Starting from tomorrow (Tues, 3rd May), our FLU CLINICS will run for three weeks, with two clinics days per week. These are almost at full capacity, which is great news, but also presents its own set of challenges, too.

The plan/workflow for the clinics is as follows:

• Patients book in for one of the available clinic dates, and receive a modified confirmation SMS that asks if they'd like to have both their COVID Dose 4 (if eligible) AND their flu vaccine.
• Patients requesting both will be marked with the usual 'Vax Candidate' indicator, and those opting for flu only with the green CONFIRMED flag.
• On arrival, patients will check in with the admin team, have their vaccine under the supervision of the rostered GP, then head to the courtyard for their post-vaccine observation.
• To maintain the workflow developed during the COVID clinics, patients will exit via the rear courtyard door. If ineligible for the govt flu vaccine, patients will be asked to either settle their account using a QR code available in the courtyard, or via SMS at the conclusion of the clinic session (AM or PM). Payments will be managed via PayPal.

it's important to note that these clinics are for vaccinations only, and should patients wish to discuss issue not directly related to their vaccine,e they should do so by making an appointment with their regular GP!

For those managing the clinics, the video below is a simple suggestion for the consent/billing process:

After this week, patients will also have the option of booking in with their usual GP rather than in clinics to receive their flu vaccination.

At present (not withstanding 'on the day' appointments), we currently have up to TWO (2) weeks wait for patients to see their regular GPs (or any other). Please be judicious when seeing patients that if you can opportunistically vaccinate, feel free, but also book them in clinics where possible, rather than slots that might otherwise be put to better use by another patient!

Consenting Iron Infusions...

In recent months, a number of patients have come to have iron infusions either at our behest or that of an external provider (with the patient still known to us). In the interest of avoiding placing unnecessary strain on clinical staff (and possible medico-legal liability), if you as GP have ordered an iron infusion, please complete the medication order and consent with the patient ahead of their booking. If over telehealth, then printing the consent for a simple signature at the time of the infusion can relieve a great deal of stress for both the patient and the supervising staff (if not yourself)!

Welcome Prashna Gurung!

Prashna joins the admin team this month, and will be with us primarily on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Please make her feel welcome as she joins the bigger CSMP family!

Please direct your patients to use the Practice's 'Contact Us' web portal to follow-up on their results, as well as when they need to send images or other documents prior to their appointments. This allows admin to better triage and direct correspondence, and reduces the pressure on nurses for follow-up during peak times!

Managing Patient Expectations...

As I mentioned earlier, the current wait time for patients to see their (or another) GP is up to two weeks - in some cases, individual GPs are booked up to two months ahead, including poached 'On The Day' slots. CSMP has a handful of tools set up to allow patient care to continue outside of appointments (online script and referral portals, as well as the 'contact us' system and results follow-up with the nurses, and SMS for normal results), but none of these can replace the value and benefit of actual consultations (including those done by Telehealth). To provide something of a circuit breaker, we have reduced the number of new patients that CSMP has taken on, under the direction of the Doctors Committee. We're hoping that in the coming months, such a circuit breaker will reduce wait times back to a reasonable level - your feedback in this regard is definitely appreciated!

Coming Events...

• Flu Clinics (3rd/4th May, 11th/12th May, 17th/19th May). Thanks you to GP supervision volunteers!
• Fridge 2 (Pvt Vaccines) UPGRADE - Fridge 2 will be upgraded and replaced on Tues, 3rd May. Private vaccines will be located in the PROCEDURE room until the new fridge is properly installed!
• Annual Leave (17th to 21st May) - I'll be inter-state for a few days over this period. Contact me if you need me!