Coronavirus

Last updated 11.00 am, 5 January, 2021

Do you have any symptoms and its after hours? Click on the buttons below to find a health professional in your area.

Find a local doctor Need a doctor to come to youContact a GP online

Contents

• Current Situation
• COVID-19 Vaccine
• COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
• COVID-19 Testing CLINICS
  • GP Respiratory Clinics
• PPE and infection control
• Telehealth and Healthdirect Video Call Service
• Resources for general practice
  • Health Pathways
  • Education: videos and webinars
• Allied Health Professionals
• Aged Care providers
• Resources for community providers
• Community information including COVID-19 Vaccine
• DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
• Useful Links
• Business Support
• Further questions

Current situation

Contacts

• Healthdirect Coronavirus and Vaccine 24/7 Help Line 1800 020 080 
• Healthdirect 24/7 Help Line (including AFTER HOURS and general health issues) 1800 022 222
• Link to your local Public Health Unit 1300 066 055
• Language translator needed? 131450

 

NEWS

January 2022: Should I isolate? Quick reference table showing what to do if you are a close contact or if you have COVID-19

AT HOME Care of COVID patients - letter from Dr Kerry Chant

Stay SAFE during the Summer break

COVID Information: multilingual

Permanent telehealth to strengthen universal Medicare

Vaccinating children: COVID-19 vaccination program appointments available from 10 January. 

Omicron: Quarantine arrangements

COVID-19 rules

Managing COVID-19 at home information hub.

ATAGI Advice - Boosters BOOK your BOOSTER here or through your GP 

Information on rapid antigen testing now available 

Updated Public Health Orders

COVID Guidelines

Forms for GPs caring for post-hospital COVID patients and recovery fact sheet

 

(Return to contents)

COVID-19 Testing Clinics

Need a PCR test for COVID-19? Search your suburb HERE - includes hours and locations

More testing centre information can be found Here

PLUS

• Guidance on lab testing

• The use of facemasks and respirators in the context of COVID-19

• Guidance COVID-19 swab collection-upper respiratory specimen

• Guidance on nasal throat swabs

• Testing Children

• In NSW calling 1300 066 055 will direct to your local Public Health Unit
  

• South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit - 02 9382 8333 After hours emergency - 02 9382 2222, ask for Public Health Officer on call

• Sydney Public Health Unit - 02 9515 9420 After hours emergency - 02 9515 6111, ask for Public Health Officer on call

 

eOrdering pathology remotely?

Use your usual forms, or use pdf THIS CHART (258 KB)  to remotely eOrder private pathology for your patients. This could be through your clinical information system or logging in directly with the private pathology provider. 

GP Respiratory Clinics 

GP Respiratory clinics will assess people with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms including fever, sore throat, cough, tiredness and shortness of breath. Regardless of whether COVID-19 testing is indicated, or a specimen is taken, the patient will receive clinical guidance about managing their respiratory symptoms. 

Locations of Respiratory Clinics

• This link is to the HotDocs GP respiratory clinics in NSW.

• Kirketon Road Mobile Clinic Information: The mobile respiratory clinic, operated by the Kirketon Road Centre, is a mobile, walk-in primary health care assessment service for socially housed, homeless and/or disadvantaged people who are experiencing respiratory symptoms. All centres are wheelchair accessible and testing is FREE. No need for referrals or appointments. Call 0429 802 381 or KRC on 02 9360 2766 for information. Currently the Clinic is only open for COVID testing and vaccination on: Mondays at the Northcote Community Centre, Surry Hills 10.00 am - 2.00 pm and on Fridays at Lexington Place in Maroubra, also between 10.00 am - 2.00 pm.

(Return to contents)

PPE and infection control

• To register your request for PPE please complete this form: PPE Request Form (CESPHN). Please refer to this PHN locator link to check you are in the CESPHN area. PPE should only be used in accordance with the guidance.
• Distribution of PPE to Pharmacists
• For Aged Care -  AgedCareCOVIDPPE@health.gov.au
• NDIS and disability providers -  NDISCOVIDPPE@health.gov.au
• Other Health Care Providers health.ops@health.gov.au 
• For further information see this fact sheet
• CESPHN's infection control page
• PPE guidelines
• Cleaning staff to follow these principles
• PPE application and WHO Guidelines
• Selection of RACGP videos on instructions for using PPE
• Link to Infection control training video for health care workers 
• HOME ISOLATION: People who are isolated at home should not go to work, should not go to school, should not use public areas, and they should not use public transportation or taxis. Should a person isolated at home require medical care, wherever possible they should call first. Appropriate contacts are GP, local emergency department, coronavirus helpline 1800 020 080 or the Healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222

(Return to contents)

Telehealth MBS Items and Healthdirect Video Call Service

Telehealth Update: Latest

The Government is providing $106 million over four years to support permanent telehealth services, ensuring greater flexibility to patients and doctors for the delivery of  health care; allowing GPs, specialists, and allied health professionals to continue to consult with their regular patients by phone or online.

Further information MBSonline (includes excellent fact sheet summaries for rebates)

 

Digital Health Administration

e-Delivery: For more timely medicines for Australians and improve patient safety Information here

e-Ordering pathology: Use THIS CHART  to remotely eOrder pathology for patients

e-Lectronic eprescribing: Prescriber Ready GPs and Detailed Information on e-prescribing November 2020
plus Toolkit to help with promoting your practice as eprescribing. Log in using these details: digitalhealth.immij.com Username: Pharmacy, Password: digitalhealth. PLUS ADHA Fact Sheet,  ADHA FAQs,  Dept Health Fact Sheet, Watch videos here, ADHA  advice 

 

Healthdirect Video Call service

MBS Item Numbers for telephone telehealth consultations have been reduced. Videoconference services are the preferred approach for substituting face-to-face consultations. CESPHN supports the use of the HealthDirect video call service and has funding for free licences to General Practices under COVID-19 GP Video Call Program to 30 June 2022.

Additionally, there is funding for free licences to non-GP type primary care services classed as Mental Health, Aged Care, Maternity, Indigenous Health and Allied Health services to 30 June 2022 under the Healthdirect Video Call Exemplar (Service Pilot) Program.

Telehealth expert Dr Amandeep Hansra explains Video Telehealth here plus See here for Telehealth Resources from early in the pandemic 

For ENQUIRIES AND ASSISTANCE with any of the above (GPs, Specialists, Allied Health) please email us at telehealth@cesphn.com.au. To register for a FREE Video Call licence, complete Clinic Application Form and send it to telehealth@cesphn.com.au. We can provide you with FREE training and get you up and running in a day.

 (Return to contents)     

Resources for General Practice 

Caring for your COVID patients in the home

AT HOME Care of COVID patients - letter from Kerry Chant

Managing COVID-19 at home information hub

GPs caring for COVID-19 positive patients can now obtain medical clearance via the rpavirtual dedicated COVID-19 GP advice and referral support line – 0460 010 127 – which is staffed from 8.00am to 6.00pm daily. They will complete the required documentation on the NSW Patient Flow Portal on GP request. This will trigger the SMS and email messaging and coding directly to the patient. For more information on this process, follow the HealthPathways Sydney COVID-19 Case Management and COVID-19 Virtual Care Requests pathways.

MHR

NOTE: SESLHD ceased faxing discharge summaries and inpatient admission and discharge notifications on 1 November 2020. This information will be available through My Health Record and secure messaging. To receive patient care information successfully, you must be registered for My Health Record and connected to a secure messaging solution. To assist you with this, please contact CESPHN's Digital Health team via digitalhealth@cesphn.com.au

Mental health for health care professionals: A reminder to professionals that it’s important we all look after our own mental health and wellbeing. There are a number of resources available, including: 

• The Essential Network, a dedicated mental health and wellbeing program led by the Black Dog Institute. The program is delivering tailored mental health support and resources for healthcare workers and is available in both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store and online at blackdoginstitute.org.au/ten.
• DRS4DRS service which provides mental health consultations for doctors and medical students.

A free 24/7 Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service available via phone on 1800 512 348 or at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

Useful Links

• Primary Health Quarterly: December 2021 - read about fact over fiction when it comes to health care influencers, axing the fax and our multicultural response team

• Wondering if there is a vaccine mandate in your health care profession?

• Stakeholder pack including translated information with key information about COVID-19 Vaccines.

• QR Codes - NSW Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, is urging all general practices to Set up QR code check-ins at the entry of their practice. 

• My Health Record - Contact for Healthcare professionals

• The Australian Asthma Handbook has been updated to include new information on managing asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Posters for GP surgeries

• Centrelink: HPOS and documents for patients' schools, employers here

• Extensive list of mental health support and resources for patients 

• Disability management during COVID-19

• Resources to assist with family violence

• RACGP guide to managing patients who present with respiratory symptoms: This covers preparation, screening, triage, billing, teleheath consultion and testing.

• RACGP list of ways to keep a GP practice COVIDSafe

• COVID-19 Resources from 2020

• To update GP and practice details please contact one of the following hospitals and your details will be updated for all SESLHD Hospitals

  Calvary Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9553 3488     
  Prince of Wales Hospital, Health Information Unit: 9382 9172    
  Royal Hospital for Women, Health Information Unit: 9382 9172    
  St George Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9113 2888     
  Sutherland Hospital, Clinical Information Service: 9113 2888     
  Sydney Hospital & Sydney Eye Hospital, Medical Records Department: 9382 7339    
  War Memorial Hospital Medical Records Department: 9369 0242 

 

Supporting Women 

Comirnaty is safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding women. Pregnant women should be routinely offered Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of pregnancy.Women who are trying to become pregnant do not need to delay vaccination or avoid becoming pregnant after vaccination. Pregnant women have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Their babies also have a higher risk of being born prematurely. For more information see Joint RANZCOG and ATAGI statement on COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women

Breastscreen NSW  ph: 132050

For up-to-date information about the GP Antenatal Share Care programs, please visit the Maternal Health pages.

Australian Breastfeeding Association is a Registered Training Organisation offering nationally-recognised courses for health professionals.

(Return to contents)

HealthPathways

• Specific HealthPathway  COVID-19 Case Management HealthPathway 

• Sydney HealthPathways has a new  COVID-19 – Child Assessment and Management pathway.

• Similar pathways exist on Sydney HealthPathways so if your practice falls within SLHD please access their site for localised information and responses.

• The South Eastern Sydney HealthPathways and Sydney HealthPathways now include information on management of coronavirus. New users will be able to request access on their local HealthPathways home page. To access these Pathways use the following links:

South Eastern Sydney: Community Health Pathways

Sydney: Community Health Pathways

(Return to contents) 

Education: Videos and webinars

See here for our CPD calendar

See here for upcoming external events

Link to CESPHN's full video library here 

Link to Australian Government COVID-19 video library

Link to NSW Dept Health COVID-19 videos

Link to RACGP

Link to COVID related videos from 2020 and early 2021

Australian Government COVID-19 Webinars and Videos

RACGP Upcoming Webinars

 

(Return to contents)

Allied Health Professionals

There has been an extension of the Healthdirect Video Call Exemplar (Service Pilot) Program funding for free licences to non-GP type primary care services classed as Mental Health, Aged Care, Maternity, Indigenous Health and Allied Health services to 30 June 2022.

Watch our vox pop series where we interview primary health workers including allied health professionals HERE

Free technology help available: Help for allied health professionals and patients to connect online

Residential aged care COVID-19 measures to increase allied health access

Links to COVID Allied Health videos from 2020 and early 2021

 (Return to contents) 

Aged Care providers 

(Return to contents)

Resources for Community providers

This provider alert along with other resources and information about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available from a dedicated web page for disability service providers on the Department of Health website. This page will be updated regularly.

LINK HERE to create your own QR Code

The Department of Health have released a series of videos addressing a number of COVID-19 vaccine questions

Advice for employers from the Australian Government Department of Health

Disability Services Consulting has released a free e-learning module 

Sexual Health and COVID-19: link to website plus see here for webinar discussing COVID-19 for the BBV and STI sectors and further information on care with BBVs and sexual health

Health care workers: Link to Infection control training video

(Return to contents)

Community information

January 2022: Should I isolate? Quick table showing what to do if you are a close contact or if you have COVID-19

BOOK your BOOSTER here or through your GP

What to do if you have COVID-19

Do you have any symptoms and its after hours? Click on the buttons below to find a health professional in your area.

FIND A LOCAL DOCTOR NEED A DOCTOR TO COME TO YOUCONTACT A GP ONLINE

COVID-19 rules

REOPENING NSW COVID 'ROAD MAPS' in multiple languages:  English, Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Thai, Tamil, Serbian, Punjabi, Korean, Italian, Greek, Simplified Chinese 

COVID-19 Support is available at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre

Need proof of vaccination? How to access proof of vaccination

BOOK COVID Vaccine NOW in convenient locations through the eligibility checker    

COVID pack July 2021

Latest information

Videos, guides and resources are available detailing how to:

• create a myGov account and link Medicare
• check contact details for Medicare are up to date
• view an immunisation history statement.

Children's guide to going to a COVID-19 testing clinic
We know the thought of getting a COVID-19 test can be scary especially for young children. This booklet has been developed by the Western Sydney Local Health District to support families of children aged three to five, prepare for a COVID-19 test.   

Useful links

Healthdirect can help Access to medical help after hours

Restriction Checker keeps up to date information on what is and isn't allowed

COVID Vaccine information in YOUR language

Information on Setting up a QR code 

Healthdirect Symptom Checker guides you to the appropriate healthcare action which is also available on the Healthdirect app

FAQs from Healthdirect on coronavirus

 

There IS SUPPORT for VULNERABLE GROUPS

Multicultural

Vaccination Kits in Arabic, Assyrian, Chaldean, Chinese

VIDEO: Our multicultural community tell us why they got vaccinated

Languages other than English: Multilingual Resources on COVID-19 PLUS COVID Vaccine information in YOUR language

Need proof of vaccination? How to access proof of vaccination

COVID information for multicultural communities

COVIDSafe APP is available in Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese

Mental health/loneliness 

For people feeling socially isolated, the Red Cross has a chat service to help people feel connected

Community Visitors Scheme

Extensive mental health information and contacts.

Disability

The Department of Health will continue to update the following webpage Information for people with disability about COVID-19 vaccines with any new advice on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout

This is the aged care and disability sector COVID-19 vaccination booking system

Disability Information: Extensive contacts

Your Story Disability Legal Support video

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 

July 2020 posters  

Extensive information 

Homelessness, domestic violence and unemployed

pdf Newtown Neighborhood Centre - useful resources (241 KB)  

Free TAFE courses to assist job seekers: More information is available via TAFE NSW or by calling 131 601 today

Telehealth

• How to use Telehealth for patients
• Link for doctors to direct to their patients who are having trouble connecting online - FREE HELP is available 
• Simple guide in pictures to using Telehealth

Other helpful Information

• Important reminder not to put your health on hold - Australian Digital Health Agency
• COVID-19 tips for people living with Dementia
• Australian Government Department of Health link to Coronavirus Resources
• NSW Health guide to Protecting yourself from infectious disease
• Updated information on how to protect yourself from COVID-19
• Guidance for accessing and delivering AOD Services during COVID-19
• Your rights during COVID-19: Anti-Discrimination NSW

(Return to contents)

Useful Links

• Healthdirect COVID-19 information
• NSW Health COVID-19 Information
• NSW Health COVID-19 FAQs
• RACGP COVID-19 Information
• Australian Govt Dept Health COVID-19
• COVID-19 World Health Organisation
  
• COVID-19 Health Information Line

• Plus

  NSW daily updated information: NSW Health
  World vaccination rates
  AHPPC: Latest Statements
  MBS Online: News and Updates
  CESPHN's latest coronavirus updated mailouts
  Aged care resources 
  Dept Health GP webinars
  BOOK your COVID Vaccine NOW via the eligibility checker
  Restriction Checker: what is and isn't allowed
  Multicultural Communities
  Proof of vaccination 
  Wondering if there is a vaccine mandate in your health care profession?
  Check COVID-19 Testing centres updated hours and locations
  COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics

(Return to contents)

Business Support

As small businesses you may be entitled to some government help 

• NSW information on business, employees, employers organisational help
• Australian Taxation Office - Information and tailored support during COVID-19
• ATO - Link to information on small business $150,000 instant asset write-off
• Fair Work Australia - Coronavirus and Australian Workplace Laws
• Services Australia - Affected by COVID-19 - Centrelink and financial assistance
• Sole traders - Support available
• COVID-19 and small business - Help is Here
• Support for Businesses https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/businesses
• FAQs Small Business https://www.ausbanking.org.au/covid-19-relief-faqs/

(Return to contents)

Further questions

If you have a question or would like additional support please email coronavirus@cesphn.com.au

(Return to contents)