Winter planning and “streaming”

Some practices are looking at the cabin in the car park and wondering how long they are going to need to keep “red” streaming patients with respiratory symptoms.

Streaming is of course all about keeping your staff and your patients protected from respiratory illnesses.

Discussions with the RNZCGP leaders, Ministry of Health and other primary care clinical leaders across the country are pretty consistent – streaming and masking are unlikely to change.

I can see a point where the people we see in the car park cabin are those WITHOUT respiratory symptoms, just because of the sheer volume and space needed. But the important thing is to ask screening questions at the front desk and to have systems that enable you to keep people with coughs and colds away from those who don’t.

If any practices are thinking about a redesign of their buildings at the moment, ask your architect to look at ventilation, airflow, and creating a red and green stream patient flow suitable to your population.

Finally, you wear a mask, I wear a mask.

Mask use inside buildings, especially health centres, is a no-brainer. People with exemptions will be seen of course, but staff and other patients are at a higher risk of a range of respiratory illness when inside with someone unable to wear a mask. It is quite reasonable to have a system that minimises contact of people unable to wear masks with others.