Outpatient appointment changes because of COVID-19

The safety of patients and staff is our top priority.

With recent risk of community transmission, and in order to support us to respond, some non-urgent appointments will be postponed until we are able to resume normal levels of treatment. We will work with you to re-book your appointment as soon as we can. We encourage you to stay in touch with your primary care provider to continue to monitor your condition.

Recently we cancelled or postponed outpatient appointments so we could prepare for COVID-19. Thanks to the substantial work that has been done to prepare for COVID-19 and the response from the community, we are now able to rebook some outpatient appointments.

We are taking increased measures to protect you like offering more appointments via telehealth, limiting the number of staff and patients in our clinics and waiting areas, restricting visitors to our facility, and practising social distancing.

Telehealth is a safe and effective way of delivering care in your home without physical contact.

Telehealth provides an easy, safe and secure way to videoconference with your doctor or health professional from your computer, or through an app on your tablet or smart phone.

If you have received a notice that your appointment has changed to a telehealth appointment you will be contacted with details of how to attend via telehealth, including support to set up the system on your computer or device.

Your telehealth appointment will be conducted with an appropriate clinician in your treating team. Depending on your personal healthcare needs, this might be a doctor, a nurse, or an allied health professional such as a dietitian or psychologist.

Telehealth or phone appointments are safe and effective ways of providing care when physical contact is not required. If you have received notification that your appointment has been cancelled or postponed because of COVID-19, it is likely your treating team needs to see you in person.

Your appointment will be rebooked for an appropriate date in future, according to how urgent your treatment is. You will not lose your position on the waiting list. Your GP or your primary care provider will let us know if you require more urgent care.

Yes, you will be offered another appointment as soon as the hospital is able to provide you with a new appointment date and time. You will not lose your position on the outpatient waiting list.

While we respond to COVID-19, clinical teams are reviewing patients to ensure the most urgent patients are seen first.

Until then, please contact your GP or primary care provider or call 13 HEALTH if you have any immediate health concerns.

In an emergency, call 000 and ask for an ambulance or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

If your situation is not an emergency, contact your GP or primary care provider for advice on how to manage your condition. If required, your GP may request the hospital book an urgent appointment for you.

If you are feeling sick or are in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19, do not attend your appointment in person.

Let your outpatient clinic know and they will arrange another appointment for you in person or by telehealth if appropriate.

Do not attend if you have a fever, flu-like symptoms or have confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

If you have been asked to attend your outpatient appointment, it is likely your treating team needs to see you in person to monitor your medical condition.

The safety of patients and staff is our top priority. We are taking measures to protect you such as offering more appointments via telehealth, limiting the number of staff and patients in our clinics and waiting areas, restricting visitors to our facility, and practising social distancing.

We are taking precautions to ensure your safety in our care. These include:

• observing physical distancing requirements of a minimum of 1.5 meters between yourself and others when you attend the hospital to the extent reasonably practicable,
• increasing our cleaning in all outpatient areas, toilets, and shared spaces,
• making hand sanitising facilities available in outpatient areas and throughout the hospital,
• asking anyone who is unwell to contact us in advance so we can make other arrangements,
• reducing visitors and non-essential people at our facilities
• providing masks on arrival to all patients, visitors and staff who come to our facilities. Masks are now required to be worn in our facilities at all times. People attending an outpatient appointment or visitors are permitted to wear their own clean mask (three layered) if they wish. Staff and admitted patients are required to wear hospital provided masks.

Visitor directions can change frequently due to COVID-19. Please visit https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/rbwh/coronavirus/visiting-during-covid prior to visiting the hospital to view the latest COVID-19 directions.