Patient Services

GP Appointments

Skin Clinic

Minor Procedures

Care Plans

Mental Health Care Plans

Immunisations

Driving and Commercial Medicals

Iron Infusions

Medication Reviews

GP Appointments

All Specialist General Practitioners at The Hub Medical Centre are Fellows of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. A standard length GP appointment is 15 minutes. If you have multiple or complex issues to address it’s recommended that you book a longer appointment. If you also need to see the nurse, for example for a wound dressing or vaccination please speak with reception so we can make sure you have a slot.

Every GP at The Hub Medical Centre is an independent practitioner who contracts the Medical Centre to provide them with the space and assistance they need to provide medical care to their patients. They aren’t employees of the practice. Due to this you may notice differences in how each GP works, including what services they provide, hours and billing policies. However all the GPs use the Practice software and therefore will be able to access information in your clinic file for your appointments. If you’re usual GP is unavailable you’re welcome to book with one of the other GPs at the Clinic. Please check with reception if you’d like clarification about any of services.

Skin Clinic

More than 2 in 3 people living in Australia will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. We recommend that you get your skin checked once a year, or more frequently if you have a higher risk of skin cancer, for example if a relative has had a melanoma or if you work outside.

In our skin clinic a specialist GP will ask you relevant questions about your skin, sun exposure and genetic risks for skin cancer and perform a top to toe skin examination including any moles or marks that you’re worried about. If they see any areas of concern they’ll discuss treatment options with you which may include freezing (cryotherapy), taking a small piece of tissue for lab examination (biopsy) or cutting out the troublesome area entirely (excision). Some more complex procedures such as skin grafts and flap procedures are also undertaken when required.

Most procedures do have a gap fee and this will be discussed with you prior to undertaking any procedure.

Minor procedures

Many GPs at The Hub perform minor skin procedures. These include cyst removal, incision and drainage of abscesses, wound suturing and toenail surgery. If you think you’ll require one of these services it’s best to discuss with reception which GP is best to book with as not all GPs perform all procedures.

Care plans

Medicare will provide a rebate for a Care Plan if, in the opinion of the treating GP a person has a medical condition which has lasted for at least six months, is expected to last at least six months or is palliative.

At a Care Planning appointment you’ll work with the Registered Nurse, Pharmacist or doctor to set achievable goals in order to improve your health and wellbeing and the process will always be overseen by your regular GP. At The Hub Medical Centre we also incorporate a general health review including assessing if you’re up to date with health checks, blood tests, health screening and vaccinations. If you also require the input of at least 3 professionals including your GP and an allied health practitioner such as a physiotherapist or podiatrist, then Medicare will also provide a rebate for a Team Care Arrangement which enables you to receive rebates on up to 5 allied health services per calendar year if you’re referred by your GP.

Care Plans are undertaken by the person’s usual GP, often in collaboration with a Registered Nurse or Pharmacist. Therefore it’s not usual to perform a Care Plan on the first visit to the clinic and usually you’ll be asked to return for a dedicated appointment to formulate the Plan. As a Care Plan is a document outlining the planned treatment for your medical condition(s) we invite you for a review of your plan every 3-6 months.

Health assessments

Health Assessments are a comprehensive check on your health including your physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Whilst Care Plans focus on planning how to manage medical conditions, a Health Assessment is more focused on picking up early signs of disease, disease prevention and maintaining a person’s general health and independence. They’re available to people who are in any of the following groups:

75 years old or older
Aged 40-49 with a high risk of diabetes
Aged 45-49 who are at risk of developing a chronic disease
Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander People
Those with an intellectual disability

At a health assessment appointment you’ll typically spend 30-60 minutes with a Registered Nurse or Pharmacist followed by an appointment with your GP. Sometimes additional tests such as an ECG may be recommended as part of your assessment.

There is no gap fee for Health Assessments with a Medicare rebate available for Health Assessments for eligible people once every 12 months, or every 9 months if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander.

Mental health care plans

Medicare will provide a rebate for a Care PlMental Health Care Plans are available to people who (as defined by Medicare) have a mental disorder who would benefit from a structured approach to the management of their treatment needs and are completed by a patient’s usual GP.
A consultation with your GP for a Mental Health Care plan will usually include discussing your current and past mental health difficulties and treatments, completing a questionnaire, defining goals for your treatment and if required issuing a prescription and/or a referral to a Psychologist or Psychiatrist.
Once a Mental Health Care Plan is in place a person is eligible to receive Medicare rebates from a Psychologist or Mental Health Social Worker for up to 10 sessions per calendar year, with the first referral valid for up to 6 sessions. A Mental Health Care Plan will be reviewed periodically with your GP. an if, in the opinion of the treating GP a person has a medical condition which has lasted for at least six months, is expected to last at least six months or is palliative.

Immunisations

In our treatment room we provide all immunisations in line with the National Immunisation Schedule. This includes childhood vaccinations and vaccinations for people with chronic diseases and older people.

We are an approved provider of Covid-19 vaccinations and also run influenza immunisation clinics which begin when Government stocks of vaccine are issued which is usually in the first half of April.

Vaccinations outside of the National Schedule such as travel vaccinations can be administered after a consultation with a GP.

Commercial driving and other medicals

Some GPs at The Hub perform Medical examinations such as those required for a Commercial Driving License, Taxi License or workplaces. Except under very limited circumstances Medicare will not provide a rebate for a Medicals and therefore the patient is liable for the full fee. The fee will depend on the length and complexity of the medical as well as wether additional tests such as ECG or spirometry are required. Please contact reception for a quote and to book with the right GP and nurse if required.

Iron infusions

Iron infusions for people with significantly low ferritin levels can be performed in our treatment room at the direction of a GP. If you and your GP do decide to go ahead with an iron infusion you’ll be booked in to the treatment room for about an hour where you’ll be continuously monitored by a nurse while the infusion takes place and afterwards. A private is payable for iron infusions as there is no Medicare rebate for the nursing time and equrequired for this.

Medication reviews

If you’re on lots of different medications, under several different specialists or are on medication which requires close monitoring you may be eligible for a medication review. People who fall in to these categories are more likely to have problems with their medications which may include side effects, interactions between medicines and errors due to miscommunication between patient, doctor and pharmacist.

Medication reviews are a two step process where you see a pharmacist either at home or in the practice who write a report for the GP, then you follow up with the GP to discuss the report and agree a way forward. The outcome is fed back to the reviewing pharmacist and your regular pharmacist. Currently Medication Reviews do not incur any gap fee.