Bendigo's Spring Gully clinic still open for COVID-19 testing

Throughout the last two years, GPs and other staff have been on site in Spring Gully, offering a range of services for everyone who needs them.

Bendigo Respiratory Clinic director and GP Josh Cowan said providing these would help take the pressure off other sites across the city.

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"We have the capacity to test anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and we can do that either by a PCR swab, which has been the main way of testing throughout the pandemic or a rapid antigen test," he said.

"We opened this clinic at the beginning of the pandemic and since then we've swabbed thousands, if not tens of thousands of people.

"It's always good to have more than one place to get those tests because it ensures neither site gets as overwhelmed as it could."

The clinic has a GP on site to provide patients in the clinic with a consultation and the appropriate COVID-19 test to best suit a patient's symptoms and individual circumstance.

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A consultation from a GP for potential COVID-19 positive patients, assists to monitor symptoms and assess the health of the individual.

However, face-to-face consults for patients with respiratory symptoms can be difficult to obtain through a general medical practice.

"The development of telehealth has been a good was of consulting with patients during these last few years," Dr Cowan said.

"The pandemic has created a lot of challenges for us and while that service has helped, it's not ideal compared to face-to-face appointments."

Patients who receive a positive result from the clinic will be contacted by a GP to monitor symptoms.

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Those who may require further assessment will receive additional information during this time.

PCR testing remains to be the most efficient, in terms of obtaining an accurate result.

However, the convenience of rapid antigen testing allows patients and GPs to receive immediate results that can therefore assist to determine the direction of a health assessment.

The GP at the clinic will determine the most appropriate test for each patient.

The Bendigo Respiratory Clinic is open for appointments Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Symptomatic patients can contact the clinic on 1800 573 196 to book an appointment.

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