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Cyclone updates 2

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred updates

March 11, 2025

Updates on primary care in Darling Downs and West Moreton during Tropical Cyclone Alfred are listed below in reverse chronological order

Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN communications may be limited due to power outages. Please continue to monitor these sites to stay up to date, and in the case of a life-threatening emergency call 000. Important sites to monitor:

Summary of updates:

Saturday, 8 March 2025: Ipswich Medicare Urgent Care Clinic open and 24/7 GP Helpline 13HEALTH

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a Low and the system is moving westwards, towards the northern West Moreton and Darling Downs regions. Please continue to monitor your local government disaster site and ensure you have your business continuity plans in place.

Ipswich Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is now open

Ipswich Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is now open. This is subject to change so please contact them directly (07 3413 6640) before attending.

GP helpline now available in QLD through 13HEALTH 24/7 - service is active for duration of weather event

In response to Cyclone Alfred, from March 8, 2025, to March 24, 2025, eligible consumers in Queensland can access the Healthdirect GP Helpline 24/7 by calling 13HEALTH.

During this period:

  • Consumers who call 13HEALTH and deemed eligible will be connected to the Healthdirect GP Helpline, which will be available 24/7.
  • Alternatively, consumers can directly contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for support during this time.

Eligibility:

  • There is no change to the service or the eligibility.
  • Eligible consumers are connected to the GP service when their regular GP is unavailable, acting as a safety net.

Please keep us updated with the status of your practice via practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au

Friday, 7 March 2025 (7:47pm): Ipswich Medicare Urgent Care Clinic temporarily closed

Due to deteriorating weather conditions, for patient and staff safety, the Ipswich Urgent Care Centre at Riverlink has now closed until further notice.

Friday, 7 March 2025: Call out for potential Evacuation Centre GP support

West Moreton Health and Darling Downs Health are seeking information from practices that are willing to provide potential evacuation centre support.

Thank you for all the GPs and practices who have already provided contact details, however with the closure of many practices, we are now seeking updated contact details to share with the HHSs.

If your practice is willing to provide this support, please urgently email practicesupport@ddwmphn.com.au

Friday, 7 March 2025: Updates from West Moreton Health: flood preparation, vaccine management and infectious disease

Tropical Cyclone Alfred: Common health issues during flooding

West Moreton Health has provided an update for GPs regarding common health issues and risks during times of flooding.

Following severe flooding, the most common infections usually occur after a person comes into contact with flood water, dirty soil. This can happen through cuts or other open wounds. It is also important to be mindful that following an emergency such as a flood, storm or cyclone, there is a danger that some food in your house may not be safe to eat, especially if power has been cut or if food has been in contact with contaminated floodwater. Consumption of this food/water could lead to gastrointestinal illness in staff and residents.

Here are some government websites for advice on infections to look out for and some safety advice.

For general day-to-day activities, infection prevention advice is as per usual processes. Following the emergency, additional precautions should be used by those assisting in the clean-up:

  • keep out of floodwater
  • wash your hands often
  • wear protective clothes such as long-sleeve shirts, eyewear, heavy-duty gloves and sturdy footwear
  • cover cuts and wounds with waterproof dressings
  • wear sunscreen and a hat when working outdoors, and drink plenty of water
  • wear a P2 face mask as needed
  • ensure generators and pumps are situated in well-ventilated areas.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred: West Moreton Public Health Communique - Vaccine management

West Moreton Public Health Unit has provided a Public Health Communique with advice relating to vaccine management and to immunisation for people affected by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Public Health Communique – West Moreton Public Health Unit: Vaccination management

Tropical Cyclone Alfred: West Moreton Public Health Communique - Infectious disease

West Moreton Public Health Unit has provided a Public Health Communique with advice regarding the increased the risk for infectious diseases during Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Public Health Communique – West Moreton Public Health Unit: Infectious disease

Thursday, 6 March 2025: Using Telehealth in a disaster

Telehealth exemption

  • If you are in a designated disaster area, an exemption has been made so you don't need to have an established relationship with a GP to access telehealth services (video and phone). These services are subsidised under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
  • The exemption applies to areas that have been declared a natural disaster and for the duration of that declaration.

Medicare provider number

Provider and prescriber numbers are required to claim under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

This service is provided by Services Australia, use this link Provider and prescriber numbers - Health professionals to:

  • Apply for initial provider and prescriber numbers
  • Apply for additional provider numbers
  • User your provider and prescriber numbers

This service may be utilised where GPs require a provider number to work in a new location because they are unable to work from their usual location due to the impact of a disaster.

6 March 2025: Updating National Health Service Directory

To help the community find available heath services during and after the natural disaster via the healthdirect Service Finder, we need to ensure the National Health Services Directory is up to date.

If your service is impacted – closed, reduced hours, reduced service offerings – please update your clinic listing as soon as possible. Information on updating the service can be found here on our Being Disaster Ready page.

The healthdirect Service Finder will show the following message:

Impact of Cyclone Alfred on health services
Many health services may not be operating as usual. We aim to keep health service information in impacted areas up to date. Check the Service Finder below for open times and appointment availability before calling the clinic.

To seek advice or assistance in Queensland call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 68), otherwise call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. If you need urgent help from police, fire or ambulance services, call triple zero (000).

Thursday, 6 March 2025: Mental health services closure

headspace Ipswich will be closed from 5pm today, Wednesday 5 March, and reopening on Monday 10 March (pending outcome of anticipated flooding). Teams are currently working on rescheduling young people that are impacted and checking in with any young people with risk. Support information will be provided to young people to access for the closure period, which will also be available on their socials and website.

The Ipswich and Kingaroy Medicare Mental Health Centres will be closed in-person from 4pm today, Wednesday 5 March, until Friday 7 March, with staff working from home. Crisis calls will be taken by admin and transferred to suitable clinicians to support distress of local community, including known and unknown consumers to the service.

The Medicare Mental Health phone service will continue to operate throughout this period during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm), at 1800 595 212.

Wednesday, 5 March 2025: Important links to help you be disaster ready

Get disaster ready using these helpful and reliable sources of latest information:

Tuesday, 4 March 2025: Goodna Medicare Urgent Care Clinic closure period for flood preparation

Please note due to the current flood warnings, Goodna Medicare Urgent Care clinic will be open on Thursday, 6 March 2025 until 4pm, when they will close early to undertake flood preparation activities.

It will be temporarily closed on Friday, 7 March 2025 to Sunday, 9 March 2025, and is anticipated to reopen on Monday 10 March.

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