How are we keeping you safe?
Your safety is our priority. The COVID-19 pandemic was been a reminder of how easily airborne infections can be spread and how devastating this can be, especially for those that are more vulnerable to a severe infection, whether it be COVID-19, influenza or any respiratory infection.
Going forward, maintaining good practices to reduce the risk of spreading airborne infections will continue to be a priority for health facilities all around Australia, including QMSC.
Below is a list of what we are doing at QMSC to protect you and others from airborne infections:
- A dedicated Clinical Governance team that monitors infection patterns in the community and practice policies to reduce the risk of spread of infection
- Social distancing within the practice
- Hand Sanitizer stations in all areas, including the waiting room
- Triage screening questions for all who attend the medical centre
- Asking everyone who attends the practice with respiratory symptoms to wear a mask, including our staff and independent practitioners
- Offering telehealth appointments in the first instance for those testing positive for COVID-19
- Special arrangements for face-to-face appointments for patients who have respiratory symptoms and are COVID-positive or who cannot wear a face mask
- A dedicated waiting room area for patients with respiratory symptoms, to minimise the risk of spreading infection to others in the clinic who may be more vulnerable to a severe infection
- Keeping our QMSC upskilled around important changes
- Increased infection control measures and cleaning of waiting areas and consult rooms
- Consultations for COVID-19 assessment and anti-viral treatment
- Offering vaccination for COVID-19 boosters, influenza and pneumococcus on site
Managing COVID-19 at Home
Most people with COVID-19 will be self-managed at home, with regular telehealth consultations (check-ups) with your General Practice. Even though compulsory isolation for a COVID-19 infection is no longer in effect, we still seek in the first instance, to manage all COVID-19 positive patients by Telehealth. This is to prevent more vulnerable persons in the clinic from being exposed to COVID-19. If a face-to-face appointment is needed, this can be arranged with your GP at the time of your telehealth consultation.
It is best if you can use video for these check-ups, otherwise phone check-ups will be used. Your doctor will review your vaccination history, past medical history, how your symptoms are going and examination findings like your temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, blood pressure (if you have a BP machine) and oxygen level (if you have an oximeter).
Anti-viral medications are now available to many Australians and your doctor will assess whether you would benefit from and are eligible for these. These must be started in the first 5 days of symptoms or having a positive COVID-19 test, so making an early appointment with your doctor is essential.
Having a “kit” with some essential items will help to manage your symptoms and also assist your GP in assessing your wellbeing. We recommend the following:
- A thermometer
- Medication to relieve pain and fever (eg Paracetamol or Ibuprofen)
- Enough of your regular medicines
- Masks, hand sanitizer, gloves
- Oral rehydration solutions (eg Gastrolyte/Hydrolyte) especially if you have children at home
- Lozenges or throat spray to assist with sore throat symptoms
- A pulse oximeter can be helpful to monitor your oxygen levels. Most pulse oximeters are not suitable for children.
Other things to consider:
- A plan for how to get food and essential supplies
- A list of phone number for people outside your home you can call for help
- Stay at home activities, especially if you have kids
- A list of helpful numbers for more information
- A list of helpful resources especially around mental health support if needed
- A COVID-19 Action Plan if you are in a higher risk group for serious infection. Your GP can help you with this.
- Practice how to record your pulse rate and breathing rate manually.
COVID-19 Vaccination
QMSC is a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for those 18 years and over. Moderna vaccination can be done during a routine appointment. To minimise wastage, Pfizer vaccinations are done during our dedicated weekly vaccination clinic, as these vaccines are drawn up from multi-dose vials.
COVID-19 vaccination recommendations and eligibility changes from time to time. Check with your GP regarding the current guidelines.
If you have not had your seasonal influenza vaccination, this can be given safely at the same time as your COVID-19 booster if preferred.
For vaccination consent, you will receive an email from HotDoc confirming your appointment and requesting you complete a vaccination consent form. Click on “Get Started”. Once completed, click ‘Submit”. This will come directly to us.
Telehealth for Airborne Infections
Telehealth services introduced in response to COVID-19 will remain part of the health care landscape in Australia. One of the greatest lessons we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is how contagious all airborne infections are. QMSC has decided, along with most other health facilities in Australia, that we will continue certain safety measures to reduce the risk of spreading all airborne infections, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and all the other viruses that cause respiratory infections.
As such, we will continue to ask questions to enable us to offer the best recommended appointment for you. If you have respiratory symptoms and have tested positive to COVID-19 or influenza, we will recommend a telehealth appointment in the first instance. This helps to protect more vulnerable patients in our waiting room and other vulnerable members of your clinic team. After your telehealth, if you or your doctor require a face-to-face appointment, this can be arranged.
Triage for COVID-19 and other Airborne Infections
Reducing the spread of airborne infections like COVID-19, influenza and any respiratory illness in our community is essential and needs an effective triage system when attending a doctor’s surgery. This ensures we make the most appropriate type of appointment for you, whilst reducing the risk of spreading infections to others who may be more vulnerable.
To ensure the most appropriate type of appointment is made for you, our online booking platform and our reception team will ask a series of triage questions relating to respiratory infection symptoms at the time of booking your appointment and on arrival at the clinic. If you answer ýes’ to having respiratory symptoms, you will be advised that everyone who attends the practice with respiratory symptoms, will be asked to wear a face mask and wait in a dedicated area of the waiting room. This is to reduce the health risk to our vulnerable patients and staff. You can also wait in your car or in the dedicated, protected area in front of the clinic if you prefer. We understand this may not be possible for everyone, so please speak to our friendly reception team to discuss your options for care if you are not able to wear a mask.
If you know that you do have a positive COVID-19 test or influenza test, we do ask that you advise us of this fact, and we will offer a Telehealth consultation in the first instance. If a face-to-face appointment is needed, your doctor will arrange this with you.
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Please note that it is a legislative requirement that GPs can only perform Telehealth consultations under Medicare where the patient has an existing relationship with their GP. This is defined as having a face-to-face appointment with your GP or your GPs practice in the past 12 months. There are limited exemptions to this requirement. If you do not meet the criteria for a Medicare funded Telehealth appointment, we can offer a privately billed Telehealth consultation. Telehealth exemptions may change during pandemics.
