As we are all now very aware, we – as part of metropolitan Melbourne – are in Stage 4 restrictions. We’ve been watching the impact of these restrictions on businesses and different industries unfold over the course of the last week, and we wanted to make sure it was clear what impact that has on us at PHP.
Adj Ass Prof Donna Markham, the Chief Allied Health Officer with the Department of Health and Human Services (State Government of Victoria), has outlined specifically what impact these restrictions have on Allied Health services.
Essentially, routine services are not permitted; attending your ‘usual’ or ‘regular’ osteo/myo/massage appointment is no longer permitted. We are continuing to operate to provide urgent healthcare and support to patients, in situations where the absence of this care would result in “significant change/deterioration in the patient/client’s functional independence, necessitating escalation of care”.
In our case, this means that unfortunately, massage and myotherapy appointments are temporarily unavailable. Osteopath appointments continue to be available for urgent care.
These restrictions and decisions have been made with the protection, health, and safety, of the public and health workers as the priority.
Telehealth appointments are not restricted. You can continue to book appointments with our GPs using telehealth without any restriction.
What’s more, the geographical restrictions imposed with Stage 4 – stating that no one is to travel more than 5km from their place of residence – do not apply for ‘seeking care and health care’. If you require an appointment for urgent care with an allied health professional, you can travel further than 5kms for that appointment.
These directives and advice from the Department of Health and Human Services, in conjunction with the State Government, are critical to keeping us all safe. They have, however, been very clear that no one is to put off getting medical care. There are measures that can be taken to ensure medical care can be provided safely and with minimal risk; so if you require care, do not hesitate.
Please contact us on 03 9329 7077 if you have any questions, or to make an appointment.
Click here to read the full communications from the Chief Allied Health Officer.
