Visitors will not be denied access to patients and residents of the Rochester Elmore District Health Service, and its aged-care facility, in spite of increasing concerns of the potential for COVID-19 outbreaks in health facilities.
Only half an hour way, at Kyabram District Health Service, no visitors are being allowed into the hospital wards.
REDHS director of clinical services Darren Clark said the organisation was sticking to the state and national guidelines.
“We have stepped up our entry requirements, in line with the advice we have received, and all visitors must now complete a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and wear an N95 mask,” he said.
Mr Clark said the management team at REDHS recognised how important it was to allow patients and residents to have visitors.
“There is a 15 minute wait — of course — to allow for a RAT outcome, but people are so used to it now that we haven’t had any issues,” he said.
Mr Clark said visitors to the REDHS facility were “as keen as anyone” to keep their loved ones safe.
A designated waiting area, inside the building, has been allocated to visitors while they wear a mask while they await the outcome of their RAT.
All RATs are free at the hospital.
Mr Clark said there were no COVID-19 cases in the hospital.
“We have just received a new direction from the Victorian Department of Health informing us that Health System Winter Response (HSWR) is moving to Stage 3,” Mr Clark said.
“There has been a request that previous non-streaming sites provide Tier 1 streaming services.
“This means than here at REDHS, we will now care for moderately unwell COVID-19 positive patients requiring ward admission only.”
REDHS offers an Urgent Care service at its Rochester site, but has not seen an increase in presentations during the nationwide increase in cases.
Mr Clark said while the 10-bed acute ward was full, it was not unusual for this to be the case.
“Among those 10 beds are transition care beds and a palliative care bed,” he said.
“There has been no increase in hospitalisations because of COVID.”
Mr Clark said there had also been no noticeable increase in influenza admissions, with a focus on providing information to people on how best to look after themselves at home.
“Like every health service we are trying to make sure that people who don’t need to be in hospital aren’t in hospital,” he said.
“Our staff are acutely aware of keeping as many beds available as possible.”
Mr Clark said REDHS was now, however, immune from the nationwide shortage of health professionals.
“We have some vacant positions we would love to be able to fill, but we are recruiting as quickly and as often as we can,” he said.
There are more than 200 staff on site at REDHS, including the corporate, allied health, administration and nursing staff.
He said the health service had not been forced into a position, unlike some other services, to cancel staff leave.
“Some staff are picking up extra shifts, but we work in consultation with unions and we haven’t had to move to 12-hours shifts,” he said.
Mr Clark said REDHS staff were aware of the potential for community infection and were extremely vigilant in the community.
With health advice that the worst of the COVID-19 and influenza cases would not be seen for another two or three weeks, REDHS is preparing for what may be ahead.
Mr Clark said people could help the service by seeking out a PCR, instead of relying on a RAT.
“If you are having symptoms and had a negative RAT seek out a PCR,” he said.
“There has been an increase in negative RATs producing positive PCR results.
“Getting the PCR done, so we can commence anti virals straight away.”
Mr Clark said a reduction in re-infection periods, from three months to four weeks, meant positive people were not presenting with the same serious symptoms — but were still COVID positive.
“We can do PCRs at Rochester and get them off to pathology departments. Our results are coming back pretty quickly,” he said.