MHR Newsletter - March 2024

NEWSLETTER TOPICS

Click on the topic below to go to the applicable section:

1. ER24 MHR Coordinator - Jennifer van den Berg
   
2. MHR Coordinators - New contact numbers
   
3. MHR after-hours call centre name change and contact number
4. Injury on duty - follow the correct reporting protocol
5. Basic Life Support (BLS) competency is important
6. Locum Emergency Centre Doctors - Renewal of Advanced Life Support certificates before expiry
7. Simah indemnity insurance cover expired 29 February 2024
8. Urgent renewal of SANC licences 2024
9. Pharmacists - urgent renewal of SAPC licence
10. HPCSA licence renewal due date - 31 March 2024
11. MHR administration and payment enquiries email addresses 
12. Shift confirmation and cancellation SMS messages
13. Self-cancellation of shifts
14. Reporting for duty
15. Shift arrangements at clients
16. Clocking for shifts at clients
17. 'Safety Event Form' link for events at Mediclinic hospitals
    
18. Clients require MHR panel members to wear uniforms
19. MHR name badge - Your 'identity' to success
    
20. Important note for clinical panel members regarding nail care
21. Make sure your information is up to date on the MHR system
22. Acknowledge exceptional performance

_{2. MHR COORDINATORS - NEW CONTACT NUMBERS}

We want to remind panel members to please use the new contact numbers implemented in 2023 when contacting MHR Coordinators – 0860 647 647 + the extension number of the relevant Coordinator.

_{3. MHR AFTER-HOURS CALL CENTRE NAME CHANGE AND CONTACT NUMBER}

Please note that the MHR Call Centre name has been changed to the MHR Service Centre. As per previous information shared, our Call Centre/Service Centre contact number also changed last year. Herewith the new number again - 0860 647 647 (0860 MHR MHR).

_{4. INJURY ON DUTY – FOLLOW THE CORRECT REPORTING PROTOCOL}

All injuries sustained while on duty during an MHR shift must be reported immediately to the department manager or the manager on duty at the client. The panel member or client must notify MHR telephonically of the injury on duty:

• During office hours: Please inform the MHR Regional Management or MHR Coordinator
• After-hours: Please inform the MHR After-hours Service Centre Coordinator

_{5. BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS) COMPETENCY IS IMPORTANT}

All locum Emergency Centre doctors, temporary nursing and clinical ER24 panel members must be competent in Basic Life Support (BLS). Please ensure that you complete BLS training, which is offered at a minimal cost of R350. You can contact your nearest MHR Office, MHR Coordinator or MHR Clinical Facilitator for more information.

_{6. LOCUM EMERGENCY CENTRE DOCTORS - RENEWAL OF ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT CERTIFICATES BEFORE EXPIRY}

All locum MHR Emergency Centre doctors must renew their Advanced Life Support Course Certificates before expiry to continue working shifts through MHR.

_{7. SIMAH INDEMNITY INSURANCE COVER EXPIRED 29 FEBRUARY 2024}

We were informed that indemnity insurance service provider Simah’s cover expired on Thursday, 29 February 2024. If you have cover through Simah, please renew your cover and submit proof to your local MHR office or email proof to your region’s admin email address confirmed in section 11 below.

_{8. URGENT RENEWAL OF SANC LICENCES FOR 2024}

MHR urges all nursing panel members who have not yet renewed their South African Nursing Council (SANC) licences before the due date of 31 December 2023 to please renew their SANC licences as soon as possible. Please visit www.sanc.co.za for more information regarding the renewal process and restoration fees. Kindly submit a copy of your renewed licence to your local MHR office or email a copy to your region’s admin email address confirmed in section 11 below.

_{9. PHARMACISTS – URGENT RENEWAL OF SAPC LICENCE}

Note that the annual South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) licence renewal due date for pharmacists was Wednesday, 31 January 2024. If you have not yet renewed your licence, please visit the SAPC website (www.sapc.za.org) for more information on how to renew your licence. MHR thanks the pharmacists who have already paid their 2024 fees. Please submit a copy of your renewed SAPC licence to your nearest MHR office or email a copy to your region’s admin email address confirmed in section 11 below. 

_{10. HPCSA LICENCE RENEWAL DUE DATE – 31 MARCH 2024}

If you are a Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) member, please ensure that you renew your licence before the deadline of Sunday, 31 March 2024. For more information, click on the following link (HPCSA online renewal guide) to view the steps that HPCSA compiled on how to pay your licence fee and download your online card. You can also visit the HPCSA website (https://hpcsaonline.custhelp.com/) for more information. Please submit a copy of your renewed licence to your local MHR office or email proof to your region’s administration email address confirmed below to avoid the temporary deactivation of your profile on our system.

11. EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR ADMINISTRATION AND PAYMENT-RELATED ENQUIRIES

You are welcome to use the email addresses below for administration and payment-related enquiries:

• MHR Central Region (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape): admin.central@mhr.co.za   |  pay.central@mhr.co.za

• MHR Northern Region (Johannesburg, Vaal Triangle and Mpumalanga): admin.north@mhr.co.za  |  pay.north@mhr.co.za

• MHR Tshwane Region (Pretoria, Brits and Limpopo): admin.north@mhr.co.za  |  pay.tshwane@mhr.co.za

• MHR Western Cape Region (Southern and Western Cape locations): admin.wc@mhr.co.za  |  pay.wc@mhr.co.za

Please ensure that you use the ‘pay’ email addresses for payment-related enquiries and the ‘admin’ email addresses for administration-related questions to ensure your email is received by the correct MHR representative.

_{12. SHIFT CONFIRMATION AND CANCELLATION SMS MESSAGES} 

Note that MHR confirms and cancels shifts via SMS. Please check your cell phone regularly for shift confirmation or cancellation messages from MHR.

_{13. SELF-CANCELLATION OF SHIFTS}

Should you wish to cancel your shift, please inform the MHR Coordinator or After-hours Service Centre Coordinator following the times below. Do not contact the client.

Night duty: At least 3 hours before the shift commences.

• Inform the relevant MHR Coordinator during office hours: Monday to Friday 08:00 – 16:00
• Inform the MHR After-hours Service Centre after 16:00 (Weekdays) and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 04:00 – 22:00

Day duty: Preferably the previous night, but no later than 2½ hours before the shift commences.

• Inform the relevant MHR Coordinator during office hours: Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 16:00
• Inform the MHR After-hours Service Centre after hours: Monday to Friday: 04:00 – 08:00 and 16:00 – 22:00 / Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 04:00 – 22:00

Refer to our ‘Policies and Documents’ web page to view our ‘Cancellation by panel member’ policy, or consult your local MHR office for more information.

_{14. REPORTING FOR DUTY}

All panel members must report punctually to the facility where they are scheduled to work. This includes being on time before the shift handover commences. Being late for handover is considered late on duty, as you would miss important information about patients.

In the event of being delayed or being lost, please inform MHR promptly. Failing to report for duty or being late for work without good reason is a disciplinary offence.

_{15. SHIFT ARRANGEMENTS AT CLIENTS}

MHR books shifts according to clients’ requests. A senior staff member at the client is responsible for the shift arrangements, which include the following:

• You may be asked to transfer to a different unit during a shift upon a client’s request. If you do not want to transfer for a valid reason, the client can end your shift.
• You are required to complete your scheduled shift according to the booking time and your agreement with MHR. Ending your shift before the scheduled end time or leaving the premises without the client’s consent can result in disciplinary action against you. 

_{16. CLOCKING FOR SHIFTS AT CLIENTS}

Please ensure you always sign in/clock in when your shift starts and sign out/clock out when your shift ends to avoid payment delays. Remember to clock in at Mediclinic hospitals using your ID/passport number, not your MHR number. If you need to enrol or re-enrol, the Unit Managers or Human Resources Department at the client can assist you. Non-clocking will lead to a delay in payment.

_{17. 'SAFETY EVENT FORM' LINK FOR EVENTS AT MEDICLINIC HOSPITALS}

When you are involved in an incident with a patient or visitor at a Mediclinic hospital, please click on the following link (Safety Event Form) to complete the Mediclinic Safety Event Form. Kindly save this link on your cell phone for future use.

_{18. CLIENTS REQUIRE MHR PANEL MEMBERS TO WEAR UNIFORMS}

_{19. MHR NAME BADGE – YOUR ‘IDENTITY’ TO SUCCESS}

Please remember to wear your name badge while on duty, as it is the patient’s right to identify all personnel working in healthcare facilities. This will also make it easier for patients to compliment your service in their client service survey. If you do not have a name badge, please get in touch with your nearest MHR office to order a name badge.

Thank you for valuing patients’ rights by wearing your MHR name badge while on duty.

_{20. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CLINICAL PANEL MEMBERS REGARDING NAIL CARE}

As stipulated in our ‘Dress code’ policy, please remember that you are not allowed to wear nail varnish or artificial/acrylic nails, as this does not comply with infection control standards.

21. MAKE SURE YOUR INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE ON MHR SYSTEM

21.1 Personal information changes

MHR needs an up-to-date profile on our system to ensure you receive shift requests and other important information. Please notify your local MHR office and not the client if any of the following information has changed:

• Email address
• Contact number
• Physical or postal address
• Banking details
• Next-of-kin (for emergency contact reasons)

21.2 Employment status changes

NB: Please inform your nearest MHR office if you are no longer a moonlighter (permanently employed elsewhere) or have become a permanent employee. Kindly also complete a new ‘Personal tax’ form received from your MHR office to change your tax status on our system. The correct tax status assists MHR in deducting the correct tax from your earnings.

21.3 Marital status changes

If your marital status changes, please remember to submit your marriage or divorce certificate to MHR if your surname needs to be changed on our system. Nursing panel members, remember to contact SANC to complete a SANC surname change form.

22. ACKNOWLEDGE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE

It is always a pleasure to recognise the hard work and accomplishments of our personnel (panel members) and teams within our organisation. Click below to view the acknowledgements on our 'Bravo for Brilliance' web page.

How do I recognise an MHR panel member for exceptional performance? Click here to visit our ‘Feedback’ page and enter the panel member’s information along with the compliment you would like to share.