In an effort to help take some of the pressure off its overwhelmed emergency departments, the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is granting more people access to its COVID-19 assessment centre.
As of Friday, the centre at Victoria Hospital is being expanded to assess, test, and treat patients with symptoms of seasonal cold and flu. That includes people with fever or chills, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches or joint pain, runny nose or nasal congestion, abdominal pain, extreme tiredness, sore throat, and pink eye.
“We are well equipped to expand the services offered at the assessment centre and help relieve some of the pressures currently in our adult [emergency departments],” said Deborah Wiseman, the president of Victoria Hospital. “We welcome the government’s approach to expanding services at all assessment centres across the province in an effort to support London area families this season, and alleviate the pressures felt by our emergency department teams.”
Going forward the centre will be known as the ‘COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic’. It is located in Building 24 at the south London hospital, near the intersection of Commissioners and Western Counties roads and is open from 9:20 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week.
Only adults can currently be seen at the clinic, although plans are in the works to further expand it to serve paediatric patients. An announcement with those details is expected “in the near future”, according to LHSC officials.
It is recommended those with COVID, cold, or flu symptoms go to their family doctor or nurse practitioner first for treatment, when possible. However, people should consider going to the clinic if they do not have a primary care provider, have worsening or persistent symptoms, have been told to by a health care professional, or are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 and qualify for testing.
Appointments at the clinic can be made online at covidtestinglm.ca or by calling 519-685-8500 ext. 75503.
