During the global Coronavirus pandemic, our practice is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our patients and staff.  We continue to monitor all health alerts and government restrictions and are acting on the advice from the Australian Government and the Department of Health, together with other professional bodies.

COVID-19 Patient Information

Do I still need to attend in person for my appointment?

When you make your appointment with our receptionist, you will be triaged to determine if you need to attend in person or if the reason for your visit can be attended to via a telehealth (telephone) consultation. If you need to attend in person you will be advised of what precautions you must take. Social distancing rules apply both in our waiting room and in the consultation with the doctor / nurse. We request you adhere to social-distancing when attending.



Do I come into the practice on arrival and wait in the waiting room?

If you need to attend the practice for a scheduled appointment, we ask that you telephone us upon arrival to let us know you have arrived. Please wait in your car or outside the practice until you are advised by a receptionist that the doctor/nurse is ready to see you.



How to Hand Wash

WHO How to Handwash Poster



Patient Information

Patient Information



Why is my appointment via Telehealth?

Telehealth – Where possible we are encouraging patients use telehealth to consult with their preferred GP. Telehealth is a convenient way to have a consultation with a GP in the comfort of your own home. Most Telehealth consultations are provided by phone and do not require web cams or specific programs to be downloaded.

Telehealth is Good for:

  • Chronic Disease Management

  • Repeat Prescriptions

  • Exploring Mental Health Issues

  • Specialist and Allied-Health Referral Letters

  • Discussing General Health Maintenance

Telehealth is Not Suitable for:

  • Conditions where your doctor may need to listen to your chest, heart or lungs, feel your abdomen or observe something on your skin.

  • Procedures including skin lesion excisions, cervical cancer smears, insertion/removal of contraceptive devices or administering injections.

Your Telehealth consultation is private and confidential unless you choose to have someone participate in the conversation. Telehealth consultations are not recorded and are conducted in the privacy of the doctor’s consultation room.



Our response to COVID-19 - What has changed?

Booking Appointments

Currently we have closed our Online Booking Service. This is so that we can triage all patients and advise them of the procedure for their appointment. Please phone the practice to book an appointment.

Face to Face Appointments

If you have a pre-booked face to face appointment with your doctor or a nurse clinic, you are asked to phone the practice from your car or outside and wait until we ask you to come in.

This process is designed to reduce the number of patients in the waiting room.

Please do not attend the practice unless you have a pre-arranged appointment or have contacted the practice via phone.

Waiting Room

You may notice a reduction in the number of chairs in the waiting room.

This is to reduce the number of patients in the waiting room at any given point in time and also to abide by social distancing requirements.

Cleaning

Our practice is following the advice from the Department of Health and have implemented additional cleaning duties.

All frequently touched surfaces (waiting room chairs, door handles, reception desk, EFTPOS machine, doctor rooms, treatment areas) are being cleaned regularly throughout the day with a bleach solution. This precaution is aimed to minimise the risk of transmission of any harmful viruses, moulds, fungus, algae and/or other harmful pathogen.

Protective Screens

To help protect our staff, protective screens have been installed at our practice's reception desk.



How do I stay up to date?

To monitor the NSW COVID Hotspots, see the NSW Government COVID-19 news and updates page:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates

Over the Phone:

Call this line if you are seeking information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) or help with the COVIDSafe app. Line is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24/7).

This line provides information and support to senior Australians, their families and carers. Line is operational Monday - Friday: 8:30 am to 6:00 pm (excluding public holidays).

Online:

Up to date with all NSW specific updates/information regarding Coronavirus. NSW Health information regarding Coronavirus, including COVID-19 - Frequently asked questions. Tuggerah Medical Centre

For up-to-date information about our practice, we encourage you to like/follow our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/tuggerahmedicalcentre) and check our website for updates.

What is Social Distancing?

Help reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection by avoiding close contact with people you do not live with. Social distancing means reducing the close physical contact we have with one another and staying 1.5 metres away from other people where possible. People living in the same household do not need to be 1.5 metres from each other. NSW Health Social / Physical Distancing NSW Health Advice 15/03/2020