Non-Urgent Medical Appointments to Resume from 4 May

Luxembourg's Ministry of Health announced yesterday evening that non-urgent medical activities would resume, albeit in an adapted format, from Monday 4 May 2020.

The government's decision to declare a state of emergency in mid-March in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by several restrictions, including those on medical activity in both the hospital and non-hospital sectors in the Grand Duchy. Together with the medical and dental professional bodies, Luxembourg's Ministry of Health, the Health Directorate, the Ministry of Social Security and the national medical coordinator reorganised the health system to allow the specific care of patients with COVID-19, while maintaining minimum emergency medicine for all patients.

Today, faced with the observation of a decrease in the number of new infections and in view of the risk of undesirable effects which could result in the medium term from restrictions on access to care, especially for non-COVID-19 patients, the government has authorised medical activity to resume from 4 May, regardless of the nature of the health problem. 

Health Minister Paulette Lenert clarified: "Although access to care was never prohibited during the confinement period but restricted to the treatment of serious and urgent problems, the situation today allows us consider wider access to care. It is in the interest of the quality and continuity of care that each patient can access the treatment they need. This is particularly true with regard to the monitoring of chronic diseases as well as preventive measures, such as vaccination or screening for cancer".

The resumption of medical activity, which will become applicable on Monday 4 May 2020, concerns all categories of doctors in the non-hospital and hospital sectors as well as certain liberal health professions such as nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and psychotherapists.

Nevertheless, while the race to develop a treatment or vaccine against COVID-19 continues, certain safety measures must continue to be respected. Consequently, all consultation appointments planned from next Monday on will be made via telephone during which the administrator or professional will carry out a COVID-19 screening. If symptoms are present, the patient will be referred to an advanced care centre or an emergency service. Patients should also continue to opt for teleconsultations, where depending on their state of health.

In the doctors' cabinets, appointments will be scheduled to guarantee a distance of two metres between patients in the waiting room. Upon entering the waiting room, patients must have also disinfected their hands and wear a mask. Similarly, healthcare professionals are required to follow hygiene rules, in particular with regard to protective equipment and washing and disinfecting hands. The equipment used and the surfaces in contact with patients must be cleaned and disinfected. For healthcare professionals who are exposed to a particular risk of contamination, the use of special personal protective equipment is required. 

The advanced care centres will remain operational, with the exception of the area provided for non-COVID-19 patients which will be taken up by medical offices from 4 May. The opening hours will be adapted (i.e. 10:00-18:00 instead of 08:00-20:00). Likewise, the medico-dental emergency service and the new medical care systems in place in care homes will remain in place for the time being.

Similarly, access to care in hospitals will no longer be limited to acute or urgent care. Medical and surgical activities will be resumed according to several prioritisation criteria such as their interest in terms of public health, their impact on hospital resources and risk management and their impact on the downstream care pathway from acute care hospitals.

The resumption of activities will be organised in a coherent manner by each of the four hospitals, taking into account the existing infrastructural resources, equipment, medicines and human resources, while guaranteeing maximum safety for patients and healthcare professionals. The separation of COVID-19 and other patient flows will remain in place in order to protect patients and staff. The country's four emergency services will also maintain their separate patient care channels.