GP Communique – Update from Dr Roger Halliwell, October 2021

Update from Dr Roger Halliwell (Chair of Gold Coast Primary Health Network Board)

The Covid “Train” continues to headline our work, both as a PHN and as Primary Care Providers.  And while as a community we continue to successfully avoid the challenges our southern colleagues face it is clear that our turn will arrive – when not if.

In addition to assisting in the roll out of vaccine through general practice, the PHN team is working actively to arrange specific activities in the difficult to reach cohorts.  Aged care worker vaccination at >95% by the deadline is an example, and this work continues.  We are also working with our local Health and Hospital System in planning for our anticipated future.  Most general practices have yet to see Covid positive patients, and are focusing on core business within practical limits around remote consultation.  Similarly pharmacy and the allied health care sector are providing non-Covid medical services, all critical but without the challenge of Covid patients.

Health pathways will provide some guidance to home management of Covid, and this will be supported with robust hospital based systems – the development of these processes is well under way and will be shared widely as it evolves.  We are looking at the experience of the NSW and Victorian to inform logistics.

In many ways the precautionary approach we are all still used to will continue.  We will see fully vaccinated patients that may be asymptomatic so all the usual practical hygiene / filtering / actively managing the consultation process will remain the norm.  Realistically we will need to assume all patients are Covid positive and take appropriate precautions for the foreseeable future.

Please contact our team for advice and to access resources, and reach out if you or your team is needing more specific support at a personal level.

Roger Halliwell

Chair, GCPHN