Covid-19 Update

The Federal Health Minister on Monday confirmed that physiotherapy/medical practices are still considered an essential service and will remain open.  However, we need to continue to work as diligently as possible to help to minimise any risk to our staff and patients. 

Can you please all carefully read and follow the updated protocol below:

Please do not come to your appointment if you:

• Are unwell or feeling flu like symptoms
• Are under the NT Government mandated 14 day quarantine (If you have returned from Overseas or Interstate since 12pm 24/03/20)
• Have been in contact with known Covid-19 infected person.

Territory Sportsmedicine is implementing a number of in practice measures to help avoid potential exposure:

We have reduced the number of seats in the waiting area. Patients are welcome to wait in their car until their Doctor/Physio is ready. We will call your mobile phone. Please let us know you have arrived by calling or coming into the practice.

TSM is implementing further sanitation protocols as below:

Desks/Stations

• Physios/medical staff to work from separate rooms/cubicles
• May use desktops but only your own desktop and avoid sitting closer than 1.5m from colleagues

Treatment Rooms

• Clinic staff to wipe down
  • Bed/computer/desk after EVERY patient (and phone if used)
• No bed covers to be used on any beds
• Use of face cover directly onto bed for every patient
• Keep door slightly ajar where possible to minimise use of handles. Wipe down door handles after use

Use of Equipment

• All equipment to be wiped down after every use eg. US/weights/treadmill/weights bench etc

Lunch Room

• Avoid any more than 2 people in lunch room at any one time
• Table/bench to be wiped down after food prep/eating

General Hygiene Practices

• Wash hands thoroughly between each patient
• Use of hand sanitiser after direct contact with patient
• Avoid touching face

Treatment of Patients

• Position chair further away from patient for subjective assessment
• Minimise “hands on” treatment where possible
• Use of single use gloves may be used for each patient if the therapist chooses

If your patient is unwell

• All patients will be screened via SMS text messaging and verbally at the front desk before seeing the physio.  If they still appear to be unwell, please politely decline to treat them and ask them to seek medical advice

Screening of patients

• SMS Covid-19 questions to be sent to all patients (any patients who are unwell are to reschedule)
• Covid-19 questions to be asked verbally on arrival (regardless of whether they have answered the SMS message) and answers documented in “appointment notes”

Use of hand sanitiser

• All patients to use hand sanitiser on arrival in clinic

Waiting room

• Seats now set further apart
• Patients are able to wait in car if they like (signage at front of building) and be send an SMS when their physio/doctor is ready to see them

Use of phones/computers/hi caps etc

• Each admin staff to use mainly one phone/one computer per shift – to wipe down after every use
• Wipe down keyboard/phone/workstations at least hourly
• Avoid cash transactions (hand wash/anitbacterial hand rub if cash is unavoidable)
• Talk patients through Hicaps process to avoid both handling machine or card
• Hicaps to be wiped after every transaction

Cleaning processes

• Wipe down front bench/chairs (arm rests etc) between patients
• Beds to be wiped down at end of day
• Door handles to be wiped by admin staff (including back door) 2 x daily

If you have any question please don’t hesitate to give us a call to discuss.

Karen Schneider - Owner