Accident & Emergency Treatment

 

Our fully equipped modern treatment room is well equipped to deal with most acute injuries on site. We have a registered nurse in attendance at all times. The medical team can suture cuts and wounds, stabilise fractures and deal with eye injuries.

Chronic Disease Management

 

Health Assessments (Bulkbilled)

Health assessments provide an opportunity for your GP to undertake an in-depth assessment of your health. This assessment covers medical, physical, psychological and social aspects of health.
Patients aged 75 years and over, or 55 or over for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders, who are living in the community or in hostel level aged care accommodation are eligible to have a health assessment conducted.

A Health Assessment is conducted as part of preventive and proactive health management for our patients It allows your Doctor to address issues that are difficult to cover in a normal consultation. A health assessment provides you an opportunity to raise any concerns that you may have about your health, such as hearing difficulties or sleeping problem. Your Doctor assesses your overall health and provides advice aimed at preventing ill health in the future

The comprehensive health assessment covers the following areas of physical, psychological and social health:
Activities of Daily Life (ADLs), physical function; Blood pressure (BP), pulse rate and rhythm; Immunisation status; Continence status; Medication review; Mental state review; Psychological function (mood and perception); Social function; Physical exam (lungs, abdomen, nervous system and joints etc.; Fitness to drive; Hearing and vision; Oral health; Diet and nutrition; Foot care; Sleep; Cardiovascular risk; Smoking and alcohol intake; Home safety.

The health assessment is conducted in two appointments – the initial appointment of 30-45 minutes duration is with the practice nurse followed by an appointment with your normal GP (15-30 minutes duration) to go through the results and recommendations.

GP Management Plan – (Bulkbilled)
You may be eligible to receive up to 5 Medicare subsidised allied service consultations per calendar year. Allied services include Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Dietitian services, Psychology and Podiatry. To be eligible you are required to have a complex and chronic condition (one that is, or is likely to be, present for 6 months or more) as determined by your doctor. For example diabetes, asthma, arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
If you are eligible, your doctor can organise a GP management plans and complete the referrals to the appropriate allied health service providers. There may be a gap payment with the service provided by the allied health professional that is not covered by the Medicare Rebate. Some allied health professionals may bulk-bill the service if yu have a GP management plan in place.

Diabetes

 

This health check is aimed at patients aged between 40 and 49 years of age who may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next 5 years. To determine eligibility, patients are asked to complete the Australian Type 2 diabetes assessment tool (AUSDRISK) and answer a short list of questions. Patients with a high result (>12), are eligible to attend a Diabetes Risk Evaluation consultation with their Doctor. If you meet the criteria of being at immediate or high risk, this is followed up with blood tests and a discussion about lifestyle changes.

You may also be eligible for a referral to a subsidised Lifestyle Modification Program. A diabetes care plan appointment is organized with the practice nurse and your normal treating medical practitioner.

Your health is regularly monitored throughout the year in partnership with yourself, your doctor and practice nurse.

Mental Health

 

All patients who suffer from mental health issues qualify for a Medicare funded Mental Health Management Plan which provides a structured approach and follow-up to the management of these conditions. Further, these plans qualify the patient for generous Medicare payments which can significantly ease the financial burden of recurring visits to Psychologists. These plans require a long consultation with your regular doctor to a complete a Mental Heath Care Plan.

Men's Health

 

Ascot Family Practice offers the following for men’s health and well being:

–Cardiovascular risk assessments
–Comprehensive annual male health checks
–Diabetes Management
–Prostate disorders
–Prostate Cancer Testing
–Cardiac risk factor analysis
–Male menopause
–Erection problems
–Ejaculation problems
–Skin Checks
–Testosterone and other hormonal problems
–Testicular Cancer Testing

Weight Management

 

Ascot Family Practice takes a positive approach to weight management for patients who are obese. Your doctor will support you with your weight loss goals by:-

 

• ask and assess BMI, waist circumference, diet (especially fruit, vegetable and fat intake), physical activity, comorbidities, medications that might contribute to weight gain, and readiness to change
• advise on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and weight management;
• assist by providing (directly or by referral) education on diet, physical activity and behaviour change;
• arrange follow-up and review, to prevent relapse and provide support.
Discuss your weight concerns with your doctor today and get on ten right path to healthy well-being and longevity.

Coronary Heart Disease Management

 

Coronary heart disease (CHD) happens when your coronary arteries get narrower and reduce the blood flow to the heart. It is the usual underlying cause of a heart attack.

Coronary heart disease is associated with age and is a lifelong condition that affects many people.

Coronary arteries are like small pipes that supply blood to your heart. They get narrower when fatty material gradually builds up inside and clogs them. The fatty material is called plaque. The process of plaque building up is called atherosclerosis. This can start when you are young and may be well advanced by middle age.

Stable plaque is generally not harmful but if it narrows the arteries too much, they may sometimes not deliver enough blood to your heart. The first effects of this are pain and discomfort called angina. Angina needs to be treated.

Unstable plaque has more fat, a thin cap and is inflamed. It may not severely narrow the artery, but it can develop a crack on the surface, exposing the contents of the plaque to the blood. Blood cells try to seal the gap in the surface with a blood clot. The blood clot partially or completely blocks the artery.

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot completely blocks the flow of blood and seriously reduces blood flow to the heart muscle. If you have had a heart attack, you have coronary heart disease.

There are risk factors that increase your chance of getting coronary heart disease.

Symptoms
Many people don’t know they have heart disease until they have chest pain (angina or a heart attack).

If you are worried about your risk of heart disease, see your doctor or health practitioner to discuss your risks.

Diagnosis
Your doctor will get some tests done to check your heart health. They may include:

• electrocardiogram (ECG)
• coronary angiogram or coronary computed tomography angiogram (CCTA)
• echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
• blood tests
• myocardial perfusion study.

Treatment
There’s no cure for coronary heart disease. But there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can help you avoid a heart attack.

Medicines
Your doctor will prescribe medicines to treat your coronary heart disease and the risk factors of a heart attack, like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

It’s really important to take your medicines as prescribed, because they can greatly reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Vaccinations

 

We are able to provide vaccinations according to the Australian National Immunisation Programme (NIP) for children and adults. These are supplied free of charge and the consultation is generally bulk-billed.

Other recommended, but non-funded vaccines, are available for purchase and can be administered in the same visit. We also offer a comprehensive Travel Vaccination service (including Yellow Fever vaccination). Please advise the Receptionist when booking for a vaccination, so that the appropriate booking can be made.

Continuity of Care

 

It is in your best interest to have a regular doctor. It is very important to see and speak to the same doctor to follow through on a problem. Doctors prefer not to take other doctors calls for results as they are not familiar with your entire medical history and cannot advise on what follow up you need and results cannot be interpreted without prior knowledge of your conditions. Therefore, obtaining results will require a visit to your doctor. Valuable information may be lost if you change doctors frequently. So wherever possible, speak to/ see the same doctor who ordered your tests and has been monitoring your condition.

Women's Health

 

Ascot Family Practice is staffed by a number of female doctors who not only sympathise with any of your female problems, but also fully understand how you’re feeling. In addition to their special interest in Women’s Health they are all General Practitioners who promote an on-going relationship style of health care provision with their patients.

Our services include pap smears, breast examinations, family planning advice, contraceptive advice, period problems, pre-pregnancy counselling, pregnancy care, menopause care, gynaecological care and well woman checks.

Skin Healthcare

 

Our practice has a large treatment room with state of the art equipment. Registered nurses assist with minor surgical procedures. In addition to skin checks, our doctors are highly skilled and experienced in performing procedures such as the removal of skin cancers, moles, cysts and warts. Cryotherapy may be used for the treatment of early skin cancer changes. Diathermy treatment of lesions is also available.

Our treatment room staff can also take care of wound repairs and plastering of fractures

Insurance & Legal Reports

 

If you have insurance or legal paperwork that needs to be completed, please book a long appointment to allow your doctor sufficient time to complete the paperwork. In most cases, the cost of completing the paperwork will be paid by the insurance company or your solicitor/lawyer. Reports are not released to third parties unless we have recently signed authority from yourself within the last twelve months. Completed reports are only released to third parties once full payment has been received.

Preventative Health Care

 

We are able to provide various forms of more comprehensive health assessments and encourage eligible patients to avail themselves of these services. These include:

Over-75‘s Health Assessments - All our patients over 75 years of age are encouraged to book annually for their Over-75s Health Assessment. The duration of this assessment is usually an hour with the Practice Nurse and your normal doctor. These visits are Bulk-Billed.

Diabetics - We recommend an annual Diabetes Assessment, again a full hour in the Practice, with assessment of your Diabetes management, and screening for complications, in addition to regular monitoring during the year. Diabetics should also have a GP Management Plan.

Asthmatics - An Asthma Assessment, usually over two visits, with assessment of lung function by spirometry, and development of a written Asthma Management Plan, is recommended for asthmatics who require preventer medication to control their asthma.

45 - 49 Year Old Health Assessments - these are designed for people in this age group with risk factors for disease - after first having screening blood tests, spend an hour with us identifying and planning to manage your risk factors to ensure years of good health.

Sexual Health Screening

 

Testing, treatment and support for sexual health and relationships

Continuity of Care

 

Family planning covers a wide variety of issues. Whether you are planning a pregnancy, have fallen pregnant unexpectedly or are trying not to fall pregnant; our doctors can give you support, advice and treatment options.
We have doctors who can perform Implanon insertions and Implanon removals. If you are requiring this procedure please advise our receptionist at the time of booking as a long consultation is generally required.

For more information on reproductive health and family planning please visit:
http://www.true.org.au/ – True Relationships and Reproductive Health

Care Plans / Health Assessments

 

Health Care Plans or the Enhanced Primary Care program was introduced to provide more preventive care for older Australians and improve coordination of care for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs. The program provides a framework for a multidisciplinary approach to health.

These plans provide specifically for; 45 Year old once off health check, chronic disease management, Health Assessments for older persons (75+), and Intellectual Disability Health Assessment. Also known as GP Management Plans they are very effective for patients who will benefit from a structured approach to the management of their health care needs

Minor Surgical Procedures

 

We undertake a number of routine General Practice procedures in the practice. These include ECGs, Spirometry (to assess lung function), cryotherapy of warts / skin tags / sun spots, excision of moles and skin cancers, insertion & removal of Implanon, suturing of lacerations, plastering of fractures, dressing of wounds, wedge resection of ingrown toenails etc.

An initial consultation is generally required with your normal treating GP and the procedure is booked for another day. This is to ensure that the adequate time booked. There is an out-of-pocket cost for all procedures.

Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS National)

 

The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.

We provide:
•Immediate phone interpreting.
•Pre-booked phone interpreting.
•On-site interpreting.

The TIS National immediate phone interpreting service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year for the cost of a local call for any person or organisation in Australia who needs an interpreter.

Phone: 131 450
Or visit the website: 

https://www.tisnational.gov.au/en/About-TIS-National

Home Visits & After Hours Service

 

Home Visits may be available to our regular patients who live in the local area and subject to doctor availability. They are for patients who are unable, through severe illness/immobility, to attend an appointment at the Practice. Should you desire a Home Visit, please advise the Receptionist who will discuss the situation with your Doctor and make appropriate arrangements. Please note that the visit may not be able to be accommodated on the same day requested. (Home Visits are not Bulk-Billed and incur a private consultation fee).

We subscribe to Brisbane After Hours Doctors who will visit you at home when the practice is closed. They can be contacted on 1300 466 337 to arrange an after-hours home visit. All patients are bulk billed for this home service. Please ask at our Reception for a brochure, or go to their website at www.brisbaneafterhours.com.au to find out more. The next morning they will then notify us of the nature of your problem to update your clinical files so that we can provide continuity of care.

For emergencies, we recommend you go directly to the Emergency Department of your nearest hospital or dial 000 for an ambulance.

Driving Licence Medicals

 

If you are a regular patient of this practice and require a Medical Certificate of Fitness to Drive a private vehicle, because of your age or a Medical Condition, then just book an appointment with your regular Doctor.

Pregnancy – Ante and Post-Natal Care

 

Some of our doctors provide shared antenatal care with the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and Mater Hospital.

What is Antenatal Care?
Antenatal means ‘before birth’ and Antenatal Care refers to the regular check-ups you have with your doctor, midwife and/or obstetrician to ensure you and your baby are healthy throughout your pregnancy. It is important to keep check on things that can cause problems during pregnancy – these are uncommon but mostly preventable.

Confirmation of Pregnancy
If you suspect you are pregnant, we are able to do urine pregnancy tests at the practice. The urine test is usually reliable if a few days has passed since your period was due. A blood test can be useful if you are seeking earlier confirmation. On confirmation of pregnancy we discuss the steps necessary to plan your Antenatal Care. The initial GP appointment is 30 minutes and then 15-30 minutes might be required afterwards. When booking an appointment, inform Reception that an antenatal consultation is required. We will advise and organise appropriate blood and other tests and arrange a longer visit to complete a Pregnancy Health Record and organise referrals to a public hospital or private obstetrician as required.

Antenatal Visits

Areas that may need to be checked at Antenatal visits include:
•Blood count
•Blood grouping and Rhesus antibodies (Rh factor)
•Immunity against infections that may affect the baby (e.g. rubella, hepatitis B)
•Size and state of your pelvis
•Blood pressure
•Urine test (for evidence of diabetes or pre-eclampsia)
•Cervix (pap smear test)
•Progress of the baby (size of uterus, heartbeat, movements)
•Progress of the mother, including emotional state
•Any concerns

Frequency of Antenatal Visits

Pregnancies normally lasts 38-42 weeks.
Antenatal visits are monthly until week 28, each two weeks from week 30 to 36 and weekly thereafter.
Hospital visits usually occur for an initial assessment and then at week 32 and week 41.
More visits may be necessary if there are any health problems with you or your baby, or you have any concerns.

If you think you’re pregnant or would like to discuss the antenatal care options available to you, our team of friendly doctors are here to assist you.

Children's Health

 

As a parent it is defeat t plan for your children’s illness, At Ascot Family Practice your sick child can be seen on that day. No waiting 3 or 4 days to get into a Doctor… a lot of things can happen in that time. We also have doctors who have a special interest in Paediatrics/ Child Health who are competent in treating children from Infancy to Teens.. Book a long appointment if you need extra time to discuss your child’s concerns to ensure you have adequate time. Some of skills encompass the following:

Newborn / Well Baby checks
The infant or child who is failing to thrive
The irritable baby
Childhood vaccinations
The febrile child/ child with fever
Asthma
Adolescent Health
Growth or developmental issues

Counselling

 

Patients sometimes need help to overcome feelings of depression, stress and severe anxiety. Our Doctors are happy to help in these cases, but we do encourage you to make a longer booking to discuss the issues, as there is often much to discuss.

Skin Cancer / Skin Checks

 

Our doctors are happy to perform a skin check to assess your spots and moles however in some cases you may be referred to a specialist. If any treatments are required, such as cryotherapy or excisions, these can be performed in our well equipped treatment room. Excisions are usually booked for another day when convenient to both patient and Doctor. We do not advise that patients book an excision directly at their first visit, as our assessment may be that it is not required, or conversely, that a longer booking might be needed for it.

Palliative Care

 

If you are an existing patient of Ascot Family Practice, your doctor may provide specialist consultations for patients with serious illnesses. The focus is on providing patients with management relief of pain and other distressing symptoms, whatever the diagnosis. It optimises the quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering and burden of disease. Discuss your need for palliative care with your normal treating doctor.

Travel Medicine and Vaccinations

 

We are able to provide advice on travel to countries around the world, and are able to administer vaccines for the vast majority of countries visited (with the exception of Yellow Fever vaccinations, required for a few equatorial African or South American countries only). It is best to plan well ahead of your holiday. Make an appointment to discuss your travel medicine requirements at least 6 weeks before your departure date. We stock and supply many travel vaccines.

Intravenous Iron Infusion

 

Iron is an essential element required for the oxygen-carrying capacity of haemoglobin in red blood cells around the body and plays an important role in many other vital processes in the human body.
Symptoms of iron deficiency can include: fatigue (feeling tired), dizziness, paleness of skin, shortness of breath, headaches, disrupted sleep, hair loss, unusual cravings, tingling or crawling feeling in the legs, tongue swelling or soreness.

Iron Infusions can be used for the treatment of patients with iron deficiency, when oral iron preparations are ineffective or cannot be tolerated. The aim of the therapy is to replenish body iron stores and to remedy anaemia, a reduced level of haemoglobin due to iron deficiency. Not all patients respond to iron tablets and therefore an alternative method called Intravenous Iron Transfusion can be performed at our practice. In this way iron is replaced through the vein providing a fast and effective solution to iron deficiency. A blood test is required prior to administration to determine infusion requirements. Ask your doctor if you are concerned about iron deficiency and available treatments. Intravenous (IV) Iron Infusions are performed in our practice by Dr Sharmani Singh using Ferinject.