Attending the workplace
- Working arrangements
Find out what health or aged care employers need to do to keep their staff and business safe during COVID-19.
Protection in the workplace
- Hygiene and cleaning
To protect yourself and your patients, it is important to maintain good hygiene and a clean workplace. Follow the guidelines for personal hygiene, routine cleaning, disinfecting, terminal cleaning, and protective gear.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health workforce
PPE includes surgical masks, P2/N95 respirators, gloves, goggles, glasses, face shields, gowns and aprons. Find out who in the health workforce should use PPE, how to use PPE, and how we are managing the PPE in our National Medical Stockpile. - Mental health for the health workforce
Health workers are facing unprecedented circumstances and pressure during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This can take a toll on mental health. Read about what you can do to look after your mental health and wellbeing during this challenging time.
Providing health care and supporting patients
- Providing health care face to face
When providing health care face to face during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers should take steps to keep themselves and their patients safe. Read about when to provide care face to face and how to protect yourself and your patients. - Providing health care remotely
To protect patients and healthcare providers from COVID-19 transmission, we have expanded telehealth services, fast-tracked electronic prescribing, and supported home delivery of medicines to vulnerable people. This allows health professionals to provide care remotely.
A new guide is available to help general practitioners have discussions with patients around their risk related to COVID-19.
When a patient has concerns about their risk of severe COVID-19 illness, you can help them develop a COVID-19 action plan. This plan considers their wishes and priorities and helps them manage risk and maintain a lifestyle that has quality and meaning.
Managing COVID-19 in disability care
- Managing COVID-19 in disability care
Specialist resources and advice for disability support services and workers. Find out about when you must not go to work, getting tested, identifying symptoms in older people, and protecting yourself and the people you care for.
Resources and training
National guidelines
The Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) guides the Australian health sector response to COVID-19.
The COVID-19 National Guidelines for Public Health Units provides interim recommendations on:
- surveillance
- infection control
- laboratory testing
- contact management
The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) updates these guidelines regularly.
Key collection
This collection contains resources for health professionals on:
- providing health care
- personal protective equipment
- working arrangements
- aged care services
- testing
- training
- hygiene and cleaning
COVID-19 resources for health professionals, including aged care providers, pathology providers and health care managers
Aged Care Emergency and Crisis Management Training Program 2021
Online training modules delivered as part of the Aged Care Emergency and Crisis Management Training Program 2021 have been extended until 30 June 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight vulnerabilities in aged care emergency and crisis management, and in particular, effective decision making.
This training can help equip providers with the knowledge, tools and confidence to build or strengthen their organisation’s emergency and crisis management capability and assist to better ensure continued delivery of safe and quality care in challenging situations.
The Program continues to be delivered by First 5 Minutes and RiskLogic, supported by funding from the Department of Health.
Dementia training and resources
For advice on how to best support people living with dementia during this difficult time, go to these resources:
-
Restrictive Practices: Understanding and Managing Behaviours in a Time of Pandemic is a fact sheet on how to support people living with dementia.
- COVID-19: An Informative Resource Guide provides links to practical information on COVID-19 including tips for supporting people with dementia.
- Dementia Discovery offers free micro-courses giving introductory training about dementia including communication strategies in care settings.
Webinars
View our webinars on the COVID-19 response for the health and aged care sector.
Information for international health workers and medical students
The Home Affairs website contains information for international health workers and medical students, including about:
- international students and working hours
- entering Australia
- Working Holiday Maker visas
- applying to return to Australia
Staying informed
To stay up to date:
- browse our COVID-19 news and media
- check our news and announcements for the aged care sector
You can also subscribe to our health professional mailing lists: