Victoria – as it should be, considering we spend a significant proportion of our adult lives at work.

Under OH&S legislation, as far as reasonably practicable, your employer must maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to your health, and mitigate or remove these risks where possible. If you believe your employer is not meeting these requirements, please contact VAHPA

References

March 2020 Sequence for donning personal protective equipment Halyard Health
7 March 2020 General considerations for conserving personal protective equipment (PPE) Queensland Health
19 March 2020 Advice on the use of masks in the community, during home care, and in health care settings in the context of COVID-19 World Health Organisation
5 March 2020 Interim recommendations for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during hospital care of people with Coronavirus disease(COVID-19) Australian Department of Health