New site to help health staff
Victoria has announced a wellbeing package to support healthcare workers.
The Victorian Government has established the Healthcare Worker Infection Prevention and Wellbeing Taskforce, developed in consultation with hospitals, clinicians, peak bodies, unions and academics.
The $9.8 million package includes the development of a healthcare worker wellbeing centre, which will identify best practice approaches to supporting staff fatigue and stress management, provide advice and training opportunities, and host resources through a web platform.
The centre will support individual healthcare worker wellbeing, for clinical and non-clinical roles, across acute and community-based settings including hospitals, community health, aged care and primary care settings.
The package will also improve staff rest and recovery areas in health services that enable physical distancing. An additional focus will be to increase access to specialist services and support that is tailored to individuals, teams and organisational needs.
Funding will be provided through a grants process for on the ground psychosocial support, peer training models and programs to support wellbeing in health services and registered community health services.
Targeted support will be provided to identify and respond to family violence experienced by healthcare workers and access will also be expanded for payments for reasonable medical expenses.