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The Health System Response (HSR) was escalated to Stage Two, effective from 11:59pm Friday 3 November 2023.
This escalation is based on increasing COVID-19 hospitalisations and demand on the Victorian health system.
Members are strongly advised to contact us if there is any pressure to change work practices or move from your normal location without the required consultation under the Enterprise Agreement.
Health Services must provide you with appropriate PPE and meaningfully consult with your respective workplace Health & Safety Representative around any OH&S concerns. If members feel that their Health Service is not implementing appropriate measures to ensure the safety of all staff, please contact VAHPA immediately.
We warned the Government and health services that the return to “business as usual” was premature when it was decided late September to reduce the isolation period from 7 days to 5 days for health workers, with Covid Special Paid Leave only accessible by those who have exhausted their Personal Leave.
The ongoing workforce pressures of unfillable vacancies, staff off sick, burnout and the ever-increasing demand on health services will continue to get worse as we enter further into this increasing Covid wave.
Real action is needed to properly resource the health system and ensure preventative measures are in place to protect health workers from being infected, and work pressures become once again manageable, now and into the future.
We will be monitoring the situation closely and urge members to contact us with any concerns.
Changes to the Health System Response
This is the official update from Government on the changed settings: