The COVID 19 pandemic is rapidly evolving and NASOG is committed to making sure its members have accurate information to best guide both clinical and commercial practice.
Advice around how best to manage the situation is unfortunately being received in a fragmented nature and can be conflicting. State and Commonwealth health departments are not always consistent in their advice around how best to manage elective surgery, and on when and whom to provide testing and quarantining without unnecessarily creating anxiety in vulnerable populations.
In order to try and simplify the situation and help guide obstetricians and gynaecologists in the management of their patients, how to keep themselves and staff safe and maintain a practice, NASOG has been in regular communication with health departments, other associations and colleges, medical indemnity providers, the AMA and the Private Hospitals Association.
We have linked below a number of websites which are regularly updated providing information from multiple sources around what precautions need to be taken, what advice to give patients with regards to testing and quarantining as well as doctors’ obligations in running their practices.
We will continue to keep in contact with these key organisations and will link any new information received on our website and help disseminate it through our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
As the pandemic continues, we remind doctors to make sure that they continue to look after their staff as well as their own family and personal health needs.
A/Prof Gino Pecoraro
President
Contact me: president@nasog.org.au
Useful Resources
Several organisations are constantly updating online information in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation. Refer to these in the first instance and contact us if the information you seek is not available.
Medico-legal Advice
Wide range of issues including telehealth, elective surgery and patient management
https://www.avant.org.au/Resources/Public/Coronavirus/
https://www.mdanational.com.au/mda-national-coronavirus-advice
Patient Alert Posters
https://www.racgp.org.au/coronavirus
Federal, State and Territory Departments of Health: Advice and Actions
Federal
ACT
NSW
NT
QLD
SA
TAS
VIC
WA
Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for COVID-19
MBS Online Coronavirus Items Factsheet
If you have a query relating to interpretation of the Schedule, you should email askMBS@health.gov.au.
College Updates
RANZCOG
Elective Surgery
At the time of writing there are ongoing discussions about elective surgery in a variety of jurisdictions. There is currently a lack of consistent approach so we are working with other groups towards a resolution. At this stage, keep up to date with your hospital’s requirements.
MDA National mentions some things you may wish to consider around elective surgery and COVID-19 HERE