Dear Patients
Queensland Health has released a directive (Hospital Entry Direction [No 7]) which stipulates conditions of entry into St Vincent’s Private Hospital with regard to your vaccination status.
Our consulting rooms reside within the hospital and as such we are bound by these conditions. These conditions will commence from Friday 17th December 2021.
Please see below for information regarding how these new guidelines will affect you.
ALL PATIENTS
- You are required to use the Check-in App when entering both the Hospital Medical Centre and our rooms.
If you are vaccinated against COVID-19
- You are required to show proof of vaccination on entry to our rooms – the green tick on the check in QLD app is sufficient.
You may not enter as a visitor, if you;
- Are unvaccinated for COVID-19, see limited exemptions below
- Are unwell, even if vaccinated
- Have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and asked to self-isolate
- Have returned from overseas in the last 14 days
- Have been informed you are a close contactof a diagnosed person or a secondary contact, unless their quarantine period has ended
- Have visited an exposure venue in the last 14 days
- Have been in an interstate area of concern or Queensland COVID-19 restricted area in the last 14 days or since the identified start date (whichever is shorter)
- Have been tested for COVID-19 and are waiting to receive the results (except for tests due to surveillance testing obligations)
- Have COVID-19 symptoms of fever (37.5 degrees or more), cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of smell or taste, runny nose, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or fatigue.
If you are unvaccinated against COVID-19
- You may not enter the Hospital as a visitor
- You may not accompany a person to an appointment (unless you qualify for an exemption – please see below)
- Unvaccinated patients presenting, over the age of 16 years, must have a COVID-19 test with a negative PCR result within 72 hours prior their appointment, this also applies to patients booked for surgery, must have a COVID-19 test with a negative PCR result within 72 hours prior to their booked surgical date
- Unvaccinated patients MUST wear a face mask whilst in the hospital (this includes whilst in Doctor consult rooms)
- You may not enter the maternity ward as a visitor
- An unvaccinated mother and/or support person must present to St Vincent’s Emergency Department reception in labour so they can be tested for COVID-19 prior to entering St Vincent’s Birthing Suites.
- An unvaccinated mother booked for an Elective Caesarean OR Induction of Labour will be required to be tested within 72 hours. The unvaccinated support person will require a test within 24 hours, as mother and newborn leave the recovery ward an unvaccinated support person will be asked to exit the hospital. A vaccinated support person will follow the mother and newborn to the maternity ward as normal process.
Exemptions for unvaccinated persons are as follows;
- You are under the age of 16 years
- You are a patient seeking medical care
- You are the one support person for a patient during childbirth, this does not extend to the maternity ward
- You are the one parent, carer or guardian to a patient under the age of 18
- You are the one carer to a patient with a disability
- You are the one support person to a patient presenting at the Emergency Department, if the hospital believes it necessary
- Limited exemptions may be made on compassionate grounds for end-of-life support
If you are an approved unvaccinated visitor, you:
- can only have one visitor with the patient at that time
- must wear a single-use surgical face mask
- walk directly from the hospital entrance to the patient and return. You cannot use other facilities and services at the hospital, eg café, florist.
- the unvaccinated visitor must have a COVID-19 test with a negative result within 24 hours of entering the hospital. If the visitor exits the hospital and returns, then the visitor requires a new test within 24 hours. Locally this can be performed at Baillie Henderson Hospital.
Obstetrics patients
Unvaccinated Maternity
- Mother must present in labour to ED reception
- Mother must put on a surgical mask
- Emergency will let maternity know the patient has presented
- Emergency will do rapid PCR test
- Mother will walk or be escorted to dedicated COVID birth suites 1 or 2
- Staff and doctors will put on a surgical mask – mother will take mask off
- Staff and doctors can take off their mask when the negative result has been received, approx. 90 minutes
Unvaccinated Support Person
- Support person and mother must present in labour to ED reception
- Support person must put on a surgical mask
- Emergency will do rapid PCR test
- Support person will walk to dedicated COVID birth suites 1 or 2
- Staff and doctors will put on a surgical mask – Support person must keep their mask on
- Support person can take off their mask when the negative result has been received, approx. 90 minutes
- Support person cannot enter the maternity ward
- As mother and newborn are moved to the maternity ward post birth the unvaccinated support person must leave the hospital and not re-enter.
Vaccinated Mother and Support Person
- There are nil requirements for a mask or test for a vaccinated Mother or their vaccinated support person.
We take the health and safety of our patients and staff seriously, persons over the age of 60 and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 so we ask that only essential unvaccinated patients and support people be onsite, and we recommend all unvaccinated persons are tested with a negative result prior to your appointment.
APPOINTMENT CHECKLIST
- Negative Covid test 72 hours prior (if you’re unvaccinated)
- Check in QLD App on entry
- Sanitise on entry
- Wear a mask (if you’re unvaccinated)
Please call our rooms 0n 4688 5533 if you need to clarify any of the new guidelines.
Yours Sincerely
The Doctors and Team at Evolve Women’s Health
