At Complete Urology Care we are taking measures to help “Stop the spread” of COVID-19, while ensuring your urological care remains at the highest standard.
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Symptoms
It is important that you do not attend the Complete Urology Care offices if you have symptoms of coronavirus. Symptoms include:
fever
chills or sweats
cough
sore throat
fatigue
shortness of breath
loss of sense of smell
Please contact our office before your appointment if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Stop the Spread
The Australian Government Department of Health have advised the following measures to slow the spread of the virus:
practise good hygiene (regular hand washing, cough or sneeze your into elbow)
practise social distancing – stay 1.5metres away from other people
stay home and get tested if you have symptoms
wear a mask whenever social distancing is not possible
Wherever possible we are reducing the number of patients attending our consulting suite by offering telehealth appointments. Occasionally we will need to see you in person, in which case we ask that you:
Maintain 1.5m distance from other people
Avoid physical greetings such as handshakes
Use contactless payment instead of cash
Telehealth
Telehealth means connecting you with your urologist or urology nurse from home using telecommunications technology. You will not need to register or sign up to any teleconferencing sites and no downloads are necessary. All you need is a smartphone with a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. When your urologist or nurse is ready to connect for your appointment, you will receive an SMS with a link to your appointment. Follow the link and accept the prompts to be connected for your appoinment.
If you have any difficulties connecting for your telehealth appointment or if you prefer a phone call (rather than teleconferencing), please contact us.
Emergency, Urgent and Elective Surgery
Department of Health requirements for pre-operative Covid-19 screening before elective surgery is constantly changing along with case numbers in the community. We will provide up to date information about screening requirements here.
Update 1 July 2022
All elective surgery has resumed, and operating theatres are again functioning at 100% capacity. In line with Department of Health advice, all elective surgery patients must undergo pre-operative testing prior to their admission to hospital.
What type of test do I need?
You will receive specific instructions for preoperative covid testing for the hospital where your procedure is planned. In general, patients (and where applicable, carers) must have either a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or PCR test prior to their surgery. You will need to source a RAT from a local provider, such as a pharmacy or local testing site. Patients undertaking a RAT should do so one day prior to surgery, and then isolate until their admission. Patients who are unable to source a RAT can either have a PCR test at a community provider three days prior to surgery (and then isolate until their admission). Testing locations: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19
What do I do if I have recently tested positive for COVID-19 or if I receive a positive result?
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 on preoperative testing, please notify our office or the hospital where your surgery is planned. Surgery is usually deferred after testing positive to allow full recovery and make surgery safer. We will work with you to organise the earliest safe date for your procedure.
Previous updates:
Update 23 February 2022
The “Pandemic Code Brown” for Victorian hospitals was lifted on 14 February. This means that elective surgery for Category 2 and 3 (non-urgent) surgery cases can now resume. Surgery is currently limited to 75% of normal capacity, which will increase to 100% as from Monday 28th February.
Pre-operative covid screening is still required. Most hospitals now accept a rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to elective surgery. You will be advised regarding covid screening requirements prior to your procedure.
If your procedure was postponed due to the “Code Brown” restrictions, please contact our office to reschedule.
Update 27 January 2022
In response to the recent peak in Covid-19 cases, the Department of Health has limited elective surgery in Victoria to urgent elective surgery and Category 1 surgery only, which includes urgent cancer screening and surveillance that cannot be postponed for 30 days. The above mandatory covid screening prior to elective surgery remains for these patients. Non-urgent elective surgery (including Category 2 and Category 3 admissions) and non-urgent medical admissions have been temporarily postponed.
As Covid-19 case numbers in Victoria decline, we expect non-urgent elective surgery to resume and will work with you on the most appropriate time to schedule your procedure.
24 August 2021
The Department of Health and Human Services has implemented mandatory pre-operative COVID-19 screening. Any elective surgery patients who have not been tested prior to the day of surgery will be postponed.
If you have a urological emergency, we advise you to attend your nearest hospital emergency department. Our urologists can be contacted by emergency department staff to plan and facilitate your care.
For further information, please contact us.