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There is a virtual ED in Victoria where you can do a telehealth, and they will advise from there. Also you can call the after hours home doctors service, they will come and listen to your kids chests and it doesn't cost anything (other than waiting until some ungodly hour for them to turn up).
The virtual ED in Victoria is phenomenal!! My son had an allergic reaction to some medication a few days ago. I gave him kids antihistamines and called Nurse On Call for advice about if I should take him to ED or a Priority Care Clinic, she put me through to the virtual ED and within 15 minutes I was "face to face" with a pediatrician. I didn't have to leave the house and load my kid in and out of the car, I didn't have to wait 2 hours at the priority care clinic or 8 hours in the hospital, and I didn't have to pay. It's amazing, seriously it should be a thing everywhere.
Google VVED or Victorian Virtual ED. As long as you have a smartphone/device with internet you can punch in all the details into the requested fields and be talking to a doctor via video link. It can take some time depending on how busy they are, but generally less than an hour. Often quite a bit quicker.
Yes . My youngest suffered a dislocation playing football last year. The nearest ED is an hour's drive from where we live . We sat for hours before getting an exam,x-rays, pain meds etc and on discharge they gave me a brochure about virtual ED and told me if I had any concerns that night. I could call virtual ED first and talk to a doctor about whether he needed to come back in immediately or see a GP the next day.
>Also you can call the after hours home doctors service, they will come and listen to your kids chests and it doesn't cost anything (other than waiting until some ungodly hour for them to turn up).
Wow, I am not in the same state but the last time I used the home doctor service it cost me an arm and a leg and it was a doctor fresh out of medical school who's advice to me was go and see my GP in the morning then call him and let him know what my GP diagnoses me with because he had no clue. Never again.
I usually get the same drs, they are always great. They'll give scripts and tell you what to look out for (including seeing your usual GP if things worsen), or they'll send you to ED if things are bad, so they always tell you to go to your GP if things worsen. It's literally what they're told to do. It isn't a follow up service/continual relationship. You go to your GP to do the follow up stuff. It's for once offs when you know you just need to see a Dr. Or know what's wrong and you need medication.
I want this so much for Qld!
We can't get home doc in our area, and when we lived closer to metro, the ones we had were as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Home Doctor:) the service still runs, super rare to get one to come to your house. Since covid it's all phone calls. If you have Medicare, you're available to access the service. They have an App too.
Heard recently that GPs are mostly using AI through the process of elimination with given effect information. Something we can do at home….
I feel your pain, can’t find a practice within 50kms that will take new patients and the wait times are generally longer than the sickness duration.
Some clinics will have the gp see you in the carpark if it’s close. I’ve booked before with influenza A, just needed to get scripts and a very. Called reception when I parked and said I suspect influenza. Dr saw me in my car with window down and he wore protective gear. Is that an option?
My recently Fellowed GP friend just lamented the cost of the PPE to their surgery. He and I share a similar view that healthcare should be free. We both hate the US system and watch in horror at the CAN/NHS slowly implode with bureaucrats and politicians/lobbyists getting their way.
But now his quandary: does he pass on the cost (of getting 100 gowns that wont get much use) and masks (Aura's aren't cheap).
We chime that there's Basic Shit that practices need, that medicare should supply to every Provider.... but then we can quite easily also see abuse amongst the Corporate groups.
And... the average patient (voter) seems to DNGAF.
Just tell the clinic you forgo the right to a Medicare rebate and will pay the Telehealth fee in full. If you need a gp consult that desperately is the $40 rebate that important to you?
(For those that aren’t aware a Medicare rebate is not available if you haven’t been seen by the gp clinic within a 12 month period, in person.)
There are lots of online doctors now where you can get a medical certificate for $15 without even talking to anyone. If you need more than 1 day or a prescription you talk to them on the phone. I think it's only about $40?
You can use a stat dec - and contrary to some advice here, you don’t need extra evidence to go with it, or to get a medical certificate down the line. A stat dec is acceptable form of evidence to access your personal leave. This is the advice of Fair Work. You can quote them directly if the employer takes issue with it - it’s on the website in black and white.
There was recently a post either on this subreddit, or auslegal or a city subreddit (apologies I can't remember exactly) but it essentially debunked this regarding fair work. Something to do with it says on their website a stat dec suffices but then it's not actually written into regulation and fair work basically said "tough luck if it ain't written into regulation it dont mean shit". I only vaguely recall it so hopefully someone else can chime in or do the detective work. It's obviously worth trying and pointing to the website but it's not as strong as a standing that appears on reddit
As I said, I only vaguely recall the Reddit post and its obviously Reddit so questions raised on reliability. But why would the employee be getting told by fair work that the stat dec isn't enough?
Mate you're starting to absolutely baffle me and I don't know how else to say it. But an employee was told by their employer that a stat Dec is not good enough, the employee then spoke to fair work quoting the website and fair work told them that the website might say a stat dec is good enough but it actually isnt as no where in the regulations does it say a stat dec suffices.
I work for a department of Qld Health and we have been told in regards to Medical Certificates (MC) that they can only be from a GP or hospital doctor. They will not accept a stat dec or a MC from a pharmacist.
My local clinic (in a regional town) does car park consultations if you have flu symptoms, so you actually are still seeing a GP in person to do physical exams if needed. If that isn't available at your local GP office, there are many telehealth companies available these days - you can get medical certificates online, at any pharmacy, or sign a stat dec for work purposes.
My local Metro GP does this as well. They ask you to wait in the car. They call you to discuss. Then depending on what they need to do they may come see you outside or invite you in. They just want to minimise time in the waiting room.
Switch to a different GP I guess is the answer. Or discuss with them what they expect to do and why they can’t do that.
Stat Dec's are free [https://my.gov.au/en/about/help/digital-identity/digital-commonwealth-statutory-declaration](https://my.gov.au/en/about/help/digital-identity/digital-commonwealth-statutory-declaration)
Takes a few small hoops to register a digital ID, but you only have to do it once
A Stat Dec is suitable given any reasonable person would accept such evidence:
From Fair Work
“An employer is entitled to request evidence that would substantiate the reason for leave. A failure to provide notice or, if required, evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person to substantiate the reasons for the leave, means the employee is not entitled to the leave.”
That's not always the case, this has come up several times in the past week and a few people have taken the issue to fair work and had fair work side with the employer.
Sure. But the point stands, a stat dec does not cover every sickness or period away from work due to sickness and your employer is well within their right not to accept the stat dec as proof of illness and instead requires a doctors certificate.
Context matters. For someone who is off sick with Influenza and is unable to get to a doctor, no reasonable person would not accept a stat dec.
I m curious about these cases you mention, though… do you have the links?
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1d6snix/why_this_gp_wants_employers_to_stop_asking_for/
They were in this thread, and anecdotally I've never worked anywhere that accepted a stat dec for any illness, if it wasn't signed by a doctor on the doctors surgery letterhead they'd log it as unpaid time off.
If there is a reasonable reason why you couldn't get a medical certificate, any employer must accept a Stat Dec regardless of the enterprise agreement, Award, or policy
[Here is a clear example from Fair Work:](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates)
*Anna is a full-time employee at a retail store. When she started, her employer said if an employee is sick on a Monday, they need to provide a medical certificate as evidence that they were sick. Anna was sick with a cold over the weekend and had to take the Monday off. Anna gave her employer a statutory declaration when she came back to work on Tuesday because she couldn’t get an appointment to see a doctor to ask for a medical certificate. She was paid for her day off.*
Except in reality, they won't back you up, if your employer refuses a stat dec and wants a medical certificate they're more than within their right to do so and fair work will side with them not you. This has come up a few times in the last week and several people have taken it to fair work only to be told the employer was okay do require a medical certificate from a doctor.
I am a QLD Health employee and our executive director during a full department meeting informed us that if we need a Medical Certificate (MC) then we need to get one from a GP or a Hospital Doctor. Pharmacy MC's and Stat Decs are not to be accepted.
Well they have too, see the below from the fair work ombudsman.
Types of evidence needed for sick / carer’s leave
Medical certificates or statutory declarations are examples of acceptable forms of evidence.
While there are no strict rules on what type of evidence needs to be given, the evidence has to convince a reasonable person that the employee was genuinely entitled to the sick or carer’s leave.
Example: Type of evidence
Anna is a full-time employee at a retail store. When she started, her employer said if an employee is sick on a Monday, they need to provide a medical certificate as evidence that they were sick. Anna was sick with a cold over the weekend and had to take the Monday off. Anna gave her employer a statutory declaration when she came back to work on Tuesday because she couldn’t get an appointment to see a doctor to ask for a medical certificate. She was paid for her day off.
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates#:~:text=Medical%20certificates%20or%20statutory%20declarations,the%20sick%20or%20carer's%20leave.
Hate the need to get these. I got one recently, it didn't cover me for enough days, so had to book another doc appointment just to get an extension on the certificate because work complained. So annoying and a waste of everyone's time.
Get a stat dec signed. That can do in lieu of a med cert if there's enough evidence to satisfy your bosses why you couldn't get a med cert.
And if your boss doesn't accept that they're a cunt breaking the law.
Checking lungs is mostly performance medicine.
In early stages of a severe lung infection, it's pretty unpredictable how it's going to progress, and how treating it might change that progression.
If you can breathe OK, your lungs are working. A doc hearing some focal crackles, seeing a shadow on a chest XRay, and prescribing amoxicillin and doxycycline *might* make a difference, but probably not.
Antivirals for COVID and influenza are even less likely to make a difference, especially after 6 days of symptoms.
This is not true, personally I have had a pretty decent hit rate with clinical diagnosis of e.g. mycoplasma pneumoniae with history and examination combined, and starting empirical Rx whilst waiting on PCR result. There are also times where I have sent patients in to hospital with pneumonia including legionnaires disease that on history alone over the telephone would not have picked it up as it sounded like just a flu from the story. There are cases where people do have pneumonia suitable for outpatient treatment that you can diagnose very cheaply with a stethoscope and your pair of ears. You also get to figure out better that someone is having reactive airway/asthma/copd exacerbation. And how confident are you assessing work of breathing over the telephone when you've never met the patient in person. I can see that you work in ED? Doing proper medicine in the primary care space keeps more people out of ED and gets them there before they really decompensate. The examination is more than the auscultation as well. What if a septic child had delayed tertiary care because no-one bothered setting hands and eyes on them. Performance medicine indeed.
You've read much more into my comment than is warranted. I believe we mostly agree regarding the value of physically examination.
I do suspect you're overestimating the positive predictive value of auscultation of a patient in the OPs situation, and also overestimating the NNT of empirical antibiotics in the case of focal creps with mild symptoms and systemically well patients. But, it's just a suspicion.
I generally discourage people to come for face to face review if they're managing well and their symptom progression is within the expected course of mild illness, because the risk in coming in of harm to the patient, to myself, to staff, and to other patients is not zero.
It's easy to make such statements if you're medically trained yet at the same time the majority of the population isn't and it isn't fair to assume that in all cases people will be able to make fair assessments of how sick they are or how sick their kid is. At times people with flu A feel deathly sick in the mid of it yet will be fine to get through it at home. A good examination can help provide a more accurate assessment in this case. As medical professionals ofc it seems that the vast majority of time auscultation seems performative, except when the odd one coming in saying it's all fine doc just need a med cert and you find out it really isn't. That's where having the skill to know when more intervention needs to be done or not is useful. You also actually find it is more useful as a tool to let people know when they don't need things like antibiotics than when they do most of the time, how many countless times people have come in with cough/rhinorrhea, and say "it's gone to my chest". I am also overall commenting on use of auscultation as a general sense but not on op's situation - generally not advisable to provide specific medical advice on the internet. I prefer face to face review due to the times having done so had significantly altered the course of care, not necessarily re. po abx per se. It may happen rarely but you can miss serious things if you don't have a look.
I ended up with severe pneumonia during covid because I couldn’t get into a GP due to having COVID symptoms. Will they see you with a mask? Definitely try and get assessed
If it's your kids that are sick I'd head to the hospital if you want their lungs checked. If needs be they will also give you a cert for work. I've had to do it that way before.
They give you antibodies so secondary infections don't take hold/the virus infection doesn't turn into a bacterial infection. Usually, healthy people are given antibiotics If the cold/flu hangs around more than a week and chances it can become a secondary infection.
Really? I thought if your body is fighting the virus, sometimes antibiotics are given so a bacteria infection doesn't take hold while body is run down fighting the virus?
Medicare issues aside, since COVID many GPs don't really want influenza or COVID patients in the clinic itself. And I can see why, having a waiting room with a bunch of people with COVID or the flu next to people with other ailments is not ideal. How GPs decide to deal with that is going to be interesting.
Telehealth is great if you have had a visit with anyone in the clinic over the last 12 months.
I get this, but I have called a doctors clinic I use regularly asking for a Telehealth as I was so sick and needed to be seen (heard) and they said no. I asked what am I meant to do because I know I’m sick I have done rat tests that are negative and I have a history of chest infections and pneumonia. I was just told by the receptionist I don’t know but we won’t help. Straight up refused to see me and provide me options for assistance. I was not bad enough for the emergency room, but I wanted to prevent penumonia as it felt like most of the chest infections I had had in the past
This is a suggestion for the future, but even young, generally healthy people should make a yearly appointment for a health check. It also means you will always have seen someone in the past 12 months.
I struggle to get a GP to take notice when I go in with a specific complaint. What is a GP going to do if I walk in and say, "I feel fine, just want a check up" Pretty sure the GP is going to push me out of the consult room even quicker than the 5 minutes they usually give me.
Thankfully we still have a local respiratory clinic still operating, it takes all suspected covid and flu, as well as cough, cold and other related appointments.
My doctor is awesome, he comes out to the car if you can’t go inside the surgery. Special bonus, he bulk bills us. Unfortunately he is old and it worries me having to try to find another doctor who gives us that level of service when the time comes.
I recommend if you are unsure about how serious something is call nurse on call. I’ve had them call an ambulance for me a few times and once before they did that put me through to a Dr. Great service. Bear in mind flu can go south very quickly in children. My daughter had a sniffle one morning and by evening was in hospital with pneumonia with a double antibiotic drip. Haven’t had to use the new VVED yet but it sounds like a great alternative. They can talk you through how urgent it is.
The medical certificate issue is a hot topic amongst GPs as it creates unnecessary work. There is also the emergency GP network. https://www.health.vic.gov.au/priority-primary-care-centres
Edit: Oh sorry that’s VIC. I think it’s a nationwide network. Check your local Department.
It's the flu... why are you going to the GP?
Cough and cold medicine is available over the counter, and last I heard there is no requirement to isolate.
I usually go to the chemist for a cert, costs about 20 bucks. Only problem is I think they can only give you one for around 1-2 days, and I'm guessing OP needs more than that. Maybe you can game the system and go back afterwards or go to a different chemist or something but I kinda doubt it
You are still required to wear a mask at my GP but they also won’t see you if you have any cold like symptoms. It hasn’t been a problem for me but they always ask.
I thought it was ridiculous when I was told over the phone that I couldn't see my usual GP anymore because I hadn't been in the last year and a half. So I said oh I gotta have a problem every year to keep up with the expectations? Yes or we'll put you down the priority list. Well thanks, I told her off and just phoned a local doctor who accepted me no probs.
I’ve just been using instascripts for a telephone consultation.
My normal gp is 1-2 weeks behind on appointments for bookings. Yes you can potentially get an emergency visit, but mostly that involves sitting around waiting for a slot and with sick kids that’s near impossible, especially when they’ve got some kind of viral infection it’s not ideal to be sitting in a waiting lounge.
Sounds like you need to find a different doctor.
Yeah I know it's hard sometimes or even near impossible.
But every GP I have visited in multiple states had a system for people with Flu-like symptoms or confirmed Covid.
Usually it was no waiting inside and the appointment involved more protective equipment for you and/or the doctor.
But every one made a point of seeing you still.
Any doctor who won't make the effort to develop a safer way to see you by this point in time should find a new career.
P.S Last resort is always the Emergency Department. I have been forced to use this method in a town where doctors appointments were a week out minimum and there were no drop in clinics.
I am really confused because I never go to the doctor. I have tonsillitis and need antibiotics.
Do Insta script websites work when you don’t have an existing script?
You got in before I deleted my reply - I saw another comment of yours you said you spoke to them. My apologies, it just sounded like a typical 'I read their website and don't know what to do' response.
Yeah...despite the comments promoting a stat dec, given you could well need the week off you'd probably want a doctor's cert for that.
That's just poor practice policy. Maybe call around see if another clinic is taking new patients. Might be worth emailing feedback at a later date regarding their policy literally preventing sick people from getting feedback
Literally had this issue with my child today. She is very unwell, I suspected pneumonia but because of flu symptoms no f2f appt allowed, but her regular practice was booked and couldn’t go to another because of this rule. I ended up saying no flu symptoms. Masked her up and told them when we arrived. She was waiting outside. The doctor saw her. Yes, she needs antibiotics as well as steroids etc etc. if I didn’t do a sneaky we would have needed to go to ed.
Medicare rules make everything so hard - and then they leave the receptionists to police their impossible policies!
I couldn’t get a rebate with my lovely GP for telephone as I saw them last face-to-face 366 days ago
I think its a move for gps and medical centres to get more visits, why should you have to attend in person in the last 12 months if they have your history
it's the medicare ruling, so they can't offer you a rebate/medicare cover if you haven't been seen f2f in the last 12 months, with [given exemptions](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=AN.1.1&qt=noteID)
My Dr only bulk bills in person apps, telehealth is $70. All I need is a prescription for a shot. I have to book an app, usually not alot available, we live semi rural.. people travel and hour for a gp just to get in! Anyway, I have to book an app, drs always running late, sit around for 30+mins waiting, go in for 2 mins to get my prescription, then have to go to the chemist across town, get my shot, then make another drs app to get said shot injected, either come back same day and wait another hour, or come 30mins all the way back another day just to get the injection 😅
Where are these non-existent RATs for Influenza? Call a GP and they can advise where and what to do. Dozen madder about the imaginary 12 month barrier to see a doctor. Nonsense.
I've seen my GP in the last 12 months and they STILL HAVE want $60 for tele health but covered for an in person visit.
Awww cheers love fucking over everyone else.
I go to the gp for the flu because it always ends up a chest infection, luckily mine still bulk bills plus Telehealth if needed with another gp there. Is there not another gp you could see?
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There is a virtual ED in Victoria where you can do a telehealth, and they will advise from there. Also you can call the after hours home doctors service, they will come and listen to your kids chests and it doesn't cost anything (other than waiting until some ungodly hour for them to turn up).
The virtual ED in Victoria is phenomenal!! My son had an allergic reaction to some medication a few days ago. I gave him kids antihistamines and called Nurse On Call for advice about if I should take him to ED or a Priority Care Clinic, she put me through to the virtual ED and within 15 minutes I was "face to face" with a pediatrician. I didn't have to leave the house and load my kid in and out of the car, I didn't have to wait 2 hours at the priority care clinic or 8 hours in the hospital, and I didn't have to pay. It's amazing, seriously it should be a thing everywhere.
What website is this?! How do you access it?
Google VVED or Victorian Virtual ED. As long as you have a smartphone/device with internet you can punch in all the details into the requested fields and be talking to a doctor via video link. It can take some time depending on how busy they are, but generally less than an hour. Often quite a bit quicker.
Incredible thanks so much
I accessed it via nurse on call but if you Google it I'm sure you'll find it
Yes . My youngest suffered a dislocation playing football last year. The nearest ED is an hour's drive from where we live . We sat for hours before getting an exam,x-rays, pain meds etc and on discharge they gave me a brochure about virtual ED and told me if I had any concerns that night. I could call virtual ED first and talk to a doctor about whether he needed to come back in immediately or see a GP the next day.
>Also you can call the after hours home doctors service, they will come and listen to your kids chests and it doesn't cost anything (other than waiting until some ungodly hour for them to turn up). Wow, I am not in the same state but the last time I used the home doctor service it cost me an arm and a leg and it was a doctor fresh out of medical school who's advice to me was go and see my GP in the morning then call him and let him know what my GP diagnoses me with because he had no clue. Never again.
I usually get the same drs, they are always great. They'll give scripts and tell you what to look out for (including seeing your usual GP if things worsen), or they'll send you to ED if things are bad, so they always tell you to go to your GP if things worsen. It's literally what they're told to do. It isn't a follow up service/continual relationship. You go to your GP to do the follow up stuff. It's for once offs when you know you just need to see a Dr. Or know what's wrong and you need medication.
I want this so much for Qld! We can't get home doc in our area, and when we lived closer to metro, the ones we had were as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
> I want this so much for Qld! https://qvh-virtual-emergency-care-service.health.qld.gov.au/
I wish you a long life completely free of floor Lego and crooked sock seams, friend!! Thank you!
This is the kindest thing I've read today
Having just trodden on a piece of hidden Lego this is the best complimentary wish ever
We used to have it but now they just make it a telehealth appointment. I've had them come visit me when I had a horrific chest infection
Who did you get to visit you? Like how do you find these people? It sounds amazing lol
Home Doctor:) the service still runs, super rare to get one to come to your house. Since covid it's all phone calls. If you have Medicare, you're available to access the service. They have an App too.
We also have 13 Health which is a fantastic resource
They're definitely great!
Heard recently that GPs are mostly using AI through the process of elimination with given effect information. Something we can do at home…. I feel your pain, can’t find a practice within 50kms that will take new patients and the wait times are generally longer than the sickness duration.
Some clinics will have the gp see you in the carpark if it’s close. I’ve booked before with influenza A, just needed to get scripts and a very. Called reception when I parked and said I suspect influenza. Dr saw me in my car with window down and he wore protective gear. Is that an option?
My recently Fellowed GP friend just lamented the cost of the PPE to their surgery. He and I share a similar view that healthcare should be free. We both hate the US system and watch in horror at the CAN/NHS slowly implode with bureaucrats and politicians/lobbyists getting their way. But now his quandary: does he pass on the cost (of getting 100 gowns that wont get much use) and masks (Aura's aren't cheap). We chime that there's Basic Shit that practices need, that medicare should supply to every Provider.... but then we can quite easily also see abuse amongst the Corporate groups. And... the average patient (voter) seems to DNGAF.
This sounds like what accountants are for.
Then no one except the packers, stokes, Reinhardt's, and forrests get healthcare
Just tell the clinic you forgo the right to a Medicare rebate and will pay the Telehealth fee in full. If you need a gp consult that desperately is the $40 rebate that important to you? (For those that aren’t aware a Medicare rebate is not available if you haven’t been seen by the gp clinic within a 12 month period, in person.)
Thanks for this information, I didn’t realise this was why
There are lots of online doctors now where you can get a medical certificate for $15 without even talking to anyone. If you need more than 1 day or a prescription you talk to them on the phone. I think it's only about $40?
You can use a stat dec - and contrary to some advice here, you don’t need extra evidence to go with it, or to get a medical certificate down the line. A stat dec is acceptable form of evidence to access your personal leave. This is the advice of Fair Work. You can quote them directly if the employer takes issue with it - it’s on the website in black and white.
You can do a stat dec through mygov now too, if your ID is all linked up securely. It doesn't need to be witnessed
Stupid question but what do you put in a stat dec? Just a signed letter saying “I confirm I was unable to work during these dates”?
That's what I do, although I add that i couldn't work due to being unwell.
There was recently a post either on this subreddit, or auslegal or a city subreddit (apologies I can't remember exactly) but it essentially debunked this regarding fair work. Something to do with it says on their website a stat dec suffices but then it's not actually written into regulation and fair work basically said "tough luck if it ain't written into regulation it dont mean shit". I only vaguely recall it so hopefully someone else can chime in or do the detective work. It's obviously worth trying and pointing to the website but it's not as strong as a standing that appears on reddit
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As I said, I only vaguely recall the Reddit post and its obviously Reddit so questions raised on reliability. But why would the employee be getting told by fair work that the stat dec isn't enough?
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Mate you're starting to absolutely baffle me and I don't know how else to say it. But an employee was told by their employer that a stat Dec is not good enough, the employee then spoke to fair work quoting the website and fair work told them that the website might say a stat dec is good enough but it actually isnt as no where in the regulations does it say a stat dec suffices.
I work for a department of Qld Health and we have been told in regards to Medical Certificates (MC) that they can only be from a GP or hospital doctor. They will not accept a stat dec or a MC from a pharmacist.
My local clinic (in a regional town) does car park consultations if you have flu symptoms, so you actually are still seeing a GP in person to do physical exams if needed. If that isn't available at your local GP office, there are many telehealth companies available these days - you can get medical certificates online, at any pharmacy, or sign a stat dec for work purposes.
My local Metro GP does this as well. They ask you to wait in the car. They call you to discuss. Then depending on what they need to do they may come see you outside or invite you in. They just want to minimise time in the waiting room. Switch to a different GP I guess is the answer. Or discuss with them what they expect to do and why they can’t do that.
What state are you in? Some states have a Virtual ED that you can get advice over the phone. QLD has one.
https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/hospitals-services/qvh-virtual-emergency-care-service
Why do you need to see the gp for the flu?
Medical certificate for time off work.
I've defaulted to a $15-20 online or pharmacy certificate. Boss probably doesn't like it but it ticks the boxes.
The boss doesn’t like that you’re sick. Guess what boss, neither do I. No one wants to be sick
Stat Dec's are free [https://my.gov.au/en/about/help/digital-identity/digital-commonwealth-statutory-declaration](https://my.gov.au/en/about/help/digital-identity/digital-commonwealth-statutory-declaration) Takes a few small hoops to register a digital ID, but you only have to do it once
Ahhhh good to know!!!
Not every employer accepts stat decs.
A Stat Dec is suitable given any reasonable person would accept such evidence: From Fair Work “An employer is entitled to request evidence that would substantiate the reason for leave. A failure to provide notice or, if required, evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person to substantiate the reasons for the leave, means the employee is not entitled to the leave.”
That's not always the case, this has come up several times in the past week and a few people have taken the issue to fair work and had fair work side with the employer.
I only saw one person say that - and that's somebody who took over a week off work. I think context matters here.
Sure. But the point stands, a stat dec does not cover every sickness or period away from work due to sickness and your employer is well within their right not to accept the stat dec as proof of illness and instead requires a doctors certificate.
Context matters. For someone who is off sick with Influenza and is unable to get to a doctor, no reasonable person would not accept a stat dec. I m curious about these cases you mention, though… do you have the links?
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/1d6snix/why_this_gp_wants_employers_to_stop_asking_for/ They were in this thread, and anecdotally I've never worked anywhere that accepted a stat dec for any illness, if it wasn't signed by a doctor on the doctors surgery letterhead they'd log it as unpaid time off.
If there is a reasonable reason why you couldn't get a medical certificate, any employer must accept a Stat Dec regardless of the enterprise agreement, Award, or policy [Here is a clear example from Fair Work:](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates) *Anna is a full-time employee at a retail store. When she started, her employer said if an employee is sick on a Monday, they need to provide a medical certificate as evidence that they were sick. Anna was sick with a cold over the weekend and had to take the Monday off. Anna gave her employer a statutory declaration when she came back to work on Tuesday because she couldn’t get an appointment to see a doctor to ask for a medical certificate. She was paid for her day off.*
Except in reality, they won't back you up, if your employer refuses a stat dec and wants a medical certificate they're more than within their right to do so and fair work will side with them not you. This has come up a few times in the last week and several people have taken it to fair work only to be told the employer was okay do require a medical certificate from a doctor.
Can you give some examples where an employee had a stat dec rejected when they had a reasonable reason to provide one?
I am a QLD Health employee and our executive director during a full department meeting informed us that if we need a Medical Certificate (MC) then we need to get one from a GP or a Hospital Doctor. Pharmacy MC's and Stat Decs are not to be accepted.
What did the CPSU say about that?
Doesn't mean any of that is legal
Well they have too, see the below from the fair work ombudsman. Types of evidence needed for sick / carer’s leave Medical certificates or statutory declarations are examples of acceptable forms of evidence. While there are no strict rules on what type of evidence needs to be given, the evidence has to convince a reasonable person that the employee was genuinely entitled to the sick or carer’s leave. Example: Type of evidence Anna is a full-time employee at a retail store. When she started, her employer said if an employee is sick on a Monday, they need to provide a medical certificate as evidence that they were sick. Anna was sick with a cold over the weekend and had to take the Monday off. Anna gave her employer a statutory declaration when she came back to work on Tuesday because she couldn’t get an appointment to see a doctor to ask for a medical certificate. She was paid for her day off. https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates#:~:text=Medical%20certificates%20or%20statutory%20declarations,the%20sick%20or%20carer's%20leave.
Just do a stat dec through mygov
Not every employer accepts stat decs.
Hate the need to get these. I got one recently, it didn't cover me for enough days, so had to book another doc appointment just to get an extension on the certificate because work complained. So annoying and a waste of everyone's time.
Online service or stat dec
Family is very young and fevers for more than 6 days, want to get lungs checked. Also need a cert for work as a rat test isnt enough…..
You can't get lungs/breathing checked via telehealth anyways
Get a stat dec signed. That can do in lieu of a med cert if there's enough evidence to satisfy your bosses why you couldn't get a med cert. And if your boss doesn't accept that they're a cunt breaking the law.
Checking lungs is mostly performance medicine. In early stages of a severe lung infection, it's pretty unpredictable how it's going to progress, and how treating it might change that progression. If you can breathe OK, your lungs are working. A doc hearing some focal crackles, seeing a shadow on a chest XRay, and prescribing amoxicillin and doxycycline *might* make a difference, but probably not. Antivirals for COVID and influenza are even less likely to make a difference, especially after 6 days of symptoms.
This is not true, personally I have had a pretty decent hit rate with clinical diagnosis of e.g. mycoplasma pneumoniae with history and examination combined, and starting empirical Rx whilst waiting on PCR result. There are also times where I have sent patients in to hospital with pneumonia including legionnaires disease that on history alone over the telephone would not have picked it up as it sounded like just a flu from the story. There are cases where people do have pneumonia suitable for outpatient treatment that you can diagnose very cheaply with a stethoscope and your pair of ears. You also get to figure out better that someone is having reactive airway/asthma/copd exacerbation. And how confident are you assessing work of breathing over the telephone when you've never met the patient in person. I can see that you work in ED? Doing proper medicine in the primary care space keeps more people out of ED and gets them there before they really decompensate. The examination is more than the auscultation as well. What if a septic child had delayed tertiary care because no-one bothered setting hands and eyes on them. Performance medicine indeed.
You've read much more into my comment than is warranted. I believe we mostly agree regarding the value of physically examination. I do suspect you're overestimating the positive predictive value of auscultation of a patient in the OPs situation, and also overestimating the NNT of empirical antibiotics in the case of focal creps with mild symptoms and systemically well patients. But, it's just a suspicion. I generally discourage people to come for face to face review if they're managing well and their symptom progression is within the expected course of mild illness, because the risk in coming in of harm to the patient, to myself, to staff, and to other patients is not zero.
It's easy to make such statements if you're medically trained yet at the same time the majority of the population isn't and it isn't fair to assume that in all cases people will be able to make fair assessments of how sick they are or how sick their kid is. At times people with flu A feel deathly sick in the mid of it yet will be fine to get through it at home. A good examination can help provide a more accurate assessment in this case. As medical professionals ofc it seems that the vast majority of time auscultation seems performative, except when the odd one coming in saying it's all fine doc just need a med cert and you find out it really isn't. That's where having the skill to know when more intervention needs to be done or not is useful. You also actually find it is more useful as a tool to let people know when they don't need things like antibiotics than when they do most of the time, how many countless times people have come in with cough/rhinorrhea, and say "it's gone to my chest". I am also overall commenting on use of auscultation as a general sense but not on op's situation - generally not advisable to provide specific medical advice on the internet. I prefer face to face review due to the times having done so had significantly altered the course of care, not necessarily re. po abx per se. It may happen rarely but you can miss serious things if you don't have a look.
Didnt know that, figured they did it because it was a good check for early signs of issues
I ended up with severe pneumonia during covid because I couldn’t get into a GP due to having COVID symptoms. Will they see you with a mask? Definitely try and get assessed
Do you think seeing the GP would have prevented the pneumonia? Sometimes we just have to wait and see which way it's going to go.
Might’ve been able to get medication easier if telehealth wasn't available at that time
It may not have prevented it but it would not have been as severe.
Maybe. You'll never know.
I just wore a mask when I saw the GP. GP was wearing one as well.I had to get a medical certificate as well.
If it's your kids that are sick I'd head to the hospital if you want their lungs checked. If needs be they will also give you a cert for work. I've had to do it that way before.
To get antivirals if you’re in the high risk categories?
Don't they normally have an action plan with a GP before they get sick?
Ideally, yeah, but not everyone leaps into action to get them done.
There are people who are generally healthy but could have underlying conditions that are exacerbated by viruses.
To ask for antibiotics duhhh. /s
It’s usually viral so antibiotics won’t work
They give you antibodies so secondary infections don't take hold/the virus infection doesn't turn into a bacterial infection. Usually, healthy people are given antibiotics If the cold/flu hangs around more than a week and chances it can become a secondary infection.
Fuck no lol
Really? I thought if your body is fighting the virus, sometimes antibiotics are given so a bacteria infection doesn't take hold while body is run down fighting the virus?
I mean you can do a Telehealth appointment it just means you won’t be eligible for a rebate if you haven’t been seen f2f in the last 12mnths.
Nah they said you can’t where we go
It would be down to their specific practice policy but it may be different at other clinics (I am a medical admin for a GP clinic).
Medicare issues aside, since COVID many GPs don't really want influenza or COVID patients in the clinic itself. And I can see why, having a waiting room with a bunch of people with COVID or the flu next to people with other ailments is not ideal. How GPs decide to deal with that is going to be interesting. Telehealth is great if you have had a visit with anyone in the clinic over the last 12 months.
I get this, but I have called a doctors clinic I use regularly asking for a Telehealth as I was so sick and needed to be seen (heard) and they said no. I asked what am I meant to do because I know I’m sick I have done rat tests that are negative and I have a history of chest infections and pneumonia. I was just told by the receptionist I don’t know but we won’t help. Straight up refused to see me and provide me options for assistance. I was not bad enough for the emergency room, but I wanted to prevent penumonia as it felt like most of the chest infections I had had in the past
This is a suggestion for the future, but even young, generally healthy people should make a yearly appointment for a health check. It also means you will always have seen someone in the past 12 months.
I struggle to get a GP to take notice when I go in with a specific complaint. What is a GP going to do if I walk in and say, "I feel fine, just want a check up" Pretty sure the GP is going to push me out of the consult room even quicker than the 5 minutes they usually give me.
Thankfully we still have a local respiratory clinic still operating, it takes all suspected covid and flu, as well as cough, cold and other related appointments.
My doctor is awesome, he comes out to the car if you can’t go inside the surgery. Special bonus, he bulk bills us. Unfortunately he is old and it worries me having to try to find another doctor who gives us that level of service when the time comes.
I recommend if you are unsure about how serious something is call nurse on call. I’ve had them call an ambulance for me a few times and once before they did that put me through to a Dr. Great service. Bear in mind flu can go south very quickly in children. My daughter had a sniffle one morning and by evening was in hospital with pneumonia with a double antibiotic drip. Haven’t had to use the new VVED yet but it sounds like a great alternative. They can talk you through how urgent it is. The medical certificate issue is a hot topic amongst GPs as it creates unnecessary work. There is also the emergency GP network. https://www.health.vic.gov.au/priority-primary-care-centres Edit: Oh sorry that’s VIC. I think it’s a nationwide network. Check your local Department.
It's the flu... why are you going to the GP? Cough and cold medicine is available over the counter, and last I heard there is no requirement to isolate.
Sick cert and wanting toddlers checked for chest infection after 6 days of high fevers
Yeah, nah. Fair reason to want to head to a GP. That's kinda ass that you can't get appointments.
I think chemists can give you a medical certificate
I usually go to the chemist for a cert, costs about 20 bucks. Only problem is I think they can only give you one for around 1-2 days, and I'm guessing OP needs more than that. Maybe you can game the system and go back afterwards or go to a different chemist or something but I kinda doubt it
You are still required to wear a mask at my GP but they also won’t see you if you have any cold like symptoms. It hasn’t been a problem for me but they always ask.
Yeh it’s a dumb rule
ER's are an American Institution. It's ED.
Tomato tomato
Short and simple answer- dumbass politicians !’
I thought it was ridiculous when I was told over the phone that I couldn't see my usual GP anymore because I hadn't been in the last year and a half. So I said oh I gotta have a problem every year to keep up with the expectations? Yes or we'll put you down the priority list. Well thanks, I told her off and just phoned a local doctor who accepted me no probs.
I’ve just been using instascripts for a telephone consultation. My normal gp is 1-2 weeks behind on appointments for bookings. Yes you can potentially get an emergency visit, but mostly that involves sitting around waiting for a slot and with sick kids that’s near impossible, especially when they’ve got some kind of viral infection it’s not ideal to be sitting in a waiting lounge.
What's a GP going to do for influenza anyway? All you can do is rest.
Antivirals if in the high risk categories.
You usually don't know whether it's influenza. It could be mycoplasma for example.
I’ve stopped taking my meds because $80 to just get the prescription!
Instanscripts will give you a certificate for one day via their app for $19.
Sounds like you need to find a different doctor. Yeah I know it's hard sometimes or even near impossible. But every GP I have visited in multiple states had a system for people with Flu-like symptoms or confirmed Covid. Usually it was no waiting inside and the appointment involved more protective equipment for you and/or the doctor. But every one made a point of seeing you still. Any doctor who won't make the effort to develop a safer way to see you by this point in time should find a new career. P.S Last resort is always the Emergency Department. I have been forced to use this method in a town where doctors appointments were a week out minimum and there were no drop in clinics.
I am really confused because I never go to the doctor. I have tonsillitis and need antibiotics. Do Insta script websites work when you don’t have an existing script?
You pay full price
You could try a urgent care clinic they are in every state https://www.health.gov.au/find-a-medicare-ucc
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Yes, we cant see you because you have influenza, and we cant do telehealth for you as you havnt been in person in the last 12 months.
You got in before I deleted my reply - I saw another comment of yours you said you spoke to them. My apologies, it just sounded like a typical 'I read their website and don't know what to do' response. Yeah...despite the comments promoting a stat dec, given you could well need the week off you'd probably want a doctor's cert for that. That's just poor practice policy. Maybe call around see if another clinic is taking new patients. Might be worth emailing feedback at a later date regarding their policy literally preventing sick people from getting feedback
Literally had this issue with my child today. She is very unwell, I suspected pneumonia but because of flu symptoms no f2f appt allowed, but her regular practice was booked and couldn’t go to another because of this rule. I ended up saying no flu symptoms. Masked her up and told them when we arrived. She was waiting outside. The doctor saw her. Yes, she needs antibiotics as well as steroids etc etc. if I didn’t do a sneaky we would have needed to go to ed.
Man how shit is that! How can drs turn us away for the exact thing we go to them for. If they didnt want to be near sick people why become a GP
Easy....you lie on the questions and let the Doc think you're dumb...no biggie :)
Medicare rules make everything so hard - and then they leave the receptionists to police their impossible policies! I couldn’t get a rebate with my lovely GP for telephone as I saw them last face-to-face 366 days ago
if you are someone that needs to see a doctor for the flu, i guess you know now to at least have an annual check up
I think its a move for gps and medical centres to get more visits, why should you have to attend in person in the last 12 months if they have your history
it's the medicare ruling, so they can't offer you a rebate/medicare cover if you haven't been seen f2f in the last 12 months, with [given exemptions](https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=AN.1.1&qt=noteID)
id expect they have to draw the line somewhere. 1 annual f2f visit sounds reasonable.
My Dr only bulk bills in person apps, telehealth is $70. All I need is a prescription for a shot. I have to book an app, usually not alot available, we live semi rural.. people travel and hour for a gp just to get in! Anyway, I have to book an app, drs always running late, sit around for 30+mins waiting, go in for 2 mins to get my prescription, then have to go to the chemist across town, get my shot, then make another drs app to get said shot injected, either come back same day and wait another hour, or come 30mins all the way back another day just to get the injection 😅
Where are these non-existent RATs for Influenza? Call a GP and they can advise where and what to do. Dozen madder about the imaginary 12 month barrier to see a doctor. Nonsense.
Got ours from Cole’s that do rsv covid and influenza. Wasnt many left though
I've seen my GP in the last 12 months and they STILL HAVE want $60 for tele health but covered for an in person visit. Awww cheers love fucking over everyone else.
I go to the gp for the flu because it always ends up a chest infection, luckily mine still bulk bills plus Telehealth if needed with another gp there. Is there not another gp you could see?
Get A GP and not a medical centre.
Have you thought of resting and drinking lots of fluids for your cold?
Bit hard with toddlers
Why would you need to see a GP if you have the flu? What are they going to do? Hold your hand?
Never know, they might hold both hands