During the current COVID-19 crisis, hospital resources are being directed away from non-urgent care to allow capacity for the predicted surge in severely sick patients. As a result, St Vincent’s Specialist Clinics will only be able to accept new referrals for patients with urgent conditions such as new cancers or other time-critical diagnoses.
Many outpatients are already being managed through telehealth or telephone consultations to minimise the risk of spread of the virus.
We ask GPs in these extraordinary times to not refer non-urgent patients they would normally send for an opinion or advice.
Please manage these patients as best you can until the surge is over and use excellent resources such as HealthPathways Melbourne.
St Vincent’s is preparing to look at other ways to support GP care such as a GP Hotline for specialist clinical advice.
With the GP Liaison Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Disclaimer: This article was provided by St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.
