3 April 2020
ANMF (SA Branch), along with other health sector unions, has been seeking urgent reworking of the SA Health Department advice on PPE for the last 2 weeks.
Members have advised of specific concerns regarding:
- The availability of PPE in the workplace;
- Inconsistent advice regarding the use of PPE and apparent distinction between use of PPE by different health care workers in some sites for the same risk exposures;
- Apparent inconsistency between the SA Health advice with decisions elsewhere in the world.
To that end we have been advised that:
- If PPE is used consistently with the guidance locally and internationally, it is expected that sufficient stocks exist at state and national level until June when local production of masks will become available;
- Additional masks have been distributed at RAH today with the supply sufficient to meet immediate demands (i.e., to next week);
- Vending machines are being introduced for distribution of masks in order to identify any overuse of masks in particular areas;
- Local production of masks will commence by May and be available from June to meet expected levels of demand.
In addition, ANMF (SA Branch) has sought that the SA guidance on PPE be replaced by a version that aligns local guidance against WHO and Australian standards. This will address concerns that the local guidance is adopting standards lower than those applicable elsewhere.
ANMF nationally has developed a (draft) position statement on PPE which is available here .
The SA Health Department is in the process of updating its guidance to reflect the NSW Department advice which was developed by their Clinical Excellence Commission. The ANMF (SA Branch) had commended this guidance during earlier discussions here.
However, in the first instance we understand that only a single page summary table of the NSW guidance will be issued in SA. Whilst that forms a useful ready summary we are seeking a full adaptation to be released urgently. Members who wish to review the NSW document can access it here.
We have also made it clear that SA Health must, in order to meet its obligations as an employer, go beyond the issuing of guidance in the use of PPE and give clear instruction to staff about their actions in the event that PPE is not available at some point.
It is understood that health professionals may exercise their clinical judgement and decision-making processes to intervene in cases where PPE of the requisite type may not be at hand. However, the ANMF (SA Branch) view is that the CEO of the Department of Health & Wellbeing must instruct staff that they are not obligated or required to put themselves at risk to their safety, health and welfare in so doing.
In the meantime:
- Use the PPE available consistent with the recommendations already published when the level of risk requires its use;
- Report any occasions where inconsistent directions are given locally about the use of PPE or where it is not available, and a risk of infection has been identified;
- Do not use PPE where the guidance does not require or recommend that it be used. Overuse of PPE now will serve to reduce the stock of equipment that will be necessary to offer real protection required in the near future.