COVID UPDATE – October 2021

COVID-19 and Northern Pain Centre Patients

Northern Pain Centre is committed to the safety and health of our patients and the greater community.  We are currently adhering to all guidelines being issued by the NSW Department of Health and Ramsay Health to ensure we minimise the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of our patients.

Our Pain Specialists and Allied Health providers continue to offer both face to face and telehealth consultations.  Patients are invited to call us if they have any questions.

 

Prior to arriving at Northern Pain Centre

Please read and follow the below precautions, in accordance with the NSW Department of Health guidelines:

  • If you are concerned about attending your appointment in person, please ring our staff to organise a Telehealth appointment.
  • If you have travelled to any of the known NSW hotspots in the last 14 days, you should immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless you have already been contacted by NSW Health
  • NSW Health recommends that anyone with respiratory symptoms (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, cough), sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste, or unexplained fever (≥37.5) should be tested for COVID-19. Other reported symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, runny nose, muscle pain, joint pain, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and loss of appetite. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress. If you have any concerns, please call your doctor or healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
  • If you have any of the above symptoms please inform our rooms by telephone prior to your appointment and we will reschedule your appointment.
  • If you require the assistance of a support person to attend your appointment, please inform our rooms by telephone prior to your appointment to discuss how we can assist you, so as to minimise risk to your support person.
  • We ask that you maintain the NSW Department of Health’s Guidelines for prevention of transmission of COVID-19
  • We ask that you maintain the NSW Department of Health’s Guidelines for social distancing

 

When you arrive at Northern Pain Centre

  • We ask that you only attend the clinic if you have a scheduled appointment with a member of our team
  • North Shore Private Hospital and NPC ask that only patients with scheduled appointments enter the building.  Patient companions are to remain outside the hospital building.  Patients who require a support person to attend with them are kindly asked to call the rooms prior to their appointment to discuss arrangements with our admin team.
  • We ask that you use the alcohol-based hand sanitiser provided
  • We ask that only 3 people be in the Northern Pain Centre waiting room at a time
  • We ask that you maintain the 1.5 metre distance between yourself and others
  • We ask that you minimise the time spent prior to and after your scheduled appointment
  • We ask that you wear a mask at all times whilst within the clinic

 

If you are going for a procedure at North Shore Private Hospital

Prior to your admission to North Shore Private Hospital for your procedure, please read the following, as issued by Ramsay Health:

  • Patients for hospital admission who have attended a Close Contact exposure site, regardless of where they live, will have to provide evidence of clearance from isolation provided by the Public Health Unit prior to their admission to hospital.
  • Patients for hospital admission who attended a Casual Contact exposure site, regardless of where they live, will need to produce evidence of a recent negative test result prior to admission to hospital.
  • Patients must wear masks when outside their hospital rooms.
  • Patients are currently not permitted to have visitors. Exemptions may be granted with approval from the hospital executive.
  • All patients must undergo routine pre-admission screening for infectious diseases status 72hours prior to admission.
  • During the admission process, all patients must be temperature checked and COVID-19 screened.

 

 

We know that many people may have questions about the COVID-19 restrictions across NSW.

www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 is the best place to find the latest information, including:

Learn more

  • Visit the NSW Department of Health website here
  • Contact the National Coronavirus Health Information Line 1800 020 080
  • Refer to the COVID-19 – Advice for the NSW community
  • Visit the World Health Organisation website here
  • COVID-19 Resources here
  • Social Distancing Fact Sheet here
  • COVID-19 FAQs Fact Sheet here
  • COVID-19 What You Need To Know Fact Sheet here
  • COVID-19 Information for Public Transport Use Fact Sheet here
  • COVID-19 Information for Older Adults Fact Sheet here