We rely on general practitioners to provide basic treatment and care for a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. From advice on tackling the common cold, to referring patients for specialist care, our GPs are often the first people we turn to when we are feeling under the weather.
But the thing with illness is that it doesn’t always strike during business hours; and since most GP clinics close in the early evening, it can be hard to know what to do if you or a family member falls ill overnight. That’s where home visiting doctors can help. Team Meddiscusses the benefits of calling up your local home visiting doctor.
Receive excellent care overnight
If you start to feel unwell overnight, a home visiting doctor is on call to help. Typically operating between the hours of 6.00pm and 8.00am, these roaming medical professionals are trained and equipped to deliver the same standard of care you’d receive at our local GP clinic, with the right equipment. Generally, these doctors respond to callouts from worried parents of babies and small children, and carers of elderly people and people with special needs who show symptoms of illness – but they’re available to help anyone and everyone.
Many home visiting services offer a range of services, including updated ETAs, checking in on your condition prior to their arrival (and advising on the best course of action if your symptoms are getting progressively worse), and ultimately providing guidance and treatment after they have assessed your symptoms. These doctors also routinely visit aged care facilities, disability care homes, and hotels across Australia.
Still benefit from bulk billing
When it comes to the wellbeing of yourself or your loved ones money shouldn’t be an issue, but that’s not a luxury every family can afford. Whilst some home visiting doctors might charge increased fees, many services also offer bulk billing. This comes as a relief to many families who rely on bulk billed medical care – they are still able to receive special care from qualified medical doctors out of standard business hours.
Keeps ambulances free for serious cases
When you or a family member are feeling sick, it can be hard to decide what the best course of action is. Many people are reluctant to call ambulances if they don’t believe their situation could be considered an emergency, whereas other people call 000 for relatively minor conditions. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, calling services like the home visiting doctors or a nurse-on-call organisation means that you can access medical professionals who can offer you advice in real-time. Based on your description of the symptoms you, your child, or the person you’re responsible for are exhibiting, they may then recommend that you call for an ambulance.
Relieves pressure on emergency departments
Australia’s emergency departments are consistently and overwhelmingly busy – patients presenting for treatment often must wait hours until they are seen, and even longer for test results to be returned. There are many factors that contribute to this unfortunate statistic, such as overworked and understaffed departments, but a large contributor to crowded waiting rooms is the amount of people who are seeking treatment for conditions that could be treated by a GP. From migraines to UTIs to skin irritations, common illnesses and conditions are well within the treatment scope of general practitioners. That’s why, when you’re experiencing an illness that if during daylight hours you’d book in with your GP for, you should contact a home visiting doctor.
When you or someone in your care is feeling poorly overnight, and you don’t require an emergency response, reach out to a home visiting doctor service. At Team Med, we provide all the necessary equipmentso that these medical professionals can provide adequate care in the comfort of your own home.