AKG supporting our local GPs during COVID

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, there is a lot of news about how we are supporting our patients and staff – but behind the scenes we are also doing a lot of work to support our local General Practitioners (GPs).

With guidance from our team of general medicine consultants, Armadale Kalamunda Group (AKG) has been implementing a variety of methods that enhance the communication and support available to local GPs.

AKG’s consultant physicians have extended their generosity, and sometimes their working hours, to collaborate with our local GPs on both COVID and non-COVID clinical and management questions.

By taking the time to work with local GPs, it is enabling non-urgent COVID-19 care to continue to be managed within the community, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Head of Department General Medicine Dr Rasiah Sureshkumar (Suresh) has praised his colleagues for the support they are providing to GPs and each other.

“Our team work so closely with GPs each day and we all felt it was important we provide them the kind of support and advice that we are already providing to one another,” Suresh said.

“I can’t thank the team enough for how amazing they have been during the COVID surge.”

A key component of assisting GPs is managing rosters and exploring how alternative staffing models may be to be utilised to help manage COVID-19 positive patients in the community, in addition to increasing the support available for our patients and junior staff.

“We have extended the onsite on-call hours of the senior consultant to support the critically unwell patients and junior medical staff. This also provides early senior involvement and decision making in the critically unwell patients,” Suresh added.

“We have also developed a collaborative inter-departmental roster to support the general medical team in the event of COVID-19 surge, staff sickness cover and furloughed staff cover.”

“All of this combined gives us the capability to increase communication with local GPs. Like us, they work on the frontline and are managing COVID positive patients. To be able to collaborate with them and share our knowledge and expertise is a wonderful thing.”

Additionally, this week a brand-new fact sheet was launched to help GPs working in the East Metropolitan area manage COVID-19 positive patients and receive clinical advice.

The fact sheet is an essential step in how we manage COVID-19, as it will help ensure that unnecessary admissions don’t occur whilst also ensuring the community receives the care they need.