Respond

For practices that need to close or operate at reduced capacity due to severe weather impacts

If your general practices services have been impacted, there are a number of options for you to support continuity of primary health care for your patients:

• Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, located in our region at Murrumba Downs – 07 3049 9025, Northside (Kedron) – 07 2100 0777 and Morayfield – 07 5322 4900 will continue to operate as long as there is adequate workforce and electricity supply.
• Minor Injury and Illness Clinics at Satellite Health Centres, located in our region at Kallangur – 07 3285 0000, Caboolture – 07 5433 7555 and Bribie Island – 07 3410 2800.
• All Metro North Health hospital Emergency Departments (EDs).
• GPs and patients can connect online to the Virtual Emergency Care Service (VECS) for clinical support that requires immediate attention but is not life-threatening.
• FindCareFast can help direct patients to their closest available care. 

Advise your patients if there is a disruption or changes to services at your practice, please inform your patients by updating Health Direct Service Finder, online booking systems, practice website, social media, signage at the practice, answering services and auto-reply email responses.

Please reach out to our Practice Support team if you require support or to report any severe damage or closure of service due to severe weather.

Tips during the response phase

• Refer to the practice's emergency management plan.
• Communicate to patients any changes to access or open hours and/or reinforce continued access.
• Consider extending or offering alternative arrangements to accommodate changed or increase in patient demand.
• Follow alert and warning updates.
• Offer support to your local practices as agreed if you have the capacity to do so.

Cold Chain processes

Metro North Public Health Unit will maintain service over coming days but anticipates reduced capacity. 

Vaccine cold chain breaches often follow power outages in extreme weather events. Vaccine service providers (VSPs) should ensure immunisation management protocols are up-to-date and that all staff are familiar with guidance for storage and handling of vaccines in the event of a power outage.

In the event of a cold chain breach, please isolate affected vaccines in your vaccine fridge, provide clear signage on the fridge indicating a cold chain breach has occurred and email a cold chain breach reporting form to QHIP-ADMIN@health.qld.gov.au.

Useful Contacts

Energex provides live information and updates via its power outage map. If you are experiencing a power outage, please contact Energex on 13 62 62.

Qld Traffic provides information about closed and damages roads via it’s website or by calling 13 19 40.

Unity water can provide information about water outages via their interactive map or by calling 1300 086 489.

Community support services

• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• Beyondblue – 1300 224 636
• Mensline – 1300 789 978
• Kids helpline – 1800 551 800

The Practice Support team is here to provide assistance to practices experiencing a disaster, pandemic or emergency. Please reach out to our team via email or telephone if you require support.