Don’t miss out on vital help: How to access healthcare safely during Covid-19

During the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, it’s important that you go to your usual appointments with your doctor or healthcare professional. This is even more important if you’re someone with an existing chronic health condition like diabetes or heart disease.

That said, to stop the spread of Covid-19, the current advice is to stay home as much as possible if you’re sick, particularly if you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19. This can feel pretty confusing if you’re feeling unwell and need medical help.

It’s important to know that if you’re sick and would usually see a doctor or health professional, or go to a hospital, you still can. This isn’t a time to put off getting the health care you need.

Importantly, Queensland’s hospitals are open to care for anyone experiencing an emergency.

Earlier this year, some non-urgent medical services were paused due to the impacts of Covid-19. Since case numbers have dropped and restrictions have eased, hospital and health services across Queensland are now operating as normal.

That means, if you’re sick:

1. Don’t delay calling your GP to make an appointment if you or a loved one is feeling unwell and you would usually see your doctor.
2. If your health condition becomes more serious while you are waiting for a surgery date or a specialist appointment, contact your doctor immediately.
3. If your health condition is an emergency, call 000 and ask for an ambulance, or present to your nearest emergency department.

For answers to your more complex questions on how to get the treatment you need during the pandemic, read on!

How can I access healthcare safely?

If you need emergency care, Queensland’s hospitals and emergency departments are open and well prepared to look after you. If you need to see your local GP about a general illness, they are also open and well prepared to look after you. If you need allied health support, including physiotherapy, psychology, podiatry, dietetics, optometry or occupational therapy, these services are open and ready to provide safe and essential care.

Queensland’s hospitals and health services have strict infection prevention instructions to follow when caring for patients with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19. As a result, there are some steps you should take when accessing healthcare.

1. If you’re experiencing the symptoms of Covid-19, contact your doctor immediately. If you have a face-to-face visit, call your doctor’s office first to let them know about your symptoms so they can prepare for your visit appropriately and safely, or suggest appointment alternatives (like telehealth – more on that later).
   •  Fever
   •  Cough
   • Sore throat
   • Shortness of breath
   •  Fatigue
   • Loss of smell and/or taste
   • Runny nose
   •  Diarrhoea
   • Vomiting or nausea
2. You should be aware that if you’re receiving treatment for Covid-19 in hospital, you’ll be looked after in a separate and secure area with strict safety protocols. While hospitals, GPs and health service practices are always very clean, they’re cleaning even more than usual.
3. If you’re attending an appointment face-to-face, the healthcare facility you’re visiting will probably have some new rules in place to help keep you safe. These could include taking magazines and toys out of the waiting room, reducing wait and appointment times, asking everyone to wash their hands before and after appointments, rearranging chairs or asking you to queue in a specific spot to keep the recommended physical distance.
4. Many facilities have reduced the number of people on-site, which means there’s more room for physical distancing. Where they can, hospitals support non-frontline staff to work from home and hospital visitor restrictions may be in place.
5. Queensland Health has increased its telehealth services so ask if this is an option for your appointment when booking.

What is telehealth?

Telehealth is a service that lets health professionals help patients via video or phone. Queensland regional communities have been using telehealth’s secure service for a long time, which has meant patients in regional communities can receive care closer to home. This service has become more popular in metropolitan areas in the past few years.

In a telehealth appointment, you can see and hear your health professional. You can ask questions like you would if you were in the same room. Telehealth also lets you have a family member, carer or friend sit in on the appointment with you.

If your GP refers you to see a specialist at a hospital, a telehealth appointment may be an option for you. Some of the specialty services that use telehealth are mental health and outpatient appointments. Some nursing and allied health services also use telehealth to help patients.

There are many benefits to telehealth, but during Covid-19 it’s proving even more helpful because patients can still access specialist level healthcare in a way that keeps everyone safe. Some hospitals even allow emergency doctors to video conference with an ambulance officer or GP from a patient’s home.

The Federal Government has made bulk billing available for some GP telehealth consultations.*

To find out whether you can access a telehealth service, ask your GP or specialist when booking or confirming your next appointment.

As part of the Covid-19 response, GPs are also able to send a digital prescription straight to pharmacists. This means a physical copy of the original paper prescription with a GP’s wet-ink signature doesn’t need to be posted by mail. Patients can have their script filled and medication delivered to their door.

What if I need a face-to-face appointment or to go to hospital?

GPs and hospitals are well prepared to care for people facing health challenges, regardless of their age or the area in which they live. Queensland hospitals, health services and community clinics are doing everything they can to minimise the risk of Covid-19. This includes special consideration for vulnerable groups of people such as the elderly.

If a loved one living with you or in an aged care facility requires treatment at hospital rather than via telehealth, they’ll receive safe care during their hospital visit.

What if I have Covid-19 and am hospitalised?

If you’re receiving treatment for Covid-19 in hospital, you will be cared for in a separate, secure area with strict safety instructions. Hospitals, including those in regional Queensland, are well prepared for any one no matter their age. Each facility has detailed plans in place to manage cases of Covid-19, including those who need respiratory help of any kind.

If you live in regional Queensland and need more complex respiratory support in an intensive care unit, you’ll be moved to a larger hospital. This will allow you to receive specialised care. All ambulances and retrieval aircraft have ventilator support to ensure you can be transported safely.

*Patients must be located in Australia, be eligible for Medicare and not in hospital.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.