At the Wollombi Medical Practice, Aged Care is a clinical area to which we devote significant attention. General Practitioners at the Wollombi Medical Practice are skilled in assessing and treating many of the common clinical conditions that occur in the aging population including ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, chronic obstructive airways disease, kidney disease and cerebrovascular disease.

A number of the doctors in the practice care for residents in the local aged care hostels and nursing homes. With a common and genuine concern for the Cessnock community and its mature residents, Wollombi Medical Practice provide quality of care and service provision to the Aged .

Older people may receive assistance from a variety of programs and a number of services for the aged. Wollombi Medical Practice doctors will advise, answer questions and provide information regarding these different types of services or programs without breaching confidentiality or privacy.

With your best interest and health at heart, and your history on-hand, the doctors at Wollombi Medical Practice are the best people to see for aged care. Make the most of your mature years; make an appointment today to see one of our friendly practitioners.

Wollombi Medical Practice Doctors are well trained in asthma management.

Your asthma management will involve:

• Taking notes on your history of asthma
• Discussing current medications and correct device use and correct dose
• Lung function test
• Education on medications, Asthma Action Plan and Emergency Care
• All reviewed by your GP with ongoing management

Asthma is a treatable health condition.Our aim is to help you prevent severe asthma and prevent exacerbations.

Although at present there is no cure, with good management people with asthma can lead normal, active lives.

The key to living with asthma is keeping it under control. This means learning about what causes your symptoms, how to avoid these triggers and how to use your medications correctly.

It is important that you see your doctor for regular check-ups so that he/she can work with you to monitor and control your asthma. Together with your doctor, you can fill in your personal written Asthma Action Plan that will help you monitor and manage your asthma.

People who follow their plans are likely to have better controlled asthma, fewer asthma attacks and fewer days off work or school because of their asthma.

Don’t let asthma get in the way of your everyday life.

Child Health is an area of clinical medicine that is of great importance to all the doctors at the Wollombi Medical Practice.

If you are a parent, you would know that all children are susceptible to a range of illnesses. When it comes to the health of your child, one of the most important things a parent can do is to immunise their child.With the help of our child friendly doctors and nurses, we offer the full childhood immunisation schedule at the Wollombi Medical Practice and have a state of the art vaccine fridge. We have a computerised recall system for childhood vaccinations.

At the Wollombi Medical Practice,we treat a broad range of childhood complaints including ear infections, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, viral gastroenteritis, asthma and eczema to name a few. The prompt assessment and treatment of the unwell child is a priority for the practice.

Diabetes Mellitus is a common condition that can affect individuals from early childhood, adolescence and all the way through adult life. At the Wollombi Medical Practice, the doctors take a particular interest in the diagnosis, assessment & management of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition in which excellent blood glucose control and paying close attention to treating other risk factors can significantly reduce the risk of long term complications.

We have dedicated diabetes clinic where our experienced diabetes nurses work in concert with doctors to help you manage diabetes mellitus.

We are fortunate to have the services of a dietician and podiatrist on site to assist with the management of our diabetic patients.

With the growing obesity rate in Cessnock and Australia, we now have more cases of diabetes as a result. Your eating habits could put you at risk of diabetes. Our staff understands diabetes and can teach you how the food you eat changes your blood glucose level, and how to coordinate your diabetes medications and eating for optimal health.

At the Wollombi Medical Practice,we are very much a family oriented practice. It is not uncommon for us to be looking after three generations of the same family. We cater for those trying to conceive, pregnant women, birth, babies, toddlers’ right through to teenage years as well as all related issues to mums and dads. Men’s and women’s health is also a major concern to us, as in our busy daily lives we can sometimes neglect our own medical problems.

The concept of family medicine includes an awareness of the social & psychological background of the family, and maintaining excellent communication when illness or injury affects a family member. We are mindful of the differing health needs as a person moves from childhood, to adolescence, to adult life and then to the latter years of their life.

At the Wollombi Medical Practice, you can be reassured of your family’s health because we offer a variety of services under the same roof, catering to the whole family regarding of their age, level of health or medical condition

The Australian Federal Government has initiated a yearly “health care assessment” consultation available through Medicare; for designated population groups.. This is to support motivated GPs to provide health assessments for their patients. All Australians aged 75 and over and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders aged 55 and over are eligible. We bulk bill everyone, pensioner or not for the service.

Annual, voluntary health assessments for older Australians provide an opportunity for your doctor at Wollombi Medical Practice to undertake an in-depth assessment of your health. Health assessments cover the patient’s medical, physical, psychological and social function.

What does this health assessment mean to you?

It provides an opportunity for your doctor to take a thorough look at some of the health problems that you may encounter. It is designed to support preventive measures to improve your quality of life. Some of the issues addressed will include:

• Daily activities and how well you can do these
• Your nutritional status
• Risk of falls and injury i.e. review of home safety
• Mood & risk of depression
• Memory capacity
• Vision & hearing levels
• Social interaction and support
• Risk of heart attack, stroke & diabetes
• Bladder & bowel function
• Smoking & alcohol intake
• Immunisation status
• Medications; both prescribed and over the counter

The category of people eligible for health assessments are :

• a) People aged 40 to 49 years (inclusive) with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes as determined by the Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool
• b) People between the age of 45 and 49 (inclusive) who are at risk of developing a chronic disease
• c) People aged 75 years and older
• d) Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders aged 55 and over
• e) Permanent residents of a Residential Aged Care Facility
• f) People who have an intellectual disability
• g) Humanitarian entrants who are resident in Australia with access to Medicare services, including Refugees and Special Humanitarian Program and Protection Program entrants
• h) Former serving members of the Australian Defence Force including former members of permanent and reserve forces

Overall a health assessment is a very valuable activity to enable a comprehensive appraisal of all your health needs and discover any medical problems as well as ask a health professional any relevant questions that relate to your health. The service is fully bulk-billed . Call our reception team to make an appointment .

Our visiting podiatrist treats a variety of foot problems including diabetic foot care, fungal infections and corns, callouses and heel spurs.

Wollombi Medical Practice provides onsite pathology for all patients under the care of a doctor at the surgery.

When determining the treatment for an illness, your doctor at Wollombi Medical Practice will often require information regarding changes in body tissue, blood or other body fluids. The process of examining these specimens is called pathology. Pathology assists doctors to diagnose and provide you with the best medical care.

Unlike many clinics, Wollombi Medical Practice has the convenience of on-site pathology services through Laverty Pathology. By having such services on-site Wollombi Medical Practice is able to make the process as quick, easy and comfortable for you as possible. The friendly and comfortable environment means that you can spend less time in the doctor’s clinic.

The Wollombi Medical Practice provides on-site collection. All blood tests and other forms of pathology once collected are sent to the relevant pathology laboratory. Once the result has been confirmed a report is sent to your doctor. This is another convenient service that the Wollombi Medical Practice can offer its patients.

Doctors at the Wollombi Medical Practice all have an interest in Women’s Health.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix are also common problems. Regular mammograms and Pap Smears are therefore very important screening tests to consider.

Other areas of Women’s Health where care is provided at the Wollombi Medical Practice include:

• Antenatal care
• Postnatal care
• Breast Checks
• Treatment of menopausal symptoms
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Reproductive health issues e.g. infertility; pelvic inflammatory disease
• Menstrual problems e.g. heavy or painful periods, endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome
• Ovarian problems e.g. polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian cysts
• Uterine problems e.g. uterine fibroids
• Sexually transmitted diseases e.g. Chlamydia, Herpes, HPV, trichinosis
• Genital Health; candida infections, bacterial vaginosis
• Osteoporosis
• Urinary Incontinence

If you are a woman, sexually active, have questions, seeking advice or information, then make an appointment to see your doctor at Wollombi Medical Practice.

Men should have regular health checks. See your doctor for regular medical check-ups to help you stay healthy and to pick up early warning signs of disease or illness. Cardiovascular (heart) disease, diabetes and some cancers can often be picked up in their early stages, when treatment may be more successful.

When you have a health check, your doctor will talk to you about your medical history, your family’s history of disease and your lifestyle. Your diet, weight, how much you exercise and whether or not you smoke will also be discussed.

If you have high-risk factors, such as a family history of a disease, it may be more likely that you will develop a particular disease. Regular check-ups may help your doctor pick up early warning signs. For example, high blood pressure may be an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease.

We are also very aware of, and cater to the needs of men’s health, and are sensitive and professional when it comes to sensitive procedures such as prostate checks. We understand that such subjects are not openly talked about, so act most ethically as possible when it comes to confidentiality. See Men’s Health for more information.

• Weight Loss Advice
• Travel Checks
• Skin Checks
• Minor Surgery
• Nurse Support
• Driving & Employment Medicals
• Workcover
• Telehealth