A Safer and Healthier Workplace for Us

​By Tan Tock Seng Hospital

At TTSH & Central Health, an increasing workforce size and new evolving workplaces across the community mean that it is important to scale and extend our workplace safety and health efforts across our hospital and with our partners in Central Health.

We have been ensuring safe management in the new normal such as robust contact tracing through SafeEntry measures, and careful hospital and community surveillance of potential outbreaks or cross-infections. It also means securing diverse supply chains for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so that our frontline staff are kept safe.

When COVID-19 began, TTSH implemented split-team arrangements to ensure business continuity, and encouraged working from home for staff whose work allowed for it – this arrangement has continued into the reopening phases. New roles were also set up to ensure that the well-being of our frontline staff were taken care of. Staff Welfare Officers were appointed in every department to ensure the well-being of staff during this difficult time, and Staff Protection Officers were identified to prevent, respond to, and follow up on aggression or harassment against staff.

Our care within the community did not falter during the outbreak despite manpower redeployment to support the frontline fight against COVID-19. Teams worked closely with partners to right-site and discharge patients from the wards and clinics, and continue to plan for future population health strategies together. The outbreak has shown the importance of integrated care across Central Health, where a network of joined-up care between hospital, primary care, and community partners collaborates to co-manage patients.

Empowering digitalisation was key to ensuring the continuation of care. We leveraged technology such as the use of 3D-printing for workplace safety solutions like our medical-grade face shields, and brought many activities onto virtual platforms, including multi-organisational case discussions, teleconsultations, conferences, and resident engagements.

As we continue to navigate ways of working and caring in this new normal, it is clear that workplace safety and health supports our hospital and community as we care for our patients and residents.