April 12, 2023
(LONDON, Ontario) – On April 28, LHSC’s COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic (CCFCC) will close its doors after serving as the local COVID-19 assessment, testing and treatment centre since March 2020.
Prior to closing, the CCFCC will also shift its current seven-day-a-week operation to a Monday-to-Friday schedule. Starting Monday, April 17, the CCFCC will operate Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The final day of operation will be Friday, April 28.
These changes come as a result of decreased prevalence of COVID-19 across the region and an associated lower volume of appointments.
“The CCFCC has been an important resource for patients and an essential alternative to our Emergency Departments since the onset of the pandemic,” said Jerry Plastino, Ambulatory Care and Pharmacy Executive at LHSC. “We are so grateful to our staff, physicians and community partners who supported this vital service for our community over the past three years.”
Starting on April 29, individuals who require a COVID-19 test or medication such as Paxlovid or Remdesivir are encouraged to contact their primary care provider (Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner), or book an appointment at a participating pharmacy in the region. Individuals experiencing cold and flu-like illness should contact their primary care provider, or visit a walk-in clinic or urgent care centre.
Patients who are scheduled for elective surgeries or procedures will be assessed by their LHSC care team and advised if they require a COVID-19 test. Patients who require a COVID-19 test prior to their procedure will receive further instructions from their care team.
Established at the start of the pandemic, the Oakridge and later Carling Heights COVID-19 Clinical Assessment Centres were a staple in the community’s COVID-19 response efforts, providing services to more than 229,000 people over 886 days. In August 2022, the clinic was relocated to Victoria Hospital, and reconfigured to the CCFCC in December to offer patients and the community an alternative care pathway, and to ease the pressures of the respiratory season on the hospital’s Emergency Departments.
Between December 2022 and February 2023, about 2,100 patients were assessed at the CCFCC site at Victoria Hospital. In March, the clinic saw a significant decline in visits, operating at only 11 per cent of its capacity.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Elizabeth (Beth) Summers
Senior Media Relations Consultant
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-6500 x77767
media@lhsc.on.ca
