Lockdown Information & Questionnaire

Important patient information during the COVID-19 outbreak

Update 22nd Oct 2021 – Lockdown Restrictions Lifted

Now that 70% of Victorians are fully vaccinated the lockdown has ended and restrictions have eased.

Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics services are now unrestricted and we are able to resume all podiatry services.

Please disregard the information the below as it is no longer relevant. Please visit our coronavirus page for the latest updated information.

Vic Lockdown Restrictions – Patient Information

Victoria is currently in a lockdown with restrictions on allied health services including podiatry. As this affects your upcoming appointment at Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics please read the important information below.

It is very important that you reply to the SMS message with an answer to the questionnaire (see instructions below) as this will help determine if our podiatrists can still treat you during the current lockdown restrictions.

Is Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics open?

Yes. Podiatry is considered an “essential” service so we remain open through the current lockdown restrictions which are in place in Victoria.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) states that podiatrists can practice during this period with some restrictions.

What are the restrictions?

During this time podiatrists and allied health practitioners can provide urgent clinical care or services that prevent a significant change/deterioration in functional independence necessitating an escalation of care.

In other words podiatrists can provide care if the absence of, or delay of this care, causes a significant deterioration in the person’s ability to carry out daily activities, resulting in an escalation of care such as – an increase in frequency treatment or recovery time, an increase in pain medication, an increase in care needs (physical or mental), referral to a specialist or hospitalisation.

Should I come in or reschedule my appointment?

If your appointment meets the “urgent” criteria then yes, you are free to make and attend your podiatry appointment.

If your appointment does not meet the criteria then it is likely to be considered “non-essential”. You should strongly consider rescheduling or postponing your appointment until after the lockdown restrictions are over (after 21st October).

If you wish to reschedule your appointment then please call us on 9882 5584 and a receptionist will happily assist.

Do I need a GP referral?

You do not require a GP referral to access podiatry services under the current restrictions but you must meet the “essential” criteria in order for care to be provided.

MPAO

Is my podiatry appointment urgent?

The below questionnaire will help you decide if your podiatry appointment is essential (urgent) or non-essential.

The ultimate goal is to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic, whilst also helping to reduce the spread of the virus.  If you can afford to postpone your appointment without your issue getting worse then we urge you to do so, however at the same time DHHS recommends you should not put off healthcare during the pandemic.

We would strongly advise you to make an appointment if your issue is causing you pain,
affecting your mental health or likely to get worse if not treated.

Ultimately the final decision is up to you and will depend on your individual circumstances, so you should do what you feel is best for your health. Remember foot care and podiatry is vitally important to your health, exercise and mental well-being.

Q1.  Is the problem affecting your ability to walk, exercise, perform daily tasks or your
mental health?

  • Yes: See Q2.
  • No: See Q3.

Q2. Will the problem likely get worse and require an escalation in care if not treated?

  • Yes: Treatment is essential to prevent further progression of the issue.
    DHHS recommendation is ‘do not put off healthcare’.
  • No: Treatment is likely to be non-essential and you should reschedule your appointment until after lockdown.

Q3.  Are you a DVA, Medicare CDM or NDIS patient?

  • Yes: Treatment is essential for these patients.
    DHHS recommendation is ‘do not put off healthcare’.
  • No: See Q4.

Q4.  Do you suffer from an illness or disease (e.g. diabetes, arthritis etc.) that make your feet high risk?

  • Yes: Treatment is essential to prevent high risk foot complications.
    DHHS recommendation is ‘do not put off healthcare’.
  • No: See Q5.

Q5.  Are you unable to attend to your feet for general foot care such as nail cutting?

  • Yes: See Q6.
  • No: The treatment is likely to be non-essential and you should reschedule your appointment until after lockdown.

Q6.  Will your feet likely get worse and require an escalation in care if not treated?

  • Yes: See Q7.
  • No: Treatment is likely to be non-essential and you should reschedule your appointment until after lockdown.

Q7.  Do you require urgent foot care or can you afford to postpone treatment for at least 2* weeks?

  • Urgent: Treatment is essential to prevent further problems arising.
    DHHS recommendation is ‘do not put off healthcare’.
  • Postpone: Treatment is non- essential and you should reschedule your appointment until after lockdown.

* Our appointment book is already close to full in the week immediately after lockdown, meaning appointments will be very hard to come by. So if you can’t afford to postpone your appointment for 2 weeks or more we would strongly advise you to make an appointment during the lockdown period.

Please reply to the SMS message

Following the questionnaire please SMS reply one of the following three options:

E (essential)

NE (non-essential)

U (unsure)

For essential treatment, provided you have let us know via the SMS reply, you do not need to do anything further and your appointment is confirmed.

For non-essential treatment please call us on 9882 5584 to reschedule your appointment until after the lockdown period ends. Alternatively a staff member will try and contact you. However, in the event that you cannot be contacted we may be forced to cancel your appointment on your behalf. Please bear in mind that after lockdown appointments are likely to be at a premium so we suggest all patients try and reschedule their appointments where possible.

If you are unsure a podiatrist will contact you (most likely the day before your appointment) and discuss your case in more detail to determine if it meets the essential criteria.

If you have any further questions please contact us on 9882 5584 and a staff member will be happy to assist.

Are there any other options for non-essential treatment?

If you require non-essential treatment advice you could consider a telehealth appointment. Telehealth is an online video podiatry consultation and can be great for still treating a number of foot conditions that don’t require a “hands on” approach. It is also fantastic when seeking a second opinion.

For more information please visit our telehealth page.

Important – Coronavirus Policy

To be eligible for a face-to-face podiatry consultation all patients must still meet the strict terms of our coronavirus patient policy.