Facemasks

1. QMSC is committed to providing health care to all patients and acknowledges that airborne infections pose an increased risk to other people in the practice.
2. QMSC recognises the role and importance of appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves, gowns) in reducing the risk of infection.
3. We acknowledge our obligations under workplace health and safety legislation to provide a safe workplace for our staff and contractors.
4. We acknowledge our obligation under the Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia to provide a medical clinic that is safe for all patients and visitors to the practice.
5. It is our policy that everyone who attends the practice with respiratory symptoms will be asked to wear a facemask in an effort to reduce the health risks to our vulnerable patients and staff.
6. We understand that mask wearing may not be possible for everyone, so please call our friendly reception team to discuss your options for care.
7. To continue to provide face to face medical care for all patients with respiratory symptoms who cannot wear a mask or decline to wear a mask, our practice policy to facilitate safe health care for all is as follows:

• The patient is asked to advise our reception team member if they have respiratory symptoms but are not able to wear a mask whilst waiting or during the consultation
• Our reception team will ensure your appointment is booked either as a telehealth consultation or face-to-face consultation with one of our doctors who is able to see patients with respiratory symptoms not wearing a mask
• An initial video of phone telehealth consultation is preferred to enable the doctor to perform a preliminary assessment. This reduces the unnecessary risk of spread of infection to people in the practice. Due to the limitations in examining patients at a telehealth consultation, the doctor may recommend a further face-to-face consultation.
• The patient/guardian should call reception on arrival and wait in their car or on the chairs in the protected area outside the clinic, until the doctor is ready
• The doctor will call the patient and for face-to-face consultations, come to the door to escort the patient directly to their consultation room. We may need to use a special consultation room to reduce the risk of infection spread.
• At the conclusion of the face-to-face appointment, the doctor will escort the patient to the exit of the practice. This will minimise the potential for spread of infection to other people in the clinic.
• Our reception team will facilitate payment of any professional fees by phone, without having to stop at the front desk area