Coronavirus

Eastern Shore Doctors is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 pandemic situation. 

We are working hard to minimise the risk of spreading infections to the general public, other patients, staff and doctors.  Your cooperation with Public Health recommendations will greatly assist with "flattening the curve" and helping our health system to cope over the coming months.

We recommend that anyone who is unwell with any of the following symptoms self-isolate at home: do not go to your GP surgery, work, school, child care, crowded public space, or mass gathering:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath

Even if your symptoms are due to a cold or flu and are not related to Covid-19, isolating yourself and helping to stop the spread of such symptoms to others will alleviate pressure on our health system.

We have signage at our front entrance requesting that anyone with fever and / or respiratory symptoms does not enter our practice.

Anyone who disregards the warning signs and enters the surgery who has had a fever and / or respiratory symptoms will be asked to return to their vehicle to wait.  All persons who have symptoms AND who have epidemiological criteria (travelled from overseas in the last 14 days or who have had close contact with a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 case) will be asked to leave the building immediately.

Eastern Shore Doctors does not currently have enough personal protective equipment at the practices to allow people with symptoms and epidemiological criteria to be assessed in person. People who disregard this advice are potentially exposing other patients, staff and practitioners to Covid-19, and may disrupt our business workforce. In the interest of keeping our practices open, and protecting the community, please read and follow the direction on our warning signs.

To assist with infection control we have rearranged the chairs in out waiting room and removing toys and magazines from the practice - things look different, but please don't be alarmed, we are just following pandemic recommendations and trying to keep our community healthy.

Phone Consults

Eastern Shore Doctors is offering Telephone Consults for our existing patients who have been advised to self-isolate, for our existing patients who have fever or respiratory symptoms (and therefore should not attend the surgery in person), and for our existing patients who'd prefer not to attend our practice in person. These services will be available to all existing patients at Eastern Shore Doctors. They will be privately billed unless the patient is eligible for one of the new Medicare item numbers, in which case we will bulk bill.

On 14th March 2020 new Medicare item numbers were announced which allow us to bulk bill Telephone Consults to our patients who fit into the following categories:

• A patient who has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 but not hospitalised for treatment
• A person who is in isolation for possible COVID-19 or who meets the current national triage protocol for suspected Covid-19 infection
• A person is considered more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus being a person who is:
• Patients 70 years of age and older
• Patients of ATSI descent who are 50 years of age and older
• Patients who are pregnant
• Patients who are caring for children under 12 months of age (defined as a parent or primary caregiver)
• A person receiving treatment for chronic health conditions OR who is immunocompromised
• A health professional at risk for COVID-19
• Has been diagnosed with COVID-19 but not hospitalised
• Has been required to isolate themselves in home isolation
• Our Nurse or GP will advise you as to your eligibility for bulk-billed services. 

In-surgery Appointments

For now, we will continue to offer in-practice appointments for essential services (such as immunisations) for people who do not have symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat). 

We will delay non-essential services (such as Care Plans and Health Assessments). You may receive a phone call from one of our friendly Receptionists or Nurses to reschedule non-essential services that you have already booked.

We have disabled online bookings for the immediate future to enable the appropriate triage to be undertaken, we will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and will enable online bookings again when appropriate.

Please phone the surgery on 6282 1333 to book your appointments. Our Receptionists and Nurses will help to triage the urgency of your attendance and will recommend and arrange a Phone Consult where appropriate.

Thank you for your understanding and for your cooperation with these measures.

CURRENT COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS IN TASMANIA:

If you have symptoms and you have returned from overseas travel within the last 14 days or have had contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19, phone the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline, 1800 671 738 to arrange testing.

Follow the advice of the Public Health Hotline, especially if it is to self-isolate.

Do not come to Eastern Shore Doctors if you have any symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath) or if you think you might have COVID-19, stay at home.

If you are aged over 70, are of ATSI origin and aged over 50, are pregnant, have a child aged <12 months at home, or you have chronic disease (such as COPD) or are immunocompromised, and you'd like a consultation, please phone to request a Phone Consult or Telehealth Consult with one of our GPs.

If you would like medical advice about anything (not just Covid-19) please phone us on 6282 1333 and explain your situation to our Receptionist who may be able to schedule an appointment or a Phone Consult with one of our GP's.

Wash and dry your hands often, with soap and water. Germs can spread through hand contact. Wash your hands before touching your face (especially lips, mouth, nose, eyes), food and drinks, and after coughing, sneezing and going to the toilet.

Wash and dry your hands well. Make sure the soap and water come into contact with your whole hand – palms, backs of hands, thumbs, fingertips, wrists and the webbing between your fingers. Rub your hands for 15–20 seconds

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. If you don’t have a tissue, use the inside of your elbow. Put used tissues in the rubbish straight after use (don’t keep gems in your pocket!) and then wash your hands.

Keep your distance. Try to keep a metre (a large step) from people who are coughing or sneezing. 

If you are well, there is no reason to wear a facemask to protect yourself against COVID-19 unless you are in close contact (within a metre) with someone suspected or known to be infected. This is normally only healthcare workers and carers. Facemasks are generally for people who are suspected or known to have the virus and people directly caring for them, such as healthcare workers and carers.

If you are unwell avoid contact with other people: stay at home, don't go to work, school or childcare, and don't visit a residential aged care facility.

Keep an eye on the Tasmanian Public Health website for more information: https://www.health.tas.gov.au/publichealth/communicable_diseases_prevention_unit/infectious_diseases/coronavirus