Patient Transfers

This applies to ALL PTN requests to all programs including repatriation. Vancouver is NOT the COVID treatment site for BC and the Yukon
 
During our current response to COVID-19 please do the following regarding PTN Transfers.

1. Only accept patients who require a higher level of care for treatment (We are not accepting cases only on the basis of overt COVID-19 infections or positive test results).
2. If contemplating a transfer of a known COVID-19 positive patient this must be vetted through the Program Leadership before the transfer is initiated.
3. You may not direct patient to be transferred to the Emergency department unless the acuity is such that admission to a ward bed is not appropriate. (In that case, any patient who you wish admitted through Emergency must involve a direct conversation between the admitting physician and the Emergency Department physician before the transfer is initiated).
4. All PTN transfer calls must include the Access Coordinator – ask the PTN operator to involve the coordinator in a three-way discussion about the transfer.
5. If a patient is coming for subspecialized care you must confirm with the subspecialized service as well to ENSURE this care cannot be given outside the lower Mainland.
6. The receiving physician should either review documentation or verbally confirm with the sending physicians the screening questions (refer to Covid 19 investigation pathway for hospitalized medical patients).   If there are any PUI symptoms and they have NOT had a swab within the past 4 days then the patients should be transferred as a PUI and admitted to PHC on droplet and contact precautions until a swab is resulted.