What is a telehealth appointment you may ask?

This is where you book an appointment just like a regular appointment, however instead of coming into the practice and sitting in the waiting room, you wait at home by your phone. When your appointment time arrives, the doctor will give you a call and consult with you in a similar fashion to how they would when you are in their consultation rooms.

It is important to know however, that just like on a regular day, the doctor may occasionally run behind schedule if a previous appointment takes longer than usual. We usually estimate that the call to you will be made within approximately 10 minutes before or up until 30 minutes after your scheduled appointment time. If for some reason, you haven’t received your call within this timeframe and you can’t wait any longer, please contact our reception staff who can reschedule the appointment for you.

Occasionally, your doctor may feel that it is necessary to see you in person following a telehealth appointment. If this is the case, they will advise you of when they need to see you and you will be able to book an in-person appointment to see them. Please note that our doctors are working very hard under unusual circumstances to continue to provide you with the best healthcare solutions possible and we really appreciate your patience whilst we all adjust.

As there have been a lot of changes in our practice over the past few weeks with the COVID-19 restrictions, our practice hours have been a little more variable. If you do need to come in, please contact the practice to confirm our opening hours for the day. Remember: If you have any symptoms such as a sore throat, cough or fever, you must call and let us know before you come in.

Please also note that Southern IML pathology services are NOT currently performing pathology collections from within our practice due to the COVID-19 restrictions and to ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff. If you need to access pathology services, please call (02) 4224 7474 or visit their website for further information.

 

We are still open and seeing patients for essential in-person appointments. Some appointments just can’t wait or need to be done in person. We can still make an appointment for you to come into the practice if needed. If you have any flu-like symptoms you must tell us before coming to the practice. Please call for more information.

Infection prevention and control is everyone’s responsibility.

Please make sure you use the hand sanitiser as you enter and leave our practice to stop the spread of germs and adhere to social distancing rules whilst in our waiting room or at reception. Additional chairs are located outside in the walkway if you prefer.

In-person appointments are still available for

• Childhood Immunisations
• Wound care
• Injections such as Prolia and Vitamin B12 etc
• Other appointments requiring face-to-face consultations

For all other appointments, where possible we are currently providing telehealth/telephone consultations due to the COVID-19 risks. Call the practice or use HotDoc online to make a telehealth appointment. Please note that all repeat scripts or referrals currently require an appointment.

Our practice will be closed over the Easter break – from Good Friday 10^th April and returning Tuesday 14^th April, 2020. If you require a GP during the Easter break you can contact the Illawarra Radio Doctor Service on 4228-5522.

In the case of an Emergency please call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

As there have been a lot of changes in our practice over the past few weeks with the COVID-19 restrictions, our practice hours have been a little more variable. If you do need to come in, please contact the practice first to confirm our opening hours for the day.

Please also note that Southern IML pathology services are NOT currently performing pathology collections from within our practice due to the COVID-19 restrictions and to ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff. If you need to access pathology services, please call SouthernIML direct P: (02) 4224 7474 or visit their website for further information. 

The Illawarra Radio Doctor continues to provide medical coverage for our patients in the after-hours period, on weekends and public holidays.

During the Easter break, the Illawarra radio doctor can still undertake home visit consultations for all non-flu/COVID-19 patients. They can also undertake telehealth/telephone consultations for those people who are quarantines or self-isolating due to the COVID-19 risk.

Doctors will be available
Good Friday 10/4/2020 – 24 hours
Easter Saturday 11/4/2020 – 24 hours
Easter Sunday 12/4/2020 – 24 hours
Easter Monday 13/4/2020 – 24 hours

To access the Illawarra Radio doctor service please call 42285522 and have your medicare card ready. Please make sure you advise if you have any flu-like symptoms.

In the case of an Emergency please call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

Firstly, we would like to thank all our patients for their understanding during this ever-changing COVID-19 situation. It has been a difficult time for everyone and ensuring the ongoing health and safety of our Doctors, staff and patients has been our constant priority.

All patients are now eligible to book telehealth consultations with our doctors. If there is a requirement for a doctor to examine a patient in person, this will be arranged as a further consultation. All telehealth consultations will be bulk-billed.

If you do require to come into the practice, please adhere to the following safety precautions:

• Follow social distancing rules when sitting in the waiting room (there are seats located in the walkway outside if you prefer)
• Notify reception of your arrival, however, please remain behind the yellow line when approaching the reception counter
• Use hand rub solution both when you enter and leave the surgery to prevent the spread of germs
• If you have flu-like symptoms – cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever – DO NOT attend the practice. Call first so we can advise appropriate action.

Our HotDoc online appointment system has been modified during this time. Only telehealth appointments can be booked. Either single, double or repeat script/referral appointment can be booked. These appointments will be attended to over the phone with your doctor.  Call 42852630 for all other appointments.

Again, thank you for your understanding as we all adjust to these changes.

If you have an urgent medical concern, please call 000 and request an ambulance.

Patients, Staff and Visitors – Measures we are taking to protect your health.

The Coronavirus is having a considerable affect on all Australians. This is causing disruption to our practice and our regular patient processes. We are committed to keeping our practice as safe and comfortable as possible for our patients, visitors and staff.

In order to ensure the most effective Infection Control and Prevention we have implemented the following criteria.

ALL Patients, Staff and Visitors entering or leaving our practice MUST use hand sanitiser on arrival and departure to reduce the spread of germs.

We are also taking additional measures to clean all contact surfaces at regular intervals throughout the day.

If you have the following symptoms Fever, sore throat, runny nose or cough. DO NOT ENTER the practice. Please call first and speak to one of our receptionists for further instructions or information.  Phone: 4285 2630.

Thank you for helping us to ensure that all our patients continue to receive the highest level of care during this difficult time.

AVAILABLE SOON

Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program

We have been advised that the Government-funded influenza vaccines should become available around mid-late April 2020.

Our helpful reception staff will be happy to book an appointment for you once we have the vaccines in stock.

Stay up to date by checking back with us via our webpage, Facebook or Instagram.

For further information on this program visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/pages/flu.aspx

Please note that these vaccinations do not cover CORONA virus.

What you need to know

If you are a traveller from mainland China or Iran or think you may have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus, special restrictions apply to you. You must isolate yourself. This means you stay at home and do not attend public places, including work, school, childcare or university. For the latest advice on who needs to isolate, go to www.health.gov.au

While coronavirus is of concern, it is important to remember that most people displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness are likely suffering with a cold or other respiratory illness—not coronavirus.

How can we help prevent the spread of coronavirus?

Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You should:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet; cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser; and if unwell, avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging, and other intimate contact.

How is this coronavirus spread?

The coronavirus is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:

• Direct close contact with a person while they are infectious; close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face.
• Most infections are only transmitted by people when they have symptoms. These can include fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness and shortness of breath.

What if I develop symptoms? If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) and fit the risk categories from travel or contact with a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment. You must telephone the health clinic or hospital before you arrive and tell them your travel history or that you may have been in contact with a potential case of coronavirus. You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe for you to return to your usual activities.

Who is most at risk of a serious illness? Some people who are infected may not get sick at all, some will get mild symptoms from which they will recover easily, and others may become very ill, very quickly. The people at most risk of serious infection are:

• People with compromised immune systems, such as people with cancer; elderly people; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; very young children and babies, and people with diagnosed chronic medical conditions.

How is the virus treated? There is no specific treatment for coronaviruses. Antibiotics are not effective, and most symptoms can be treated with supportive medical care.

Should I wear a face mask? You do not need to wear a mask if you are healthy, while masks can help prevent transmission of disease from infected patients to others, masks are not currently recommended for use by healthy members of the public for infections like coronavirus.

More information.

For the latest advice, information and resources, go to www.health.gov.au or https://www.health.gov.au/resources/collections/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-resources

Call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.

Information obtained from the Australian Government – Department of Health.

Applications have now closed for our role of Casual Medical Receptionist. THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to apply, or share our post on Social Media. Applicants selected for interview will hear from us shortly.

Casual Medical Receptionist Role

• Based in Balgownie Village, just 5 minutes north of Wollongong.
• Friendly, hard-working team passionate about delivering excellent patient care
• Casual hours; On-call Basis

The Role

We are seeking a friendly Medical Receptionist to join our team at Balgownie Village General Practice. This is a Casual role with variable hours and shifts, able to cover annual and sick leave at short notice as well as adapt with any changes in our doctors’ schedules. We are ideally after someone who can work between the practice hours of Monday – Friday 7.15am – 5.30pm.

Reporting to the Practice Manager and working alongside our other medical receptionists, you will be responsible for:

• Meeting and greeting patients, guiding them through the registration process and providing superior customer service
• Scheduling appointments efficiently and pro-actively managing the appointment book to ensure effective use of our doctors’ time
• Either opening or closing the practice as needed
• Entering patient data, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality
• Processing and receipting all payments
• Managing phone and email queries
• Assisting in maintaining practice cleanliness by tidying up consulting rooms before and after patient use and at the end of the day
• Providing general administration duties as required
• Participating in staff meetings and training

You are:

• Customer-focused and make patient care the top priority
• Pro-active; continuously seeking ways to improve and streamline processes
• A strong team player who positively contributes to work culture
• Approachable, reliable and dependable
• Willing to go the extra mile when required
• Authorised to work in Australia

In addition, you have:

• Demonstrated receptionist experience in a medical practice, preferably a general practice (although other related experience will also be considered such as dental, optometry, pharmacy experience)
• Excellent computer skills including medical practice software (e.g. Medical Director & PracSoft would be highly advantageous); knowledge of MS Word; scanning and uploading incoming patient information to patient records
• Working knowledge of medical billing procedures and the ability to process Medicare and other payments
• A basic understanding of general practice and surgical MBS item numbers
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Solid time management and organisational skills
• Mature and sensitive approach when dealing with the patients
• A “can do” attitude
• Completion of an accredited medical receptionist course/knowledge of medical terminology or equivalent is desirable but not essential.

Please note that previous experience as a medical receptionist is an absolute requirement for this role. Thank you.

To apply for this role, please submit your CV to marina@bsfmedical.com.au or Contact Marina on 4285 2630.  Only successful applicants will be contacted for interview.

Corona Virus – Information for Patients

There has recently been an outbreak of Novel Coronavirus in the area of Wuhan City, Hubei province in China.

If you believe you may have come into contact with the virus; have travelled overseas (especially to China since December 2019); have come into contact with persons who have travelled overseas or in this area; or have come into contact with persons known to or suspected of having the virus; you should contact your local GP urgently and advise reception staff immediately upon arrival at the practice rooms.

If you develop a fever, a cough, sore throat or shortness of breath within 14 days of travel to an affected area, you should immediately isolate yourself from other people. Contact your GP or your emergency department or call the healthdirect helpline 1800 022 222 and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

It is important to phone ahead so that the practice or emergency department can make appropriate preparations and protect others.

When seeking medical care wear a surgical mask (if available) otherwise ask for one when you arrive and practice simple hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow and washing your hands thoroughly.

Our staff can provide patients with a mask on arrival in our practice.

Patients who are concerned out-of-hours or have severe respiratory symptoms should call 000 for an ambulance or present to their nearest hospital. Please ensure that you advise the hospital or Ambulance officers if you suspect Coronavirus.

We thank you for your co-operation in this matter.