We have seen some significant changes regarding the requirements for who may attend for osteopathic or acupuncture treatment. DHHS has provided updated information which now effects who we may provide treatment for. The current guidelines are as follows: Our clinic is still OPEN to provide the services of Osteopathy, Dietetics, Chinese Medicine, and Clinical Psychology. The Victorian Government today changed the GP referral rules released on Monday, so you no longer require a GP referral to attend for treatment. It is now a mandatory requirement that we provide treatment to patients that are considered urgent only. This means routine treatments (or maintenance issues) to address minor pains, stiffness or similar cannot be seen during these stage 4 restrictions. Care must only be provided if the absence of, or delay of this care, would result in a significant change / deterioration in the patient’s condition and would result in an escalation of care (e.g. a requirement for specialist input / review, an increase in care needs, avoiding a hospital admission or emergency department presentation). If you are an existing client, you can travel beyond the 5km radius to attend our clinic. All new patients must live within a 5km radius of our clinic location. As a result of these new conditions for treatment, we must establish your eligibility for treatment. When you receive your appointment confirmation / reminder we will be sending you a form asking you to answer questions regarding the current state of your condition. This will help to form our decision regarding the need for ‘face to face’ treatment. Based on the answers you provide, we may need to contact you further to discuss your symptoms / condition. Alternatively, you can also call, email or arrange a short online Telehealth consultation with your practitioner prior to attending, if you are unsure whether treatment is appropriate at this time. While we will do our best to contact each person individually over the next few weeks, clients with existing appointments are encouraged to get in touch with us regarding these new changes. The Victorian Government is obviously aiming to reduce any movement and face-to-face contact as much as possible. It has been made quite clear to us that they expect primary contact practitioners to be active leaders in reducing the spread of coronavirus. We are still gathering all of the information from DHHS surrounding our practice, and we are truly sorry for the inconvenience. As always, if you have any questions at all please get in touch with us via phone – 9078 2455 or email – info@innerwesthealthclinic.com.au and we will endeavour to answer any questions you have (as best we can in these crazy times!). We would like to thank you sincerely for your understanding and assistance during this incredibly difficult time. |