Disaster Management
Prepare your general practice and patients for the impact of disasters.
Disasters and emergencies are increasing in prevalence and impact, and the Brisbane north region has a relatively high level of exposure to extreme weather events.
Plan and ensure you are ready for the impact of disasters on general practice and their patients.
Brisbane North PHN offers a range of resources for health professionals to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters as well as resources to help you to support your community.
Readiness
Be prepared to ensure you and your team are ready to respond effectively and efficiently when disasters happen.
Response
Respond to the health and wellbeing needs of your community during an emergency or natural disaster.
Recovery
Support the mental health and wellbeing of those recovering from the impacts of disasters and emergencies.
Disaster Readiness
Be prepared to ensure you and your team are ready to respond effectively and efficiently when disasters happen.
Our region can experience a range of natural disasters including floods, storms, bushfires and pandemics.
Our region can experience a range of natural disasters including floods, storms, bushfires and pandemics. These emergencies can pose a risk to business continuity in primary care. It is a requirement of the RACGP Standards of General Practice that practices prepare and maintain an emergency response plan (ERP).
The Disaster Preparedness Checklist can help practices prepare for emergencies and support business continuity by considering, developing, and regularly reviewing an emergency response plan.
Top 7 tips to be better prepared for an emergency
- develop and maintain an up-to-date emergency response and business continuity plan
- exercise/review your plan on a regular basis
- contact other practices in your local area and agree on how you might be able to offer mutual support during an event
- have a plan in place to send communications to patients about service disruptions or changes
- Have a system in place to routinely capture and check patient’s current contact details
- Ensure patients with a My Health Record have current information records and an up-to-date shared health summary where appropriate
- Take steps to encourage patients to have a face-to-face appointment to ensure continued telehealth eligibility
Responding to disaster
Respond to the health and wellbeing needs of your community during an emergency or natural disaster.
Brisbane North PHN offers a range of resources to support health professionals respond in emergency situations.
Tips during the response phase
- communicate to patients any changes to access or open hours and/or reinforce continued access
- consider extending or offering alternative arrangements to accommodate changed or increase in patient demand
- follow alert and warning updates
- offer support to your local practices as agreed if you have the capacity to do so
HealthPathways
Health Pathways offers health professionals local information to make the right decisions together with patients, at the point of care. The pathways are designed primarily for general practice teams, but are also available to specialists, allied health professionals and other health professionals in our region.
Login at brisbanenorth.communityhealthpathways.org or phone 07 3630 7300 for login details.
Keep up to date with relevant alerts and warnings:
Recovery
Health professionals play a critical role in supporting individuals and communities to recover after natural disasters and other emergencies.
Health professionals play a critical role in supporting individuals and communities to recover after natural disasters and other emergencies.
Disasters can affect everyone in the community and mental health needs often emerge in the months following a disaster.
Tips to support recovery after disasters and emergencies
- review and identify lessons
- communicate with patients about return to normal business hours and services
- connect with and refer to local social and community support agencies
- identify and reach out to patients with increased vulnerability factors
- identify community population health needs post disaster and develop campaigns to address emerging needs e.g. focus on mental health assessments.
