Creating a healthier, better connected Gippsland.

COVID-19 Positive Care Pathways

This winter, we’re back out there - but so are COVID-19 and the flu.

COVID-19 Positive Care Pathways refer to the clinical guidance and support for assessing and managing people who test positive to COVID-19.

With a significant proportion of Gippsland’s population now having received multiple doses of the COVID vaccines, the severity of the disease in people who test positive is expected to decrease with less requirement for people in our region to be treated in hospital.

Increasingly, the focus for care pathways is to treat COVID positive patients from their homes using remote patient monitoring and telehealth services.

National COVID-19 care guidelines

The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has published evidence-based clinical guidelines to support health care professionals in caring for people with COVID-19.

The information also includes clinical flowcharts, evidence they are currently reviewing, and recommendations for preventing infection in health care workers.

View the Caring for People with COVID-19 Guidelines

COVID-19 Pathways Program to cease 1 June 2023

The COVID-19 Pathways Program across Victoria supported close to 2.5 million Victorian’s diagnosed with COVID-19 via telehealth nursing, remote patient monitoring, Hospital in the Home program and access to health and social support services.

This program will cease on the 1 June 2023.

 Gippsland PHN acknowledges our GP providers have been supporting COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic and encourage you to use our Commissioned home visit program if you are visiting patients in the home. Information on this program here.

If you have any queries please email the Primary Care Response team on primarycareresponse@gphn.org.au

The community is urged to reach out to their usual GP or to call the National Coronavirus Helpline for support on 1800 020 080. Other supports for community are:

  • Nurse-on-call – direct contact with a registered nurse for free, caring, professional health advice, call 1300 60 60 24 from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day.
  • Victorian Virtual Emergency Department – a public health service for non-life-threatening emergencies. Access emergency care from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service can also prescribe anti-viral medication for eligible people who cannot get an appointment with a GP. For more information, visit  vved.org.au/patients/
  • Accessing Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) – Most local councils and some community health organisations and private pathology centres in Victoria are offering free RATs. Visit Get a COVID-19 test to see what is available in your area.

Long COVID information

The Australian Department of Health has released a fact sheet on long COVID aimed at consumers.

The website links to the resource are below.

https://health.gov.au/resources/publications/getting-help-for-long-covid

Clinical training and resources

Safer Care Victoria COVID-19 + Pathways Learning Network

Safer Care Victoria and the Victorian Agency for Health Information have established a learning network of healthcare workers, leaders and consumers to share experiences and support the provision of care to people with COVID-19 in their homes. Access the network

RACGP resources
Caring for children with COVID-19

Please note, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce clinical guidelines also cover recommendations specific to the care of children and adolescents with COVID-19.

Other resources:

Information for patients
Social and financial support

National and Victoria-wide support services are available for Gippsland residents with COVID-19 and/or who are required to isolate or go into quarantine.

doctors in secondary schools program