Booking Appointments at Blackbutt during COVID-19 – What you need to know

What should I see the doctor for?   What can wait?   What is best dealt with on the phone?   What needs to be face to face?

To help answer these FAQ’s, Dr Wendy has put together a traffic light system to help us all get the care we need and keep ourselves and others safe.

Remember this is a guide and that things will change as the pandemic changes, and individual circumstances may vary. We will do our best to keep you updated as soon as any changes take place and please reach out to us online if you have any further questions.

Please don’t make an appointment for these things, either phone or face to face and wait for the lifting of lockdown restrictions before contacting your GP about the following issues:

• Something that is very mild and will go away by itself.
• If you are well, but just worried about something that you want to discuss.
• Minor surgery, such as removal of skin tags, small skin cancers.
• Ear syringing (use ear drops from the chemist instead).
• Spirometry
• Routine ECG’s.
• Changing of ring pessaries
• Insurance Reports
• Driving medicals (see on our website how most driving medicals can be avoided by extending your licence temporarily).
• Skin checks
• Travel medicine consults

If you are well, and require one of the following, please go ahead and book a phone or face to face appointment with your GP.  Phone appointments are preferable right now, but if your Doctors wants to see you face to face after speaking with you on the phone this will be arranged. Many of these appointments can only be booked online:

• Routine review for a chronic illness, such as diabetes, COPD, heart disease, blood pressure (Please note that Care plans and care plan reviews are being performed by telephone).
• New patient appointments.
• Childhood immunisations and health checks.
• Antenatal Care.
• Essential injections, such as B12, contraceptive, prolia or antipsychotic injections.
• Postnatal check.
• Cervical screening (pap smear).
• Your initial mental health care plan. The first one must be in person, follow up appointments can be arranged by phone.
• Eating Disorder plan or review – please communicate with your doctor about if it is best to be seen in person or reviewed by phone.
• Wound dressings.
• Minor injuries requiring suturing or gluing.
• Palliative care.
• Workers compensation.
• Centrelink forms.
• Contraception concerns, including changing implanons and IUD’s.
• Any symptom that you are very worried about, or could be cancer, deserves a phone appointment to make a plan.
• Emergency treatment, including chest pain, shortness of breath or neurological symptoms should not be neglected. Contact the surgery or hospital, we will see you and we will help you.

If all you need is a script or a referral, book an online appointment with your doctor, or use the AMS app. Results are best discussed on the phone, please book an appointment for a telephone consultation.

If you are sick, with anything that could be contagious such as a runny nose, fever over 37.5 degrees, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat or rash, please go online and book a telephone consult with your doctor. They will assess the situation, and if necessary, we will organise a time to see you safely in the Blue Clinic.