Rural health groups warn against missed medical appointments during pandemic
Health professionals around the country are warning against the hidden toll of coronavirus, as many Australians put off seeing their doctor during the pandemic.
AN OPEN letter has been penned to the nation pleading with Australians to not neglect their health during the coronavirus pandemic.
Signed by 23 different health organisations, including the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the National Rural Health Alliance, the letter urges Australians to not put off routine medical appointments.
Recent data indicates people have stopped presenting to their doctors for things such as immunisations and check-ups, with pathology testing dropping 40 per cent at the height of the pandemic.
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine president Dr Ewen McPhee said delaying routine appointments would result in higher loss of life from preventable illnesses, particularly in rural areas.
“Often the real hidden killer is common diseases related to heart disease and blood pressure.
And because they’re not being cared for as they should, the mortality is increasing for non-coronavirus-related illnesses,” he said.
“When you live in the country there’s a higher burden of chronic illness, and if we don’t do something soon it’s going to become a real issue.”
Dr McPhee said he had noticed more people coming to him for stroke and heart attacks, and even presenting with cancer symptoms at a later stage.
He said fear and anxiety of being infected with coronavirus was the main reason for the drop in GP appointments.
“People are quite anxious that if they go to the doctor that’s where COVID patients are, but there’s been a lot of work to ensure people can still visit their practice safely,” he said.
Along with the other medical professionals, Dr McPhee is encouraging Australians to stay on top of their health by keeping their regular appointments whether it be face-to-face or remotely.
READ THE LETTER BELOW
An open letter to Australians
Dear Australia,
Let’s work together to put your health first
COVID-19 caught us by surprise, testing our health system and testing our country in many ways. The good news is that the actions taken to “flatten the curve” and reduce the spread of COVID-19 are working — but now we need to take action to avoid a second wave of health problems.
Understandably, during our lockdown the rates of visits to general practice, allied health professionals and emergency departments have dropped. There has also been a large drop of about 40 per cent in the number of pathology tests being done. These are tests such as blood, urine or tests on body tissue ordered by your healthcare professionals.
While we continue to be careful and take the recommended precautions to protect our community against COVID-19, it’s important to look after the other aspects of our healthcare, and Australia’s world-class healthcare professionals are here to help you do that. Before COVID-19 struck, we were already concerned that the number of people getting cancer screening tests was too low. We also knew that early detection and monitoring for type-2 diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease were lacking, with large numbers of undiagnosed cases. COVID-19 has made these existing problems even worse.
We don’t want to risk trading one health problem for another with Australians missing out on cancer, diabetes, heart or kidney checks because of fear and other barriers caused by COVID-19.
Postponing a visit to a health professional or a pathology test might seem OK, but cancer, diabetes and kidney disease do not stop during COVID-19. We need to avoid delays to ensure any new symptoms get checked and diagnosed quickly, and to ensure we monitor existing conditions.
So, if you have put off a visit to general practice, an allied health professional or a pathology test — don’t delay any further. It could save your life.
Telehealth has been expanded to make healthcare easier to access. You can now have consultations with your doctor, pharmacist or other health professionals through video chat or phone calls, and have lifesaving medicines delivered to your home.
Remember, health services are also open to see you in person — safely. Healthcare professionals are taking all the necessary hygiene measures and other precautions to keep you safe when you need to visit in person.
We understand you may have questions about how you can access the care you need safely, we encourage you to contact your health services and ask those questions.
So please get in touch, make that call, or book an appointment today. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease won’t wait, so neither should you.
Signed by:
Diabetes Australia, The Heart Foundation, Royal Australian College of General Practice, National Rural Health Alliance, Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, Australian Diabetes Society, Consumers Health Forum, Allied Health Professions Australia, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, Medicines Australia, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Australian Diabetes Educators Association, Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, The Pharmacy Guild, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Patient Voice Initiative, Australian Patients Association, Jean Hailes Foundation, Medical Technology Association of Australia, Pathology Technology Australia, Pathology Awareness Australia
MORE
Fonterra steps up farmgate figure for New Zealand suppliers
New Zealand suppliers of Fonterra have received some welcome news from the Auckland-based processor — but it’s still the farmgate status quo for Australian farmers.
Top tales of survival in the bush
The miraculous discovery of missing man Robert Weber is just the latest tale of survival in the bush in Australia. These are some of the most famous and heartwarming from our history.