It’s been an enormous week for people directly affected by the floods. The heroic efforts of our communities to support those most impacted have been acknowledged far and wide.
As we enter week two of the local response efforts from tomorrow, we will start to see a transition from the immediate response needs into a longer-term response and recovery model.
As you know, there have been several evacuation centres operating across our region. These are being coordinated by the Department of Community and Justice (DCJ). Healthy North Coast has continued to work closely with the DCJ and the Local Health Districts to assess the health needs of people staying at evacuation centres. Daily assessment and coordination meetings will continue while centres remain open.
We’ve had a good number of volunteer EOIs from our primary care workforce and are humbled by your generosity to help our communities in need. We thank those of you who have volunteered your time to help at an evacuation centre.
Healthy North Coast is also working with local primary care services who have been directly impacted to assess what supports are needed to help them get back on their feet as soon as possible. In some cases, this may include temporary re-location or coordination of staff between different services.
If you have been directly impacted and not currently able to provide services or work because of closed premises, please contact your local primary care coordinator so that we continue to evaluate workforce needs.
As we continue to assess the different needs across our region, if you are a general practice, AMS or pharmacy that is open and could offer extended hours to help support your community, please consider accessing the We Are Open funding that we have made available as part of the primary health care response.
Once again, thank you to everyone who has volunteered, extended your opening hours and continued to provide services to support our region where others haven’t been able. Many of you have been impacted yourselves, or have had family and friends affected.
While we are all focused on supporting our communities, it’s also important that we practice self-care so that we can stay fit and well to continue to show up each day — this will be a long road to recovery.
Healthy North Coast’s Employee Assistance Program AccessEAP has been extended to all primary care services in our region. You can call AccessEAP on 1800 818 728.
If the floods have impacted your practice or service, the 24/7 Healthy North Coast GP Telehealth Service can help support your patients while you have reduced capacity and/or during the after-hours period: 1800 931 158.
Connect to Wellbeing provides mental health support for people affected by floods in the North Coast region: 1300 160 339 | Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5pm
Healthy North Coast will continue to share community health messages, including protecting against COVID transmission, infection, mosquito-borne diseases, as well as looking after your mental health and wellbeing.