Safety and screening
GenesisCare remains committed to ensuring that cancer patients can continue to receive the care they need in our centres. Currently all of our centres and clinics are operating without delay.
Screening & PPE
Keeping our patients and teams safe
- Pre-visit screening
We are screening patients and visitors for symptoms with a phone assessment and in-centre questionnaire on arrival. Companions are also screened, however we request companions to accompany patients if only absolutely necessary.
- Temperature check on arrival
All visitors, including staff and patients, will have their temperature checked. We use a non-touch infrared forehead thermometer to record temperatures on arrival.
- Emergency response plans
GenesisCare has an emergency response plan in place which we will activate if a patient and/or employee comes into contact with the virus.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
All staff in our centres will wear a surgical mask within the centre and will adhere to social distancing where they are not required to be in close contact in order to deliver clinical care. All clinical staff will also wear gloves and an apron whilst they carry out care.
Cleaning & hygiene protocols
- Additional cleaning
Providing safe and clean facilities remains a key focus, and we have increased the frequency of cleaning rounds including in high use areas such as waiting rooms, nursing stations and planning rooms.
- Reinforcing strict hygiene protocols
All employees and guests are asked to practice increased vigilance with hygiene and infection control, with hand sanitiser available throughout our centres, hand washing guides displayed and other reminder notices in centres.
Telehealth
What is Zoom for Telehealth?
GenesisCare has introduced Zoom for use in Telehealth consultations to provide an ongoing service and consultations in a safe environment for all patients and referrers. We have created a Zoom custom configuration to assist in managing your patient consultations by providing a virtual waiting room for patients. To keep Telehealth consultations secure we’ve also implemented a password policy and all our Zoom-to Zoom calls are encrypted.
Find out more here.
Private transport
GenesisCare offers a private transport service available to patients when required, depending on treatment. Our COVID-19 screening measures are also in place across our private transport service to maintain safety during their journey to and from our centre.
Testing
We’re committed to keeping our teams and patients safe during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and beyond, by delivering systematic rapid access testing for our clinical teams and patients.
The testing program started on the 23rd April for asymptomatic staff and doctors who work in our centres and will commence on the 15th May for asymptomatic patients. In the meantime, we test all patients and staff who present to our centres with symptoms (on-demand testing) using:
- The laboratory-based reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).
- Nasal and throat swabs are taken in centre for PCR testing or kits can be sent home and we will arrange courier service to the lab at our cost.
Asymptomatic patients
- On Chemotherapy – testing will be done no longer than 6 days prior to each chemotherapy cycle. Patients will get tested weekly or 3-weekly or depending on the chemotherapy schedule.
- Radiotherapy – patients will get tested prior to fraction 1 and midway through patient treatment if the radiotherapy schedule is ≥3 weeks.
- Haematology patients – testing follows the same principles as with chemotherapy patients.
- Diagnostic patients - testing follows the same principles as with chemotherapy patients.
Symptomatic patients
PCR swab testing will take place for patients who are symptomatic. The ideal testing time is around 5 days from symptoms but could be anytime the patients are presented with symptoms. Patients should self-isolate until the PCR swab tests are back and the decision to continue or postpone treatment will be determined in consultation with their referring clinician.
Any patient with positive PCR swab test results will be required to isolate for a minimum of 7 days. During this time the GenesisCare Chief Medical Officer will discuss options with their consultant, including carrying out a virtual MDT to determine best course of treatment.
A further PCR swab test will be carried out after 7 days. Depending on the results, the patient may be treated or is required to continue isolating.
Antibody (Ab) testing
Validated Antibody testing will soon be introduced to the above protocol for (a)symptomatic staff and patients, to complement the PCR swab test. The protocol for testing is currently subject to ethics approval and will be shared once approved.