Phils Letter Covid costs

23rd April 2020 Dear Practice Managers Re: Accumulative cost of COVID-19 Discussed at our last Practice Managers’ meeting in March 2020, was an acknowledgment that Practices were likely to incur additional costs as a result of the COVID -19 pandemic. It was suggested that Practices keep track of those additional costs as we would seek to recover those from the DHB. This particularly related to costs associated with the way you operated your Practice and kept staff and patients safe.

The approach within the BOP has been different to elsewhere around the country in that we initially focused on keeping patients out of General Practice that exhibited symptoms associated with Covid-19 and encouraged those patients to be referred to ED for testing, thus minimising the cost of COVID-19 on Practices. Subsequently, Testing Centres were set up for patients to be referred to prior to the establishment of CBACs. The directive from the RNZCGP late March to move into a virtual consultation space has also had significant impact on Practices. Existing phone and internet capacity, in some cases, was required to be enhanced, which came at a cost to Practices. This additional cost was recognised by the Government through the MOH and DHBs nationally and a one-off, bulk payment was made to Practices on 2 April 2020. PHOs were instructed that 100% of that funding was to be distributed to general practices, to support them to meet the additional demands of COVID-19 including to establish capability to deliver virtual consultations.

It is the understanding of the PHO, that the above payment would have covered costs incurred, associated with the move to a virtual environment. Where this is not the case, the PHO would welcome receiving advice from your Practice representative, to further consider those costs and how the PHO may be able to assist. Please contact Phil Back or your General Practice Liaison in the first instance.

A subsequent payment was made on 9 April 2020 to supplement General Practice, recognising that increased financial pressure was being experienced by General Practice nationally through adopting the above virtual consultation directive. It was intended a further payment would be made in the week of 20 April 2020 which, as per advice on Sunday evening, has not as yet been approved and there is uncertainty around whether this payment will in fact be made. Both this and the 9 April payment were totally associated with supplementing the sustainability of General Practice. Practices are encouraged to contact Phil Back if sustainability issues exist.

Regards Phil Phil Back General Manager, Practice Services, Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation Phone: 07 5773194: Cell Phone: 021 2457802: Email: philb@wboppho.org.nz: Website: www.wboppho.org.nz