Designate someone to coordinate your response – they can use this checklist to track how you are going you’re your plan.

Familiarise yourself with existing pandemic planning guides:

• RACGP: Managing pandemic influenza in general practice

Schedule daily ‘protected time’ to a team member to keep up to date with the latest available information. Sources include:

• Commonwealth Department of Health Information 
• Commonwealth Department of health resources for health professionals 
• NSW Health 
• RACGP Coronavirus information for GPs 
• North Coast PHN website 
• Mid and North Coast HealthPathways 

See flowcharts for example triage protocols.

• Ensure reception staff have a copy of your current triage script and are following it consistently

Determine your patient access protocol. Consider:

• STOP sign or other instructions at the door – click here to download STOP sign to print
• Have patients wait in the car or outside (weather and building layout permitting)
• Arrange an alternative entrance or alternative waiting rooms for people with flu like symptoms
• Use an existing consultation room as a dedicated room for treating and managing patients with influenza-like symptoms
• Conduct consultations in the car park or patients’ cars. This could be managed by booking all patients flagged for this type of consultation for the end of the day.

Also consider the waiting area:

• Provide conveniently located masks, tissues and alcohol rub in waiting areas
• Consider increasing the distance between chairs.

Click here for current patient testing protocol

• All positive results must be immediately reported to the NSW Health Public Health Unit

Work out how you will regularly communicate changes and updates to staff e.g.:

• Regular SMS to staff (collect numbers to make this easy)
• Using Apps for eg. Whatsapp
• Clinical Software Messaging
• Team meetings- ensure you update staff who are not on site on the day of the meeting
• Tea room notice board updates

Induct staff to procedures for: 

Cleaning – see HealthPathways  

• Provide instructions to all employees and cleaning staff including:
  • Regular cleaning of surfaces and equipment at reception
  • Cleaning or removal of toys in reception and treatment rooms

Waste disposal  – see HealthPathways 

Hand washing techniques and respiratory etiquette

• Staff refreshers 
• Waiting room posters and hand cleaning equipment in the waiting room or entrance

PPE use – see HealthPathways

• Read advice on the intended use for PPE – visit DoH webpage
• Display A4 poster showing correct PPE use in common area

Self-isolation

• Instruct staff on up-to-date criteria for self-isolation
• Public health authorities may contact you in the event an employee is confirmed to have coronavirus

Identify staff who do not wish to work during a pandemic (pregnant or immune-suppressed).

Review staffing requirements and seek additional hours from existing staff or consider putting on additional staff if needed.

Provide return to work instructions for staff who have been affected.*

*More information coming.

Track your stock of equipment and supplies – see the suggested list from RACGP below.

How often will stocks be checked?

Who will do this?

• PPE:
  • masks – can be requested order through North Coast PHN
  • gowns
  • gloves
• swabs
• alcohol rub
• tissues
• paper linen for examination couches
• tissues
• cleaning products
• rubbish bins
• bin liners

• Fact sheets and information sheets
• Posters and signs promoting respiratory hygiene and reporting influenza-like symptoms to practice staff
• Phone, SMS, email
• Practice website, including up-to-date information about the pandemic, opening hours and other relevant information
• Phone answering machine with on-hold message
• Promote healthy choices eg. exercise, diet, etc