On October 28, Melbourne awoke to the first day of Stage 3 restrictions under the Metropolitan Roadmap to Reopening, which were announced by Premier Daniel Andrews on 26 October. The move to Stage 3 is great news for all Melbourne-based PACFA members who already have a COVIDSafe Plan in place for face to face service delivery.
The industry-specifc restrictions for Allied Health and other primary health services in Metropolitan Melbourne specify that under Stage 3:
- Telehealth services should be preferenced as the first option for care delivery and provided where and as appropriate.
- Recommencement of most client services (with the exception of group therapy/classes) is now permitted, with a COVIDSafe Plan and recordkeeping requirements in place
- No group services are to be provided face-to-face unless the session can be conducted safely outdoors (with a maximum of 2 people plus the health worker)
For further information please refer to the DHHS Industry Restriction Levels – Healthcare (Allied Health and other primary health services). A reminder to members that although the guidelines are a downloadable document, they are regularly updated. We encourage you access the Guidelines online for the latest version.
Any of our Melbourne members yet to create a COVIDSafe Plan should refer to the DHHS website for information on requirements. Resources to help you to create your COVIDSafe Plan, including templates, are available on the Business Victoria Website.
Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) is continuing its advocacy to the Victorian Government on behalf of all Allied Health Professions and is currently seeking guidance in relation to the lifting of restrictions on face-to-face delivery of group therapy , with the hope that these restrictions may be lifted the announcement of the next stage of the Metropolitan Roadmap to Reopening on November 8th.
In last week’s COVID-19 member update, PACFA expressed our disappointment in the inconsistent approach to the easing of restrictions for Allied Health professionals in Victoria. In response to similar concerns from numerous members, AHPA has noted that it recognises the need to better define Allied Health and related professions and the types of services they provide. AHPA will engage with Australian governments and seek to address the gaps and inconsistencies in industry definitions and the resulting disparities in regulations for service provision between Allied Health professions, which have have become increasingly evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response.
PACFA will continue to keep all our Victorian Members up to date with the latest news as Victoria continues its journey towards COVID Normal.