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COVID-19
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN is supporting general practices to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in our region.
This page contains information on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, GP respiratory clinics, fever and community assessment clinics, other locations for specimen collection and resources to help in the assessment and management of COVID-19.
Current local advice is that patients with suspected COVID-19 are referred to GP respiratory clinics, pathology collection centres, fever clinics, community assessment clinics or emergency departments that are equipped to appropriately respond.
Latest COVID-19 news
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN will continue to provide the latest information on COVID-19. For further information, please contact your Primary Care Liaison Team.
COVID-19 GP Alert - 15 April 2021
- Queensland restrictions update
- De-escalation of PPE requirements
COVID-19 GP Alert - 13 April 2021
- New and updated resources
- Thrombosis information and papers of interest to clinicians
- New MBS Items
- Professor Michael Kidd – next General Practitioner webinar
COVID-19 GP Alert - 9 April 2021
Important update - use of vaccines in patients under 50
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has provided new advice on immunisation, in light of the evolving evidence of a rare but serious side effect involving thrombosis with thrombocytopenia following receipt of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Other COVID-19 updates
COVID-19 Vaccine
The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is now available. Doses of this vaccine are available at specific hospital sites across urban and rural Australia.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will progressively be distributed through an expanded number of sites, including general practice clinics, existing Commonwealth GP respiratory clinics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services, state-run vaccination clinics and pharmacies.
The vaccine rollout roadmap has determined the phases of vaccination for priority groups.
Click here to view the phases of vaccination for priority groups
Phase 1a
- quarantine and border workers
- frontline at-risk health care workers*
- residential aged care and disability care staff
- residential aged care and disability care residents.
Phase 1b
- adults over 70 years
- all other health care workers (including those working at hospitals, general practice, pharmacy, allied health and community health services)
- begin vaccinating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 and over
- people at increased risk of severe disease e.g. people with an underlying medical condition or with a disability
- critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing.
Phase 2a
- adults over 50 years
- continue vaccinating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- other critical and high risk workers.
Phase 2b
- balance of adult population
- catch up any unvaccinated Australians from previous phases.
Phase 3
• people under 18 years if recommended.
*Frontline health care workers in phase 1a are those at the greatest risk of exposure to COVID-19. This includes those working at/as:
- GP Respiratory Clinics
- COVID-19 testing facilities
- ambulance staff
- paramedics
- ICU staff
- emergency department staff
- clinical and ancillary support staff.
COVID-19 vaccine Phase 1b: Workflow
Where to direct your general practice queries
The PHN has developed a workflow diagram for GPs, to help you direct your COVID-19 vaccination queries to the right place. Please click on the link below to view or download.
GP respiratory clinics
GP respiratory clinics are open in the Darling Downs and West Moreton region to clinically assess and test people with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. The clinics have been established as part of the Department of Health's response to COVID-19 testing and management.
These clinics are free to attend with no referral required. Patients need to book ahead online or by phone.
Darling Downs
Carbal Medical Services GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: 18-24 Charnley St, Kearneys Spring, Toowoomba
Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday
Make an appointment: Call 07 4580 1400 or book online.
James Neil Medical GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: Corner of James & Neil Streets, 119 – 121 Neil St, Toowoomba
Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday
Make an appointment: Call 07 4632 4888
Condamine Medical Centre GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: 67 Guy St, Warwick
Hours: 9:00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 11:30am Saturday
Make an appointment: Call 07 4666 9666
West Moreton
Flinders Peak GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: Flinders Peak Medical Centre, 355 Ipswich Boonah Rd, Purga
Hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:30am to 12:00pm Saturday and Sunday
Make an appointment: Call 07 5464 6765
Health Matters Karalee GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: 19 – 27 Junction Road, Chuwar
Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 12:00pm Saturday
Make an appointment: Call 07 3812 3133 or book online.
Kambu GP Respiratory Clinic GP Respiratory Clinic
Location: Kambu - Booval, 3/160 Brisbane Road, Booval
Hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday
Make an appointment: Call 0408 699 432
Fever clinics
Darling Downs Health and West Moreton Health are conducting COVID-19 screening at fever clinics in a range of locations. Visit the links below for more information.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Masks and eye protection for general practice, community pharmacies and allied health professionals.
Surgical masks
The Department of Health has made available a limited supply of surgical masks for general practice staff and people who may have had contact with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). For general practices located in the Darling Downs and West Moreton region, these masks will be distributed via our PHN.
Before requesting masks please consider:
- Is there a local supply available commercially?
- Does your practice have a population which is more likely to have been exposed to the novel coronavirus?
- Does your practice have an unusual number of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms?
If you have an identified need for surgical masks at your practice, please contact our Primary Care Liaison team via email practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au
Please include the quantity of masks that you would like to receive for consideration. We will only be releasing up to 100 masks per practice at this time due to limited supply.
P2/N95 masks
These masks are for use by GPs who are specifically willing and able to undertake specimen collection in their practice as per the Department of Health advice. General practices should consider the below criteria before requesting N95 masks:
- the physical layout of your practice and whether it is suitable for isolation of patients presenting as a suspect case (including any post testing requirements);
- whether you have access to all the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), not just masks; and
- your confidence in infection control procedures across your whole practice.
If you are equipped to collect specimens and require P2 masks email practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au with your practice details including the number of GPs who will be collecting specimens.
Eye protection goggles - For general practice
The Department of Health is providing access to a limited stockpile of eye protection goggles for general practices.
As supplies are limited, PHNs have been given the role of distributing eye protection goggles to GP respiratory clinics, general practices including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) with a demonstrated need, for example:
- local transmission patterns of COVID-19 and local public health recommendations for eye protection in clinical settings
- where there is no alternative commercial supply available and lack of eye protection is preventing practices from reviewing patients face-to-face when required
- where practices have an unusually high number of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms.
Note, at this stage, the supply of eye protection is a single distribution rather than an ongoing supply. Eye protection goggles are intended for reuse.
If you would like to request access to eye protection goggles email practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au and advise the total number of staff (i.e. GPs, nurses and administrative staff) and the PHN will determine an appropriate allocation of eye protection goggles for your practice.
Eye protection goggles - For allied health professionals
The Department of Health is providing access to a limited stockpile of eye protection goggles for allied health professionals.
As supplies are limited, PHNs have been given the role of distributing eye protection goggles to allied health professionals with a demonstrated need, for example:
- local transmission patterns of COVID-19 and local public health recommendations for eye protection in clinical settings
- where there is no alternative commercial supply available and lack of eye protection is preventing professionals from reviewing patients face-to-face when required
- the extent to which the allied health professional can manipulate their environment or practice method to minimise the chance of transmission. For example, due to the nature of their work, it’s not easy for a diagnostic radiographer to change their mode of practice or environment. A dietitian or psychologist may be able to continue to provide services through telehealth.
Unless they are required to as part of their core business, or the patient’s care cannot be deferred, allied health professionals should not see patients who are at a higher risk of COVID-19. This includes those in quarantine or with respiratory symptoms, regardless of the local epidemiology of COVID-19.
Note, at this stage, the supply of eye protection is a single distribution rather than an ongoing supply. Eye protection goggles are intended for reuse.
If you would like to request access to eye protection goggles email
practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au and advise the PHN of your demonstrated need.
Resources
Queensland Health Webpage for Clinicians
This page hosts the latest available information to assist Queensland clinicians to respond to the evolving COVID-19 situation in Queensland.
COVID-19 assessment and management HealthPathway
This pathway has been endorsed by State Health Emergency Coordination Centre to guide primary care management of COVID‑19 in the state.
CDNA national guidelines
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 CDNA national guidelines provide the latest advice for Public Health Units.
Flowchart for GP assessment and management of COVID-19
The flowchart for GP assessment and management of COVID-19 has been updated by the Queensland HealthPathway Community and GP Liaison Network.
healthdirect Video Call
The healthdirect Video Call service is available to general practices, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and other primary health care providers in Australia until 30 June 2021 under a special funding arrangement from the Australian Department of Health.
This funding provision enables telehealth as a whole-of-population model of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contacting your Public Health Unit
Please discuss any cases of concern with your local Public Health Unit immediately so that appropriate actions and testing can be organised.
GPs are advised to notify their relevant Public Health Units of 'suspect cases' of COVID-19.
Darling Downs Health
Please use this DDH Public Health Unit Notification Form.
Phone: 07 4699 8240 (business hours)
Phone: 07 3646 1699 (after hours)
West Moreton
Please use this WMH Public Health Unit Notification Form.
Phone: 07 3818 4700 (business hours)
Phone: 07 3176 2111 (after hours, ask for public health)
