Tropical Cyclone Alfred important information

We encourage practices, in the first instance, to access the Disaster and Pandemic Management toolbox on the Practice Support website which hosts resources for practices:

• preparing for a disaster – including Brisbane North PHN’s disaster preparedness guide
• responding to a disaster – including information specific to flood, and thunderstorm induced asthma
• recovering from disaster – including resources and services for supporting impacted patients, and for GPs and practice staff who themselves may be directly impacted.

In preparation for a storm or flooding emergency, practices should: 

• utilise your emergency response plan, business continuity plan and vaccine management protocol
• have an established communication pathway in place to contact patients and staff if you experience power or internet service disruptions
• communicate preparedness messaging to patients by updating websites, social medica, voicemail answering services and email or SMS messages 
  • Get Ready Queensland supports Queenslanders preparing for disaster and can help your patients to create their own emergency and safety plans
  • patients with medications that require refrigeration should identify alternative storage methods (like cold bags) in case of power outage
• take steps to support GPs and practitioners providing telehealth appointments in lieu of face to face services (where possible), and review current MBS video and phone telehealth services information
• consider how the practice will continue cold chain processes for your own vaccines and medications in the event of a power outage
• take measures to protect the practice’s building and contents against strong winds or water damage
• access local disaster management resources via HealthPathways, which include pathways for post-disaster conditions more commonly seen after flooding events
• stay up to date with current and local weather, warnings and evacuation centre via: 
  • Queensland Government alerts and warnings
  • the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)
  • Brisbane City Council
  • City of Moreton Bay
  • Somerset Regional Council.

In case of emergency, the below agencies and contacts can provide support: 

• call Energex on 13 62 62 for power outage information
• check road and traffic conditions or report an incident by calling 13 19 40
• contact the Queensland SES on 132 500 for non-life-threatening flood and storm emergency assistance during severe weather events, or report an incident online
• If you have no water, check the Unity Water water outage map to see if your property is impacted and when water is expected to be restored or call 1300 086 489.
• for support with patient management, contact the Metro North Health Central Patient Intake Unit via email at MNCPI-Management@health.qld.gov.au, noting that CPIU will not be returning CPIU or SORT correspondence this Thursday and Friday until next week
• contact the Metro North Health Public Health Unit for cold chain and vaccine management concerns 07 3624 1111.

For practices that may need to close

Service information for available, alternative urgent care pathways can be shared with patients, noting that services may be affected during the cyclone period based on localised flooding and leading to changes in closing times. Please check council, health service websites or social media. 

Patient’s who can’t get an appointment with their regular doctor can call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84) 24hrs 7days a week.

✔ Medical advice anytime
✔ Guidance on prescriptions and medication access

Brisbane residents are able to receive ongoing monitoring, support and access to specialist health care professions to patients with a variety of conditions through the Metro North Virtual Ward team on 07 3074 2109, 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week, but if it is an emergency call 000.

Patients can access the Virtual Emergency Care Service by calling 13 43 25. Open 24/7 from 8am Thursday 6th March until 10pm Tuesday 11th March.

• Queensland VECS (formerly Virtual ED), - VECS phone number for Queensland GPs only treating emergency conditions, call 1300 847 833. Open 24/7 from 8am Thursday 6th March until 10pm Tuesday 11th March. 
• Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs), located in our region at Murrumba Downs, Northside (Kedron) and Morayfield 
• Minor Injury and Illness Clinics at Satellite Health Centres, located in our region at Kallangur, Caboolture and Bribie Island
• All Metro North Health hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) will remain open 24/7
• Queensland Children's Hospital Emergency Department (ED) and acute care wards will remain open as per their usual hours
• CATCH service remains open for GPs and has continuity plans in place: Children's Advice and Transport Coordination (CATCH) | Children's Health Queensland
• additional hospital facilities information. 

FindCareFast can help to direct patients to their closest available care. 

Public health information

Metro North Public Health Unit will maintain service over coming days but anticipates reduced capacity due to TC Alfred. Please read their advice which relates to vaccine management and to immunisation for people affected by TC Alfred. 

Environmental conditions after extreme weather events like TC Alfred increase the risk for infectious diseases. Skin infections, diarrhoeal disease, respiratory infections and mosquito-borne diseases are more common after cyclones and floods in Queensland. Please read the Metro North Public Health Unit advice. 

Further support

Brisbane North PHN’s Practice Support team is committed to supporting practices and practitioners at this time via email at practicesupport@brisbanenorthphn.org.au or via phone on 07 3490 3495 (Monday to Friday, 8.00 am to 4.00 pm).