GPs on the front line

May 19 is World Family Doctor Day, a day to reflect on the essential role GPs play in our community. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the work of GPs on the frontline. Not only did we treat patients with respiratory symptoms at the outset, but we also provided Covid-19 testing, and are now instrumental in the roll-out of the vaccine.

At Bulli Medical Practice, we began vaccinating patients eligible for Phase 1B in late March. It has been a significant adjustment for all our staff.

Practice nurses and administration staff are essential to the process, taking bookings, getting patient information, administering the vaccine and ensuring compliance with the Australian Immunisation Registration. A GP oversees every vaccine clinic, ensuring patient consent checking their medical histories, medications, and monitoring for any adverse reactions.

When patients book in for the Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage them make appointments for both their first and second shot. Ideally, this is spaced
12 weeks apart to ensure maximum effectiveness.

To ensure we could still see our regular patients on our normal days, GPs have worked overtime to run the vaccination clinics. This is in addition to the respiratory clinic, still offered every weekday afternoon.

The past year has brought so many changes for general practice, including Covid-19 hygiene protocols, telehealth, eScripts and personal protective equipment. We have all had to be very flexible and responsive. And this will continue, as there are likely to be last-minute changes with vaccine supply.

Autumn and winter will also be busy with influenza vaccines and the usual coughs and colds. We are encouraging patients to get their flu vaccination but to wait two weeks after (or before) receiving their Covid-19 vaccine. With the end of the pandemic in sight, we expect to start seeing patients who have weathered their health complaints and/or delayed seeing their GP.

To celebrate general practice, and the work GPs do in our local community, I found a quote by Dr Suneel Dhand: “In our job, you will never go home at the end of the day thinking that you haven’t done something valuable and important.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Anna Putnis, of Bulli Medical Practice, qualified in 2000 from Sheffield, England. She initially trained as a general surgeon in London and worked in a trauma hospital in South Africa. She retrained as a GP on return from Africa, qualifying in 2010. She worked in London in a predominantly Asian area, with a high incidence of diabetes, before moving to Australia in 2014. Anna is a very friendly and approachable doctor. She lives locally, with her husband and three sons. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the world, camping, exercising, food and wine.