COVID-19 Announcement

Dear DWLS and Advanced Surgical Patients,

During this COVID 19 crisis, I know many of you will be worried about the implications for your appointments or surgeries and most importantly your health.

Rest assured, we will do our very best to look after you.

With each day, the situation evolves and we are keeping our finger on the pulse and adjusting accordingly to minimize the risk of exposure as well as keep things running as best we can.

With this in mind we are:

1. Following the guidance of state public health recommendations with respect
   • social distancing
   • surface disinfection
   • reduced clinic sizes
2. This means we may need to
   • Conduct phone consultations in place of face to face ones
   • Defer appointments according to urgency
   • Reschedule surgeries
3. We ask that you complete the DWLS Covid Check list to check if you’re “OK to go”
4. Our staff and doctors are taking precautions against exposure and will self isolate if at risk

FAQ
Q: Will my surgery go ahead?
A: At this stage we are planning to proceed with scheduled surgeries provided you have not been exposed (please use the check list). If we have to cancel surgeries, rest easy – we will reschedule as soon as is practical and provide you with the letters or certificates you need.

Q: Are the private hospitals going to be shut down?
A: It is likely that as more people become unwell with COVID infection, medical resources will be at capacity. This is likely to affect public hospitals first.

It is uncertain to what degree private hospital activity will be affected but there is some chance that elective surgery in private hospitals will be reduced.

If this happens rest easy… we are making contingency plans to get on with surgery just as soon as possible when things settle. We wont forget you!