Coronoavirus update - April 3rd

News  •  Fri 3 Apr 2020

The past few weeks have certainly been an uncertain and challenging time for everyone including for us here Complete Podiatry.

We are rapidly adapting to the current climate in order to be able to continue to best support you, our Clients.

It has been wonderful to see our community come together in the way it has and we would like to send you our heartfelt thanks for continuing to support us during this time. 

We have been receiving a lot of questions recently about the Coronavirus and how it affects our ability to take care of our clients so we’ve put together some frequently asked questions to address some common queries and concerns.

Are you still open?

Does the physical distancing rule apply to health services? 

Absolutely, we are still open and here to care for you and your family!

Podiatry has been declared an essential service by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and has been encouraged to continue. 

The physical distancing rule does not apply to health services.

We are open and here to care for you and your family

However, this does not mean we are not taking it seriously.

We have adjusted our clinic spaces and appointment availabilities to ensure our clients are kept as safe as possible when attending our clinics.

Read this article on our website about why Podiatry is an Essential Service and how we are preparing our clinics for safe consultations with our clients.

I can no longer attend the clinic. What are my options?

We understand that you may be unable to or feel worried to attend the clinic for your next appointment.

At Complete Podiatry, we want to make sure we can continue to be here for you, despite the current circumstances.

For this reason, we have introduced a variety of new services, notably online podiatry consults and limited home visits for emergency consultations.

Online Consults (Telehealth)

Our Podiatrists can assess, diagnose and treat your injury using a video or telephone link. 

This service is available for all people throughout Australia and the technology is easy to use -  we will assist you with this so it is not so daunting!!!

Telehealth is a great option if you can't come into the clinics

Services can be accessed via a link on your phone, tablet or internet browser (e.g. Google Chrome or Firefox). 

Whilst it does not replace traditional hands-on treatment, people with conditions where education, exercise and self-management are the recommended treatments are those who will likely gain the most from an online consult. 

• Postop surgery rehab- helping you recover after foot and ankle surgery
• Knee pain – osteoarthritis, tendon pain, bursitis and post-surgical rehab
• Leg pain – shin splints, muscle cramps and tightness, tendon pain, tendinopathy/ tendinosis
• Ankle pain – osteoarthritis, ankle sprains and weak ankles
• Foot pain – top of foot pain, osteoarthritis, cervical pain
• Heel pain – plantar fasciitis, morning pain, tendon pain
• Forefoot pain - ball of foot pain, neuroma, bursitis, toe pain
• Big toe pain - bunions, osteoarthritis
• Footwear - advice and recommendations
• Nail and skin advice - fungal nails, ingrowing toenails, nail care advice, corns, callus and fungal skin infections.

We are offering ALL clients a free 10-minute phone call with one of our Podiatrists to discuss your suitability and answer any questions you may have.

Call our awesome Welcome Team today on 8330 0004 to book your call in!

Book An Online Podiatry Consult Now

Home Visits 

For those of you who have an emergency problem such as an infected ingrowing toenail or terrible foot pain, we can arrange for one of our Podiatrists to visit you in the comfort of your own home.

Under some circumstances, we can offer a home visit

These consultations will run very similarly to those that we provide within the clinic, with the podiatrist able to conduct a complete assessment, diagnose and treat your problem, after taking all the necessary precautions (hand sanitising etc)

Home visits are not our preferred option as we are unable to provide you with a controlled environment like can in the clinic however, this is an option if you feel unsafe to leave your home and are struggling with a significant issue.

However, to ensure we keep our team and the rest of our clients safe, we will not be able to provide a home visit service for clients who:

1. are self-isolating due to suspected Coronavirus exposure,
2. demonstrate symptoms of COVID-19
3. have returned from overseas or interstate and have not completed their 14 day quarantine period

Can I claim these Online Podiatry Appointments with Private health, Medicare, NDIS, DVA or Third-party?

Private Health Funds: YES, but it is coming soon. 

Some health funds will provide coverage for online consultations provided by podiatrists in the near future, subject to certain conditions. 

We encourage you to check with your health fund to see if they will cover online consultations (also known as Telehealth). 

Please also be aware that some funds may impose additional conditions. 

Initially, benefit payments will only be paid to you after you have paid the fee for your podiatry consultation.

This means that you will need to pay for the full fee of the consultation at the time of your appointment, and then claim your benefit through your health fund online after this.

We will provide you with more information as soon as it becomes available to us.

NDIS: YES 

We are still providing home visits to all of our NDIS participants, as recommended by the NDIA (the Agency in charge of the NDIS).

Please contact us so we can put you in touch with our NDIS coordinator to discuss your needs so we can continue to provide you with essential supports. 

Medicare EPC Plans: YES 

You must have a valid referral from your GP for online consultations to be eligible for bulk billing.   

DVA: YES

Treatment cycle arrangements continue to apply for DVA clients seeking to access podiatry services through telephone and video conferencing.

Please contact your podiatrist to answer any further questions about the DVA.  

Third-Party/RTWSA: YES

  

Approval will be required from your case manager before we move to an online consultation

Please contact your podiatrist to discuss your options here.

What measures are Complete Podiatry taking to ensure that our Clients and Team are safe?

Please be assured that on top of our existing cleaning procedures, we are taking increased stringent hygiene and patient screening measures to protect your safety.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Screening all clients to ensure no one is displaying symptoms including coughing, fever or runny nose.
• Screening clients to ensure they have not travelled in the last 14 days or had contact with anyone who has.
• Screening clients to ensure no contact has been made with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19
• Asking all clients to sanitise their hands before and after treatment consultations
• Ensuring all clinic surfaces are cleaned throughout the day and in between every consultation. 
• Recommending that you arrive at your appointment time, to reduce contact with other clients.
• Scheduling a 10-minute gap between clients to reduce contact with other clients.
• All our team have undertaken specific COVID-19 hygiene and infection control training and updated their hand hygiene training.
• Setting up HICPAS Go and Medipass in our clinics to enable contactless payments.

Watch the video below to see what else we are doing to prepare our clinics for your arrival.

Help! I have more questions!

We are really aware that everything feels like it is changing so rapidly at the moment and that rapid changes in anything can leave people feeling uncertain and a little fearful.

Our aim is to keep you updated with the best, most up to date information available to us.

Please feel free to give us a call on (08) 8330 0004 or email reception@completepodiatry.com.au if you feel a little worried or uncertain about what you should do in your situation.

Be assured that we are here for you, and are more than happy to talk with you about any of your questions or concerns.

We also love you to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, as we are posting regularly through these channels to keep you updated with the latest advice and changes.

And finally, we'd like to send you all a huge thank you for your continued support!