Hello it's Dr Gerard Ingham I'm one of the
senior GPs and Directors of Springs
Medical and joined today by Dr. Beth
Quin. Beth there's been some quite
significant changes in how we're
operating because of the COVD19
pandemic. Can you explain what's
happening currently?
So, at Springs we've made really big
changes to try and support social
distancing. Given that the
situation is that all of the doctors at
Springs will be available and are
encouraging telephone consultations
rather than face-to-face consultations.
We're asking you all to book with
your usual GP and keep having your usual
health consultations by the phone.
We've got your files available and your
results available and there can be
really very high-quality consultations
in that context.
And you know we can
provide prescriptions and certificates.
We've been sending the prescriptions
down to the pharmacy or posting them
and faxing and emailing certificates.
It's amazing! We've learned quite a
lot about what we can manage to do with
the telephone consultation. That's not to
say that we aren't still seeing people face
to face if there are things that need to
be seen or when we need to examine you or
there are other reasons why we need to
see you face to face,  we will do that.
We'd like you to presume that your
consultations can be by telephone and
ring and and book a telephone
consultation first. If on the telephone
consultation the GP decides that you
need to be seen then we'll
arrange another appointment after that. That's keeping you safe and keeping us
safe we're really trying to reduce the
foot traffic through here aren't we?
And and our staff,  reception
staff and and nursing staff, we're trying
to keep everybody healthy and available
so that we can continue to serve the community
When it comes to people who
actually do have respiratory symptoms
like coughs and colds again a lot of
those we can handle over the phone but
where we think that they need to be seen,
we're generally trying to see them and
they're coming in through a separate
entrance. They're coming in a
different time of the day and being
seen wearing the protective
gear, to reduce the risk. We
need to keep the Springs Medical
building, the facility here at Daylesford and sorry the same applies to
Trentham and Kyneton. You know, not to
have any cases of COVID 19 here meaning
that we would have to close down the facility
The other thing I've noticed Gerard
is that a lot of people that I've
been conducting the telephone
consultations with are concerned that
they're bothering us because we're busy
and I, we are busy, but it's important to
have the consultations and reframe what
your health management plan is in this
context. We can still talk to you
about any anxiety and help your
strategies, develop strategies for
dealing with those issues.
The mental health impact of what's going on at the moment.
Everyone's leading quite
extraordinary lives
and you only need to turn turn on the television to
become unwell so it's really useful to
talk about that with your GP and if some
alteration in your treatment is needed
relating to that well we're here to be
able to do that for you.
There are of course some things which were trying not to do now - we're putting off. What would they be?
So the first thing
which which is hugely disappointing that
we're unable to continue with is our SIS
program which has been the exercise
program that's been really embraced by
the community and we would love to keep
that going but we're unable to in the
gym but we do implore you to keep
exercising at whatever that is
for you. Whether it's just up and down
out of a chair if you're elderly or a
more dynamic exercise, but exercise we
know is crucial for your physical and
mental health so we really implore you
to keep doing that
I'm aware that some
people who you can safely go outside
are not going outside. It is okay for
you to go out and exercise for a walk
around on your own not meeting anyone
else. That's a safe activity.
In this environment we are so lucky to have so much space around us and it's glorious
in autumn here at the moment so so we
should absolutely make the most of that
It's good for your physical and mental health. There are other things that are not being done?
So one of the things that is
dear to me that we're
suspending for the time being is the
cervical screening clinic or you may
know it still as a PAP clinic.
Australia has a fantastic cervical
screening program we believe it's much
safer to just delay your screening test
for the time being until it's safe to be
in the clinic and of that so we'll we'll
keep you updated as to when that is but
for the time being that's suspended.
I notice Breastscreen is suspended as well
BreastScreen likewise it's much
safer to be at home than have that
mammogram and be in a crowded waiting room. Yes exactly!
Not that we've got a crowded waiting room at the moment. It's very empty because
we've been  very effective with our current
program
The other thing which is coming up
with people are constantly
ringing up and asking about is the
influenza vaccine in?
I'd say to that you just have to keep
watching our webpage. We are updating it
every day or every second day in terms
of whether we have stock in.
Currently as I speak we don't have stock in. We keep
hoping for delivery and if we get a
delivery in the next day or so we will
run flu clinic this weekend. Please don't
ring to ask whether we've got to in if
you do have access to the Internet or do
have access to Facebook we will update
there first of all. We're also keen
to those people who had already booked
in for a flu vaccine in May. Once
we've got the fluvax in we will contact you
directly and to make sure that you're
able to get your influenza immunization
The one thing I would say about the flu
vaccine clinics is that we're dividing
them into 65 and over and and then a
different cohort because the 65 and over
vaccine is a slightly stronger vaccine
than the one other people have and also the 65
year and over group need to make
sure that their pneumonia vaccine is
up-to-date. Now that particular
vaccine or that service is not I believe
offered at pharmacies. So we would
prefer our over 65s to have the
government issued vaccine
here because it's a better vaccine for them.
Yes, currently although we don't
have availability I think we will have
availability soon. We also think the
environment which we offer to have that
immunization will be safer. We've been very conscious of having people coming in and
going out quite quickly. Very few in the building while that's happening
All create a very
safe environment for the over 65s
who are at the greatest risk in the
current environment to have that immunization safely
And the other
thing to say about the flu vaccine is
there's absolutely no need to panic. 
I mean, we've been delivering it
later each year because we know that the
closer it is to the flu season the
higher your immunity is. So we
encourage you to not panic about the flu vaccine
The final thing to say is of
course our billing policy. We had made a
billing policy change already. We
announced that last week that all
pensioners and healthcare card holders
and those under 16 will be bulk-billed
We are pleased to see the government's come along and they increase the incentive
for those. We'd decided already to drop our charges!
We're pleased to see that come
along and we're very pleased with the
government changes which  encourage people during this time.
They've recognised that people because of their mental health problems or other
problems they need to be in contact with
your GP. So, as you've said Beth I think
your GP is available. We are busy but we
are available and don't feel that you
can't come and can't bother us because we are here.
It is particularly important to keep in contact with your usual GP during this time
Keep safe and well!
And be kind to each other
