COVID-19 Information

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Content last updated 7/07/2020

The latest information and resources has been collated to assist GPs and their patients in relation to Coronavirus (COVID-19). If you have additional queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at: communications@gcphn.com.au

Information for General Practice

Latest Updates for General Practice

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#latest-updates-for-general-practice Copied to clipboard

GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Updates

7th July – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 update webinar | on demand viewing
Update – COVID-19 pathways
Update – Series of National Guidelines (SoNG) – Coronavirus Disease 2019
Information on quarantine
Delivering care to people with disability during COVID-19
PPE update and resources
Maternity care for mothers and babies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Upcoming COVID-19 webinars

2nd July – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

Update: COVID-19 pathways
Stage 3 easing of restrictions
COVID-19 testing
New resource: FAQs about SARS-CoV-2 tests
New resource: Misinformation and truths about Coronavirus
New mental health support for doctors and medical students
Maternity care for mothers and babies during the COVID-19 pandemic clinical guideline
Upcoming webinars

25th June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

UPDATE: COVID-19 pathways
Testing options for COVID-19 and mental health information
Webinar for GPs: COVID-19 General Practice update
RACFs update
Community management of mild COVID-19
Electronic prescribing – practice software webinars

18th June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

16th June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

10th June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

5th June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

2nd June – GCPHN Health Professionals COVID-19 Update

Health Pathways for COVID-19

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#health-pathways-for-covid-19 Copied to clipboard

These pathways have been endorsed by State Health Emergency Coordination Centre (SHECC) to guide primary care management of COVID-19 in the state. We would like to acknowledge and thank the Queensland HealthPathways Community, Streamliners NZ and SHECC for this excellent resource.

COVID 19 Assessment and Management Pathways

COVID-19 Assessment and Management Pathway

COVID-19 Mental Health Pathway

COVID-19 in Residential Aged Care Facilities Pathway

COVID-19 End-of-life Care Pathway

COVID-19 Requests and Local Processes

COVID-19 Practice Management and Technology

COVID-19 Practice Management

COVID-19 MBS Items

COVID-19 Support

COVID-19 Community Support

COVID-19 Mental Health Support for Clinicians

COVID-19 Clinics and Testing

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#covid-19-clinics-and-testing Copied to clipboard

Click here to view all COVID-19 clinics and testing options available in the Gold Coast region.

Masks

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#masks Copied to clipboard

Distribution of PPE through PHNs

As part of the continued response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department of Health has provided GCPHN a limited supply of surgical masks for general practices and pharmacies. This guidance document is provided to ensure consistent and transparent management of the limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Surgical masks: For GPs and pharmacies and staff for infection control, and for suspect patients.
P2/N95 masks: Specifically for GPs who are prepared and able to undertake specimen collection in their surgeries. P2/N95 respirators are only required for aerosol generating procedures.

To request surgical masks, please fill in this form

To request P2/N95 masks, please fill in this form

For other general enquiries related to PPE please email: covid-19@gcphn.com.au

Information for Aged Care

Latest Updates for Aged Care

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#latest-updates-for-aged-care Copied to clipboard

Latest Updates

Current Grant Opportunity

The COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program will reimburse eligible aged care providers for eligible expenditure incurred on managing direct impacts of COVID-19. The Program will run over two years from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

The Program will assist Residential Aged Care, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program and Home Care Package providers that are subject to direct COVID-19 impacts, to deliver continuity of safe quality care for consumers.

Eligible applicants can apply for funding for each impacted service for the periods between the date on which the resident, staff member or client is tested for COVID-19 and the date on which direct COVID-19 impacts are resolved (i.e. no infected or isolated residents, staff members or clients).

The application form will be made available shortly on the here.

Three new e-learning modules live

Three new eLearning modules developed specifically for Aged Care workers are now online. These modules are:

Module 2: Families and Visitors
- Part A: Residential Care Facilities
- Part B: In Home Care
Module 3: COVID-19 and Aged Care
Module 4: Outbreak Management Procedures

On completion of these modules, participants will be able to:

Identify when families or visitors should be visiting a client
Implement precautions for all visitors entering the facility or the client’s home
Demonstrate basic environmental cleaning procedures when caring for a person with COVID-19
Demonstrate the appropriate infection prevention control measures for a COVID-19 outbreak.

These modules can be accessed here. More modules will be released over the coming days.

If you would like to access the Aged Care training, users will need to register their workplaces as ‘Aged Care’. If you have already registered for online training but not with ‘Aged Care’ as your workplace, email support@covid-19training.gov.au for a priority response.

Changes to Aged Care Assessments

In the interests of supporting the health and safety of assessors and clients during the COVID-19 pandemic, telephone and telehealth aged care assessments will be adopted as the default approach for community assessments by ACATs and RAS until further notice.

Face to face assessments are still permitted where necessary to support the needs of the client. This will be reviewed as the situation evolves. All assessment organisations are also being asked to increase welfare checks with clients during this period.

Distribution of PPE

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PROCESS FOR ORDERING PPE SUPPLIES FOR AGED CARE SECTOR

Aged care providers that require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must now email agedcarecovidppe@health.gov.au for all requests.

All requests will be triaged by the Department of Health with priority given to facilities, programs and workers where there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Requests can be made by aged care services and any workers providing support to people receiving aged care support living in the community.

The following information must be provided in your email request:

the facility, program or service requiring PPE
if you have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 at your facility, program or service
types and quantities of PPE required – please note, only masks are available at this stage and other PPE will be provided when available
details of other suppliers you have attempted to source PPE stock from.

If your facility, program or service is experiencing an outbreak of influenza, the above process applies.
Find out more

Useful links and Contacts

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#useful-links-and-contacts Copied to clipboard

Subscribe to aged care sector announcements and newsletters

Resources

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#resources Copied to clipboard

Four modules are available for completion as part of the Department of Health’s new eLearning program for Aged Care workers. Modules are:

Module 1: Personal Safety
Module 2: Families and Visitors
- Part A: Residential Care Facilities
- Part B: In Home Care
Module 3: COVID-19 and Aged Care
Module 4: Outbreak Management

Click here to register and access the training modules.

COMING SOON

Additional resources on accessing and using PPE in Aged Care settings
Further details on accessing the Government’s support packages
Updated Live FAQs

Information for Allied Health

Masks for Allied Health

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#masks-for-allied-health Copied to clipboard

Distribution of surgical masks through PHNs

On 19 April 2020, the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, announced a one-off deployment of surgical masks from the National Medical Stockpile for allied health professionals. This guidance document is provided to ensure consistent and transparent management of the limited supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Surgical masks: answers questions around the use of surgical masks and COVID-19 for GPs, pharmacies, allied health, staff for infection control, and for suspect patients.

To request surgical masks, please fill in this form

For mask or other general enquiries related to PPE please email: covid-19@gcphn.com.au

Information in different languages

COVID-19 Information in different languages

https://gcphn.org.au/practice-support/covid-19/coronavirus-information/#covid-19-information-in-different-languages Copied to clipboard

The Department of Home Affairs has a dedicated website – COVID-19 information in your language which provides culturally and linguistically diverse communities with a single source of information in 63 languages other than English.