COVID-19 Advice

FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION, PLEASE CHECK ALSO THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES

Update 08 Jan 2021

St Andrews War Memorial Hospital now have elevated restrictions in place. Visitors are only allowed under special circumstances. Please see St Andrew's Website (link above).

We are awaiting release of recommendations regarding the lock down precautions announced this morning. Additional precautions take effect today from 6pm and last for 3 days. Details about exemptions (for medical appointments) will be announced shortly. If you have a clinic appointment after today, please continue to check Queensland Government guidelines regarding lockdown restrictions. If your clinic appointment requires to be cancelled, we will contact you by SMS.

** Please check current Queensland Government guidelines for movement into and out of the greater Brisbane area if you live outside this zone. ** In particular this relates to people considering attending their appointment from the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowooba or North Queensland.

We recommend the use of masks whilst lockdown precautions are in place.

We are able to provide the option of telemedicine consultation services (Skype preferred) to avoid the necessity to attend the clinic in person. Please see our website for further information and advise our staff of your Skype address details.

Advice for patients attending Brisbane Hip Clinic or scheduled for surgery at St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital (update effective 22 April 2020).

Health authority regulations are changing rapidly at present. The following advice is based on current recommendations from local, state and national regulatory bodies in relation to the prevention of transmission of COVID-19. Please take this advice in combination with latest recommendations from National and State health authorities (links provided below).

General Guidance

Do not attend clinic or present for elective hospital procedures if:

- You are required to self isolate (recent overseas travel, known clinically significant exposure to a person confirmed positive with COVID-19); or

- Clinically unwell (fever, respiratory symptoms).

If you are unsure about suitability to attend a clinic appointment, please call us on 39831 9777 or alternatively call the Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080.

Attending Clinic

If you are in a vulnerable population group* or are currently undertaking isolation precautions, you have the option of conducting your appointment by Telemedicine services for convenience. This can be conducted by either Skype or telephone. Skype is preferable in many instances as we can often perform better assessments using the additional video capability. Telemedicine consultation services are also available for all people who live in remote locations. Further information on our telemedicine service capability is available on our website. Link.

* According to commonwealth guidance, vulnerable population groups are defined as:

- Age of at least 70 years; or

- Age over 50 and of Aboriginal or Torres Strait descent; or

- Pregnant; or

- Parent with a child under age of 12 months; or

- Already under treatment for chronic health conditions or is immune compromised; or

- Meets current national triage protocol criteria for suspected COVID-19 infection.

Otherwise, if you are well of health and do not meet these criteria or general guidance recommendations above, you can attend your scheduled clinic appointment. Telemedicine consultations are also available for those people who meet relevant criteria (typically this is if you live outside of Brisbane). Further information on our Telemedicine service is available on our website. Link

Please limit the number of people attending your clinic appointment. Whilst having another person with you at the appointment is useful, limit the number of extra people attending to the minimum required and consider attending the appointment by yourself if appropriate. It would for instance be inadvisable to bring the whole family to your clinic appointment, given requirements for social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Antiseptic solutions will be available for public use throughout the clinic.

Please be punctual at attend your appointment at your allocated time. We generally run on time and have coordinated our appointments to limit the number of people within our facility at any given time. Please refrain from presenting to your appointment well in advance. If you arrive early, consider the time you will be waiting for your appointment and minimise this where possible.

Attending Surgery

St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital is currently designiated as a "clean" hospital and does not admit patients with known or suspected COVID-19 infection. Patients and staff are screened for risk factors that may be associated with COVID-19 exposure or infection.

Do not present to hospital if:

- You have returned from travel overseas within the last 14 days; or

- Unwell with signs of a respiratory infection; or

- Have known significant exposure to COVID-19; or

- Requiring to self isolate for any other reason.

If you do not meet these criteria, it is considered safe to proceed with your scheduled surgery. The equipment used within the operating theatres (ventilators etc) are designed to prevent transmission of viruses of all types, including COVID-19.

Advice for visitors to St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital

If you have a family member or friend who is admitted to St Andrew's War Memorial hospital, you are welcome to visit however the risk of infection transmission to others must be considered. St Andrew's Hospital has issued the following guidance:

- Visitin hours may apply. Please check hospital website or call on 07 3834 4444.

- Please limit the number of visitors - check with St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital about current guidelines.

- Maintain social distancing precautions (1.5m separation) where possible.

- Consider alternative methods of contacting admitted patients where appropriate (for example telephone, facetime, Skype).

- Please follow hand hygiene guidelines and use the hand sanitiser provided.

- Do not visit if you are developing signs of respiratory infection or fever.

- Do not visit if you are undertaking self isolation.

- Do not visit if you have been overseas within the last 14 days (self isolation required).

Further information and resources

St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital recommendations

Queensland Government recommendations

Australian Govenrment recommendations

Coronavirus Helpline 1800 020 080.

If you need further information or need to reschedule your appointment or surgical procedure

Please contact us as early as practical on 07 3831 9777.