The practice operates on consultation by appointment. Standard consultations are between 10- 15 minutes.

The practice has many varied types of consultations for your benefit, so please inform reception at the time of booking if you require a longer consult, or more than one family member is attending. This assists the doctors by giving them the time and attention you require and also helps reduce waiting times.

Patients requiring URGENT medical attention will be seen by a nurse / doctor and provided with appropriate treatment.

A significant number of On-Day appointments are held for all doctors. These appointments are available from 8.00am on the day.

The practice also operates a Waiting List. Patients have the option of adding their name to this list and where cancellations occur during the day, patients on the waiting list will be contacted with an appointment time. Patients may nominate a specific doctor or opt for the 1st available doctor.

Non-Urgent Walk-in patients without an appointment can NOT be seen; these patients are offered the option to go on the Waiting List.

The practice now sends SMS appointment reminders to patients the day prior to your scheduled appointment. To use this facility make sure we have your mobile phone number.

PLEASE ADVISE THE PRACTICE IF YOUR ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND YOUR APPOINTMENT

All the Doctor's here love to see kids! Most of us have kids of our own and know just how puzzling a child's illness can present and we know if your child is sick, you need them to be seen on the day.

As a result, GPMC is proud to introduce CHILDREN FIRST - daily sessions with priority children appointments. Doctor’s have priority children appointments - Monday to Friday between 9.00 am – 10.30 am and 4.00 pm –  5.00 pm. To make a Children First appointment for your child, phone the practice after 8.00 am on the day.
During working hours we also have a nurse who can triage calls from concerned parents and discuss immunisations, etc.

Option One:
If the condition is life threatening or clearly requires X-Ray, Blood Tests, or care in hospital, it is most appropriate to dial 000 and call for an ambulance. We will be notified of admissions by the hospital.

Option Two:
Contact our After Hour’s Locum Service – ph: 9429 5677 and they will have a doctor attend to your needs. We will be notified of the consultation

We are aware that there are times when situations arise, precluding patients from attending their designated appointment.  However as a matter to courtesy to the clinic and other patients, a telephone call advising us of your inability to attend would be appreciated. (This will allow another patient waiting for an appointment to be seen.) Should individual patients continue to ignore this request and repeatedly fail to advise the clinic of cancelled appointments, the clinic may opt to charge the patient a non-attendance fee or not provide future appointments.

All medical services and procedures will incur a fee and payment of fees is required at the time of attendance. A discounted fee is applied for full payment at the time of attendance and payment can be made by cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS.

GPMC now offers you the convenient option of lodging your Medicare Claim electronically after you have seen the doctor. If you pay your account in full you can have your medicare benefit paid directly into your nominated Bank or Credit Union by electronic funds transfer (EFT). With your consent the process takes a couple of minutes and a few easy steps to electronically process lodge your claim.

Routine Childhood immunisation consultations will be bulkbilled. Adolescents seeking confidential medical care may also be bulk billed. A more flexible / “lesser fee” policy will apply in certain situations. Fees may vary between doctors depending on consultations.

Medical emergency presentations to the clinic will be billed and arrangements made for payment at a more convenient time.

For Worker’s Compensation visits, we require a valid claim number or authority from your employer; until this is received ALL costs are the responsibility of the patient.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties please speak with the practice manager or your doctor.

We ask that regular practice patients limit requests to occasions when they are unable to attend the surgery, due to illness or emergency. Please contact the surgery before midday and every endeavour will be made for a doctor to attend.

Results will NOT be given out to patients over the telephone. Results are normally available within 3 – 4 working days from when the test was performed. If an appointment is required for the result, the patient will be advised.

Prescriptions for medicines taken regularly can be arranged without seeing the doctor if he/she has agreed to this. This service is not available for medication requiring approval from the Health Department. Please allow at least 48 hours for your request to be processed. A Fee will apply for this service.

There may be times when your doctor will want to consult with you prior to providing certain prescriptions.

If you require a medical certificate, please advise the doctor at the time of consultation, as the doctor can not backdate certificates if you have not been seen

GPMC uses a reminder system to notify you when some routine tests are due (eg. PAP smears, Elderly Health Assessments). These systems are not infallible, but we are constantly trying to improve them. If you would prefer not to be on a recall system, please let your doctor or one of the receptionists know.

Doctors at this clinic may be contacted by telephone during normal surgery hours. In the majority of cases a message will be taken to avoid interrupting the doctor’s consultation with other patients. Messages left for your doctor will be dealt with as soon as practicable.

Please assist by keeping calls to a minimum, preferably late morning or late afternoon.

In an emergency, calls will be connected directly with the practice nurse or doctor to assess the severity of the situation and provide appropriate advice. ( Please advise staff if an emergency situation.)

Despite our best intentions, we sometimes run late. This is because someone has required unexpected urgent attention or a longer consultation than they booked for. Be assured when the doctor is consulting with you, your problem will be given the time it deserves. 

Our many varied Consultations are for your benefit, so please inform reception at the time of booking the type of appointment you require. A little information at this time can help us to keep to schedule and reduce waiting time.

Please call ahead if you are unable to attend your appointment.
Thank you for your consideration.

At GPMC we employ a Health/Nurse Educator to assist your doctor in providing you with information and assistance on a range of key health areas. Throughout the year a series of patient information sessions will be held covering a number of Health and Well-Being issues that will include Diabetes, Asthma, Home Medicine Reviews, Care Plans, etc.

You can also arrange for an individual session/s with the Health/Nurse Educator. Speak with your doctor if you wish to set-up such a session.

GPMC protects your privacy and we treat all patient information, including health and financial details, as strictly private and confidential.

We have developed and documented a privacy policy, in accordance with current privacy laws.  All staff of this practice abides by this privacy policy and understands that a policy breech could be grounds for immediate dismissal. Copies are available at the practice.

Your comments on our medical services are always welcome. If we can improve our service for your benefit, we will.  However if you wish to contact an outside authority, please direct your concerns to the AMA or the Health Services Commissioner.
Phone: 1300 136 066

Dr John Russo is a qualified and accredited Acupuncture practitioner, working at GPMC, and performs both traditional needle and low level laser Acupuncture. Acupuncture works by stimulating the body to heal itself. Basically it is a way of retraining the body’s nervous system and of balancing it’s energies. Acupuncture can successfully treat a wide range of conditions including: - chronic pain states, stress related disorders and muscle and tendon injuries.

A good response is frequently obtained for the following: - 

Sinusitis Hay Fever Headaches Anxiety Facial Nerve Paralysis Gastroenteritis

Strained Neck Backache Sciatica (non discogenic) Painful Periods Drug Addiction Morning Sickness

Treatment should always follow diagnosis. See your GP first and ask him/her to recommend a doctor who performs Acupuncture

One of the first things you should do when planning a trip is to set up an appointment with your doctor; destination, activities, length of stay, health history and many other factors affect your risk of illness when traveling. At GPMC we have experienced Travel Medicine staff who are able to evaluate these factors to come up with a care plan tailored to your travel.

GPMC can offer:

Pre-travel assessment to determine your health care needs Information about disease risks Explanation of travel health issues, including food, water, and insect precautions Preventative vaccines and medications including – Hepatitis, Cholera, Typhoid, Rabies, Tetanus, Yellow Fever*, Japanese Encephalitis, Polio, Meningicoccal and Malaria pills. Written advice and documentation including the International Certificate of Vaccination ( * GPMC is an accredited Yellow Fever Immunisation Centre. )

Nutritional and Environmental Medicine is defined as the study of the interactions of both nutritional and environmental factors with human physiology, biochemistry, pathology and anatomy and the clinical application of these interactions in the optimisation of health and the prevention and treatment of disease. This may involve the removal of certain foods or chemicals from the patient's environment, the use of rotation diets and the provision of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids or other nutritional supplements. Excesses or deficiencies of any nutrient or the presence of basic chemicals or electromagnetic radiation results in cellular dysfunction and illness.

Some metabolic tests are available which may indicate imbalances within the body. These include: hair analysis, which gives an assessment of minerals and heavy metals; the prolonged glucose tolerance test, which analyses blood sugar levels; urine samples and various blood tests designed to evaluate vitamin, mineral or hormonal excesses or deficiencies. The evaluation of prostanoids and free radical activity is relatively new. Lipid Peroxidation and antioxidant status are rapidly becoming important clinical investigations.

Treatment is aimed at correcting the basic imbalance and its cause, as well as providing symptomatic relief. Proper balance is achieved by providing the molecular environment that allows the body to heal itself. This is done by attention to basic nutrition, providing those nutrients that are found lacking or reducing those found in excess. Mineral and vitamin supplements are added where diet cannot satisfy the individual need for nutrients.

Environmental Medicine is concerned with those physical and psychological symptoms that result from allergy or sensitivity to various inhalants, foods, beverages and numerous chemical substances in air, water and food. The central nervous system, with its rich blood supply, is particularly susceptible to the effects of allergens and toxins. Consequently, individuals exhibiting physical or mental illness are suspected of having a sensitivity to some environmental factor that is upsetting the balance of nutrients within the body. Environmental toxins are eliminated as far as possible. For optimum results, a regular program of physical exercise and relaxation is advised. Stresses of emotional, psychological and social origin must also be dealt with, as part of a total treatment program.

Dr John Russo is an experienced Nutritional and Environmental Medicine practitioner and a Fellow of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine.

For further information visit http://www.acnem.org

Musculoskeletal medicine is that branch of medicine which addresses pain in the muscles, bones, ligaments and joints. It involves the non-surgical treatment of varied conditions like back pain, neck pain, (both acute and chronic), trigger points, sciatic-type pain, pain associated with arthritis, whiplash injuries, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, disc and nerve pain. Orthopaedic surgeons operate whereas musculoskeletal physicians use various non-invasive therapies, taking a wholistic approach to managing pain and dysfunction. Therapies used include spinal mobilisation and manipulation, exercise prescription, acupuncture and dry needling, as well as more invasive spinal injection techniques (prolotherapy, nerve blocks & epidural injections). The peripheral joints such as the knee, hip and shoulder are also managed along similar lines emphasizing education and self management of all musculoskeletal conditions. ( For further information visit http://www.musmed.com )

Dr John Russo is qualified and experienced in Musculo-skeletal Medicine practitioner.

Throughout each year GPMC conducts a diabetes assessment / health program which aims to prevent or reduce the complications associated with diabetes. Our nurse educator and/or your doctor can provide further information on the program as well as providing ongoing education, assessment and testing to all diabetics from the time of the initial diagnosis.

It is our aim to provide this service to all asthma patients aged 7 years and over on an annual basis. This is an area of keen interest to our doctors and you are encouraged to discuss this further with your own doctor and our nurse educator. The program consists of 3 visits and includes assessment, education and the formulation of an asthma action plan in order to allow you to take charge of your asthma.

GPMC provides a comprehensive Childhood Immunisation Service, including pneumococcal vaccine.   (Routine Childhood immunisation consultations are Bulk Billed.)

GPMC is an accredited Yellow Fever Immunisation centre and complements this with a comprehensive Travel Immunisation and Information Service.

Vaccines available include:

Adult Diptheria Tetanus Boostrix (free for 15-17 year olds) Chicken Pox Cholera Hepatitis A & B    Japanese Encephalitis Measels Meningicoccal