Covid Qld: House calls could expose GPs without training, PPE

House calls by GPs could be considered to take a load off the health system, but critical shortages could see them exposed.

Community doctors asked to treat Queensland Covid-19 patients in their homes to avoid overloading the state’s health system have raised fears that a lack of training and personal protective equipment could result in GPs being infected with the virus.

The Queensland and Federal governments are developing a joint program where GPs will visit and treat their patients who are infected with Covid-19 but not seriously ill.

However some GPs have raised concerns about the availability of PPE and a lack of training.

One, who spoke anonymously, said GPs were told PPE was not yet available and declared the extra $25 payment which could be claimed for treating an infected patient was “not worth it”.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said using GPs to treat patients with non-life-threatening illness was necessary to manage the pressure on the state’s health system.

“We expected a rise in Covid-19 cases once we eased border restrictions and have planned accordingly,” she said.

“The majority of these cases will be mild – particularly for vaccinated people – and able to be cared for in non-hospital settings, including at home, by GPs and other primary health care providers.

“In many cases, patients will be monitored via phone or videoconference.

“If clinicians are required to visit patients in person, they will be provided with PPE and other support.”

The spokeswoman said the Australian Medical Association state branch and unions had been consulted over the move and insisted appropriate “escalation processes” were in place should a patient’s condition deteriorate.

GPs whose patients test positive will be given the option of providing care, and if they choose not to another primary healthcare provider will be sourced.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said it was “inevitable that people in the healthcare setting will develop infection”. Several hospitals and at least one general practice across Brisbane and Toowoomba have already had staff or visitors infected.

“There are thousands of healthcare workers in Queensland so it is inevitable that some of them will get infected,” he said.

“We now have a national plan for dealing with the healthcare workers when infections do occur in the healthcare setting, and these are being followed in all of these cases but this is inevitable and this will continue as the epidemic progresses.”

Originally published as Covid Qld: House calls could expose GPs without training, PPE