Participating in the next phase of the COVID vaccine rollout will come at a cost to Crown Figtree Medical, yet practice manager Mary Shalala and her team of doctors have voted to opt in anyway.
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The busy Figtree Grove clinic is just one of the Illawarra general practices approved to participate in Phase 1b of the rollout, which targets those in vulnerable populations such as older people and people with certain underlying conditions.
The rollout is set to start later this month, dependent on the availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine which can be stored at regular refrigeration temperatures in GP clinics.
It will be free for all Medicare-eligible Australians, however some GPs have questioned the financial viability of participating in the rollout due to the minimal rebates they will receive for each patient.
"We are already a very busy practice but have decided as a collective team of eight doctors to take part to look after our patients and do our part in the service of this rollout," Ms Shalala said.
"It will be challenging for us, so we will be doing clinics after hours and on weekends - it will mean we will be working around the clock.
"It's going to cost the practice as the rebate does not cover basic costs, as we will need to employ extra nurses and staff outside normal practice hours.
"But we want to do it purely for the goodwill to the community."
Ms Shalala said the practice will follow the strict eligibility criteria for each phase, and will only be offering the vaccine to existing, regular patients.
"Our approach is to roll this out calmly and methodically - the process might take 12 months to get through all our patients as there's two doses involved," she said.
Bookings will also be open soon for another Illawarra practice accredited to take part. Bulli Medical Practice co-director, Dr Julie Blaze, said the practice was perfectly positioned to roll out the next phase of vaccinations.
"We're a medical practice and a travel vaccination centre, so have a specialised refrigeration system for large amounts of vaccine," she said.
"We've been successful in our application to be part of the Phase 1b rollout, and are set to receive a maximum allocation of 400 vaccines a week.
"Our patients have relied on us to continue services throughout the pandemic and they're keen for us to provide a COVID vaccination service as they know us and trust us.
"We believe we can manage to deliver the vaccine in a safe and effective way, while maintaining our business in the process."
Meantime the Campus Clinic, based at the University of Wollongong, will be offering a Sunday vaccination clinic for current and new patients eligible for Phase 1b.
"The vaccination program is the way out of this global pandemic," practice principal Dr Jennifer Bowler said. "So we believe that it's our obligation to provide the vaccine if we can.
"The Medicare rebate isn't generous ... which is why it is more viable for us to establish the clinic on a Sunday which attracts an after-hours rebate. Our position is that if we can make it work, we will, for the good of the community."
More than 4500 accredited general practices will participate in Phase 1b of Australia's COVID-19 rollout, which Federal health minister Greg Hunt calls "one of the greatest logistical challenges in our nation's history".
Mr Hunt said on Sunday that the government was committed to bringing on board all eligible practices as quickly as possible, with vaccination start dates set to be staggered and dosage allocation to be dependent on vaccine availability.
"More than 1000 general practices will commence from the week of 22 March 2021, with a rapid scale up over the following four weeks," Mr Hunt said. "This will ensure an efficient and equitable distribution of vaccines across the country."
Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid said this week that GPs have a proven track record with flu vaccination of older Australians and those living with chronic disease - who will make up the bulk of the Phase 1b rollout.
"It is very pleasing to see the majority of GPs putting up their hands to participate in this critical national program," Dr Khorshid said.
"General practice is highly accessible for people and has helped Australia achieve some of the highest rates of vaccination in the world.
"Patients see their GP for trusted advice and support and rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine through general practice is the best way to encourage the community to get vaccinated."
Nationally, more than 130 Respiratory Clinics and over 300 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service sites will support the Phase 1b roll out in GPs.
All general practices, including those not involved in Phase 1b, are expected to have the opportunity to participate in future phases.
Meantime Dr Blaze urged people to "be patient" about the rollout, after some delay in the national rollout of the Pfizer vaccine in Phase 1a for aged care residents.
"We need to be patient, it may start a bit slower than we'd hope for, but it will happen and soon," she said.
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