Aged Care
UNION WIN: Government commits to provide Pfizer access and worksite vaccinations in aged care
Aged Care providers, unions and their members, frustrated at the failures of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, have secured key commitments from the federal government regarding vaccinations for aged care staff.
Representatives from the Australian Aged Care Collaboration – the peak body of aged care providers – as well as unions representing workers from aged care met with key decision makers on Monday to discuss major concerns around resident and worker safety. Present at the meeting were ministers Greg Hunt and Richard Colbeck (with portfolios in health and aged care respectively) and Lieutenant General John Frewen, Commander of the Vaccine Taskforce.
The group collectively called on the government to immediately address the following five key principles that are essential to the success of the vaccine rollout for all aged care workers:
- Resident and worker safety
- Government funded in-reach workplace vaccination programs and prioritised access to Pfizer vaccination
- Paid vaccination leave
- Targeted vaccine education and communication
- Transparency and accountability on vaccine data and supply
As a result of the meeting, Minister Hunt and Lt General Frewen committed to removing the key barriers for aged care workers (and aged care facilities) in accessing COVID-19 vaccinations. This included:
- Ensuring access to priority and supply of Pfizer as outlined in the initial rollout plan. All aged care workers, regardless of age, will have access to Pfizer (though can choose AstraZeneca if preferred or indicated). Unions and providers also requested transparency over and quarantining of supply of Pfizer for aged care workers
- On-site workplace vaccination – currently being negotiated through several channels, which include:
- ‘Self-vaccination’ by aged care facilities with capacity
- Continued in-reach by companies previously contracted for aged care in-reach
- Engagement of states to assist in delivery of in-reach vaccination
- ‘Hub and spoke’ arrangement with Public Health Networks and Residential Aged Care Facilities (this model is still being explored)
- Genuine priority access to vaccination via other channels, e.g. state vaccination hubs and GP clinics. Priority access was already meant to be happening, however this has not been occurring in practice. The government committed to ensuring this occurs.
- Support to access vaccination, and recover from effects if needed, through paid vaccination leave. Unions and providers acknowledged the initial commitment of $11m is a good start to support aged care workers but as it only applies to casual employees, is still not good enough. The Minister was clear that he would explore what funding could be organised to extend paid vaccination leave to all
Representatives from the joint union/aged care provider group will meet with the Department of Health and vaccination task force three times a week for the next two weeks to provide input into the processes for implementation of the above.
The full group, including ministers and Lt General Frewen, will meet on 26 July to evaluate progress.
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Yvonne says
Great work! It’s fantastic to see our union delivering for staff in aged care.
Cathy says
This is a fantastic outcome! Thank you to the union for advocating for us!
Michelle Miller says
This is a great development! Thank you to the union for all your hard work advocating for aged care workers!
Dale says
Ratio are not going to happen in age care. Especially when facility management think that 1 RN to 60-100 residents is more than enough and that 1 AIN to 20 residents at night is way to much. When you ask them for 1 extra staff member for night and you sight safety reasons as your concern they say we can’t afford it. So residents will keep falling and management will keep blaming overworked stressed out staff that they are not doing there job. Want to fix the problem look at the management the people who never have any physical care contact with residents but sit in there office behind there computers and only come out when the paper isn’t done right or they want to tell you off. It is no longer fun to work in age care. You come to work stressed and you go home more stressed but you hang in there because you hope for change for the better.
ALISON QUINN says
its about time this was done what i do not understand was when our residents were vaccinated why were staff not done at same time