ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith addresses stress in Canberra hospitals

On Thursday ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith told ABC Radio Canberra she wanted to acknowledge "the level of stress that our system is under and the level of distress that our staff are feeling at the moment".

She said more than 3000 people working in hospitals across the capital had been in quarantine and unable to work due to COVID-19.

On March 31, there were 198 people across the health system who were unable to attend work that day.

This comes as Canberra Hospital had 311 presentations to the emergency department on Monday, with the average for this time of year at just over 250.

This was on the back of an especially busy weekend.

"What we're also seeing is that just really deep exhaustion of people after two and a half years of this stressful environment," the minister said.

"Everyone is busy, everyone is tired and that workforce challenge is something we're going to have to face as a nation, not just as a jurisdiction.

"Overall Canberra Health Services is advising that their turnover rate of staff is not significantly higher than it has been in the past, but one of the things that we're hearing is that there are some really experienced staff who are either retiring or they're leaving.

"We do need to keep training new people and bringing them into the system and training them up, but we also do need to figure out how we can retain those experienced staff and ensure that they understand how valued they are."

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This comes as daily COVID-19 infections in the ACT remain above 1000 for the second day as hospitalisations increase. The ACT reported 1094 new infections to 8pm on Wednesday.

Meanwhile winter COVID-19 vaccine doses have become available to eligible people, with Canberrans urged to get their 2022 flu shot as soon as possible.

The reopening of international borders and reduced restrictions is expected to increase flu cases nationally over the colder months.

The health minister advised it was possible to get the fourth COVID shot and flu vaccination at the same time.

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