Our GPs are highly trained medical practitioners who have vocational registration with the NZ Medical Council. This requires further training and assessments administered by the Royal NZ College of GPs. With our broad knowledge, we are able to offer our service to children and adults of all ages with a wide range of health problems. We offer booked appointments but can accommodate same day appointments. Our GPs also have an intimate knowledge of the health system, the support services and specialist services available in our local community and beyond. Please visit Royal NZ College of GP website for further information: www.rnzcgp.org.nz
Skin cancers including Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinomas and Basal Cell Carcinomas are common in NZ. This is in part due to our harsh UV radiation from our sun rays. If left untreated, skin cancers can potentially be life threatening. We are able to assess any suspicious skin lesion. However we do not provide a full comprehensive body skin checks and would recommend other health providers for this. Sometimes a biopsy of the skin lesion may be helpful in providing an accurate diagnosis. Depending on the type of skin cancer, a range of treatments may be appropriate including liquid nitrogen, surgical removal and topical creams licenced for use for some skin cancers. Prevention is always better than cure. So make sure you cover up, use plenty of sunblock, avoid getting sunburnt and if unsure about a skin lesion, make sure to get it checked out. Regular self-assessments and an annual skin check may also be worth considering. For further information on skin cancers: www.dermnetnz.org
Minor surgery for a variety of skin conditions can be provided by our GP clinic. This includes the removal of skin cancers. We can also remove benign skin lesions for cosmetic reasons including sebaceous cysts, benign moles and skin tags. These conditions do not always need to be referred to a hospital or specialist, saving you a long appointment waiting time.
Immunisation is a cost effective and proven way to protect yourself and your family against many potentially serious vaccine-preventable illnesses. This is one of the core services we provide to our patients across all age groups. The introduction of the immunisation programme in New Zealand has led to significant reductions of many infectious diseases, most recently against Meningococcal B meningitis. The current outbreaks of whooping cough and measles are reminders that we cannot be complacent and need to be proactive when it comes to immunisation. The number of vaccines available has increased vastly since 1926, when the Diphtheria vaccine was the only vaccine available to the public at the time.The Ministry of Health recommends that all children be routinely immunised and is free as part of the childhood immunisation programme. The scheduled vaccines protect against tetanus, polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, rotavirus, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B, measles, mumps, rubella and pneumococcal infections. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is free for both sexes up to their 27th birthday. Chicken pox vaccines are free at 15 months and 11 years of age. Additional vaccines against chicken pox, hepatitis A and meningococcal A, C, Y, W135 vaccines may incur a fee as some may not carry a government subsidy. For our adult patients, the annual influenza vaccine is available for free if you are over 65 years of age or if you suffer from certain chronic health problems. Although it may incur a small fee if you are not in the eligible group, it is still worthwhile considering having it, especially if you live in the same household as people who are at risk, such as pregnant women, young children or elderly family members with health issues. Other vaccines that may be worthwhile discussing with your GP include shingles and travel vaccines.Vaccines are usually given through an injection and are normally administered by our credentialed and qualified nurses. Vaccines are safe and the risk of any serious adverse reactions is low. As a precaution, it is our routine practice to observe you for 20 minutes after the vaccination has been given to monitor for any possible side effects.A record of your immunisation is kept in your medical records. In the case of children under the age of 5, this will also be documented in their Well Child Book. The immunisation record will need to be shown, for example, when starting school or early childhood education. Our staff will also record the immunisation details on the New Zealand's National Immunisation Register. This information system holds details of all immunisations given to children in this country. We also have an efficient recall system to remind you when the next immunisation is due.For more information click on the following link www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/immunisation
**Our nurses are now able to perform cervical smears for our regular patients. Cost $35**
Our clinic encourages all eligible women to take part in the National Cervical Cancer Screening Programme. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Regular smear test every three years is recommended for all women if they have ever been sexually active and are between the ages of 20 and 70 years old. This reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer by 90%. Please inform our reception staff if you need a cervical smear as this usually takes additional time. Cervical smears can be provided by our nurses or our doctors. We can also provide the HPV vaccine, called Gardasil, to women who are not eligible for the free HPV vaccine programme. This is a highly effective vaccine that can protect against most genital warts and cervical cancers in women. If you are interested in Gardasil, or to see if it is appropriate for you, please discuss this with your GP. For more information about cervical smear tests click on the link to the National Screening Unit website https://www.nsu.govt.nz/national-cervical-screening-programme
An ECG is a recording of your heart's electrical activity. Electrode patches are attached to your skin to measure the electrical impulses given off by your heart. The result is a trace that can be read by a doctor. It can provide information on previous/recent heart attacks or problems with the heart rhythm.
Making sure that all children are healthy, growing and developing normally is important to give them a good start in life. Although most of the free health checks are carried out by Plunket, or other Well Child providers, our GPs will also routinely perform a 6-week baby checks and well child checks. These checks are important as they provide further opportunities to discuss any concerns you may have, before your child's routine scheduled immunisations. More information about Well Child services is available on the Ministry of Health website.
Patient information: www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/a/aclasta.pdf
Osteoporosis NZ: bones.org.nz
Drug data sheet: www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/a/Aclastainf.pdf
Aclasta infusion protocol (WDHB): www.saferx.co.nz/full/zoledronicacid.pdf
Test Results
All incoming test results are checked by your doctor. We will not routinely contact you if your results are normal. You will be contacted, either by telephone or letter if further action is necessary. Your results are also accessible via your personal online patient portal, Health 365 if you have opted in to Health365.