Day One of the covid-19 vaccine roll-out for phase 1B patients✔️
After weeks of preparations, mock trials, and negotiations, we’ve finally gone live with our vaccine roll-out to patients who qualify for phase 1B.
At 12noon on Saturday, we received confirmation that all systems, including the Department of Health, AIR (Australian Immunisation Registry), and our HotDocs booking engine were communicating cohesively, and stocks were all ready and accounted for. We released emails confirming bookings were open, and within 24 hours, all slots were booked out for the next 3.5 weeks.
At 7:30 this morning we had 6 nurses and 4 support staff on duty at the respiratory clinic; administering vaccines, drawing up the vaccines, and training new staff. We also had a concierge team registering patients upon arrival, assisting with incomplete consent forms, and ushering patients to the post-vaccine waiting area across the road and out of the rain.
There were some learning curves we could not foresee, including an additional email and form from the Department of Health, and broken links on confirmation emails that were sent out to patients. These caused some delays, and pushed patients and staff behind schedule.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our patients today, most of whom were understanding and supportive. It is hard to be the first, but it was a good learning curve that taught us quickly where the errors were occurring and how to quickly resolve them.
We’d also like to thank our staff for keeping their smiles on, guiding our patients through the steps of the process flawlessly, and for persevering through the technical issues that could not have been avoided. Safety was paramount, and all in all everyone looked happy and comfortable with how it was all handled.
If you are booked in for your vaccine, we recommend arriving no more than 10 minutes before your appointment. Please also be mindful that the staff are quickly adapting to this process, and learning along the way—your continued support and patience is always appreciated.
The first phase of our rollout is for 12 weeks so there are still lots of spots available at the vaccine clinic. We also hope that as more vaccines become available we can increase the number of appointments per day.
What to expect when booking your vaccine;
Book your appointment online
You will receive a confirmation email from HotDoc with a link to the consent form. This needs to be submitted prior to your appointment.
You should receive a text message confirming your appointment.
Be prepared to receive a separate email from the Department of Health, with a registration form that needs to be completed and submitted online.
Arrive 10 mins before your appointment
Register using the QR code for the Australian Immunisation Registry
If you are having any issues with the forms, please contact us prior to your appointment. If you are unable to book your appointment online, please contact our staff on 9634 5000 to assist you.
