GV Developmental Clinic

GV Developmental ClinicGV Developmental ClinicGV Developmental ClinicGV Developmental Clinic
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GV Developmental Clinic

GV Developmental ClinicGV Developmental ClinicGV Developmental Clinic
  • Home
  • New Referrals
  • Our Team
  • Fees
  • Fees for Services
  • Assessments
  • Telehealth
  • EAP
  • COVID19
  • Neurodiversity
  • Downloads
  • Join Our Team
  • Mentoring
  • Room Hire
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Our Blogs

GVDC COVID-Safe Plan


Reviewed & Updated 18/10/2023

This page outlines the protective measures for face-to-face assessments and consultations in our clinic.


SARS-CoV-2 & COVID19

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the virus that causes the Corona Virus Disease (COVID19). For additional information about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID19, please visit the Victorian DHHS website.


Private Healthcare Facility

Our clinic is classified as a private healthcare facility, and we follow the mandates, and directions issued by Victoria's Chief Health Officer (CHO), as well as the guidelines for healthcare professionals provided by the Victorian Department of Health. 


Non-COVID19 Setting 

Our clinic is a non-COVID-19-patient and non-infectious setting. Our clinic building and staff are not equipped and cannot be used for COVID-19 and/or any other infectious-disease care.

We are restricted to seeing and working with people who are: 

- not confirmed cases: ie have not tested positive to a validated Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and/or a validated SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test during the past 7 days 

- not suspected cases and

- not experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID.


COVID Symptoms

Please do NOT attend our clinic in person, if you have any of these symptoms, compatible with COVID (NHS, 2022):

  • sore throat
  • blocked or runny nose
  • feeling sick or being sick
  • headache
  • shortness of breath
  • diarrhea
  • feeling tired or exhausted
  • an aching body
  • high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
  • loss of appetite.

If you have any of these symptoms, please cancel and/or postpone your appointment, by calling 5858-1757 or emailing admin@gvdc.com.au. 

We may be able to offer you telehealth services, if appropriate.


Rapid Antigen Test (RAT)

Under some circumstances, our clinician may ask you to self-administer an approved Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), in the clinic, requiring a negative result onsite, prior to proceeding with a close-contact consultation or assessment.


COVID Contacts  

If you are a household, social, or workplace contact of a person with COVID, please read and follow Department of Health guidelines and call us on 5858-1757 or email admin@gvdc.com.au to cancel, postpone or change your scheduled appointment.


Facemasks

The Victorian Health Department recommends that members of the public continue to wear facemasks:

  • for at least 7 days if you have COVID-19 and:
    • you need to leave home
    • you are indoors, or
    • you cannot maintain physical distance
  • if you are a close contact and you need to leave home
  • if you are visiting or working in a sensitive setting such as hospitals and aged care facilities.

Different types of masks provide different levels of protection from airborne bacteria and viruses. Wear the most protective mask you can, and make sure that it fits well and that there are no air gaps on the side.

The following face masks are recommended, with N95/P2 respirators being the best protection:

  1. N95 or P2 respirator mask: These are high filtering masks. If they fit correctly, they provide the best protection. Respirator masks with straps that go around the head are likely to fit better and give more protection than respirator masks with ear loops. 
  2. KN95 mask or KF94 mask: These are high filtering masks but are not as well fitted as a respirator. They usually have ear loops, so they don't achieve a good seal between the mask and the face as an N95 or P2 respirator mask.
  3. Surgical or medical mask: These provide good protection when worn correctly, fitting snugly over your nose, mouth and chin. You may get a better fit by shortening the ear loops by tying a knot or wearing a cloth mask on top of a surgical or medical mask.
  4. Reusable 3 layer cloth mask: These can provide protection if they are made of tightly woven fabric and are machine-washed every day.

This video demonstrates how facemasks work to slow down airborne transmission. 

This video explains why masks work better than we think - when more people wear masks.

This video explains why N95 respirators work particularly well.

You can find a social story for 'Wearing a Mask' here.


Protective Equipment

Our clinic is guided by Victorian Department guidelines for healthcare workers on using PPE in healthcare and community settings where COVID-19 is a potential or known risk.

Our clinic's protective equipment includes N95 facemasks, Level 1 surgical facemasks,  faceshields, safety glasses, and protective screens. 

In our clinic, N95 facemasks, and/or Level 1 surgical facemasks are made available to all administrative and clinical staff, as per Department of Health PPE guidelines.


Close Contact During Consultations & Assessments

In our clinic, face-to-face (f2f) assessments and consultations range from 20 minutes to 3 hrs, in small consulting rooms, with limited ventilation. Most of our consultations and assessments therefore qualify as close contacts.

If you are concerned about being in close face-to-face contact during assessments or consultations, please call or email us in advance and ask either to cancel or postpone your appointment or to make alternative arrangements for telehealth consultations where possible.  


Telehealth 

Please let us know if you prefer telehealth assessments and/or consultation during this stage of the pandemic. 

Some assessments [eg ADOS modules] cannot be completed via telehealth.


Hand-Hygiene

Alcohol-based hand-sanitisers and soap-based handwashes are available throughout the clinic-building.


Waiting Room

Our waiting room has good ventilation [via the open backdoor]. A CO2 monitor is on display on top of the reception desk. If you feel uncomfortable with the number of people in the waiting room, please speak to our front-desk staff: you have the options of requesting and wearing a facemask, and/or waiting outside.


Consulting Rooms

Our consulting rooms are 8.2-9.5 sqm, without windows, and with poor natural ventilation. CO2 levels steadily increase during consultations/assessments because the door is closed. A medical-grade filter is operational, and the door is left open between consultations for air exchange and ventilation via the open backdoor.


Sneeze & Cough Hygiene

Please sneeze and cough into the fold of your arm.


Ventilation & CO2 Levels

Our building's ventilation is limited to the front and back doors, and our consulting rooms do not have windows.

In order to improve ventilation and air-exchange:

- the backdoor is propped open throughout the day

- consulting room doors are required to be left open between and after consultations

- air purifiers with medical-grade filters are operational in the waiting area, and in the consulting rooms, throughout the day

- we monitor CO2 levels in the waiting room, and in our consulting rooms: our aim is to maintain CO2 levels under 800 ppm - an indication of good air circulation.


Cleaning & Disinfecting

Surfaces in consulting rooms are cleaned and disinfected regularly.


Vaccination Status

Healthcare workers are likely to be exposed to, acquire and transmit vaccine-preventable diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, measles, rubella and pertussis. 

Our clinic's healthcare staff are triaged into Risk Category C: <Healthcare workers whose roles do not require them to have direct physical contact with patients, clients, deceased persons or body parts, blood, body substances, infectious material or surfaces or equipment that might contain these.>

There are no vaccination mandates or requirements in place for our clinical or administration staff.


References:

 20220404 Guidance-for-the-conventional-use-of-PPE-in-primary-care-and-community-settings v1.1.docx (live.com)
About COVID-19 | Coronavirus Victoria  

 Checklist for COVID contacts | Coronavirus Victoria 

 COVID-19 - A guide to the conventional use of personal protective equipment (PPE) | health.vic.gov.au 

 COVID-19 PPE for Private Practice Allied Health 3Feb22.pdf (coronavirus.vic.gov.au) 

 Face masks | Coronavirus Victoria 

 https://youtu.be/eAdanPfQdCA

 https://youtu.be/Y47t9qLc9I4

 Personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health workforce during COVID-19 | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 

 Primary care guidance for the response to COVID-19 risks | health.vic.gov.au 

 Ventilation | Coronavirus Victoria 


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