Face to face, or telehealth?
Due to the current NSW COVID Delta outbreak, we at GSH encourage telehealth appointments where possible.
If you have an upcoming appointment this week, and you think it can be done via phone or video chat, please change your booking type using HotDoc to a telehealth consultation. If you can’t do this, please give us a call and our staff can help you.
Repeat prescriptions, discussing results, counselling about health and mental health, vaccination advice, and cold and flu symptoms can all be done safely and effectively by telehealth. If your doctor feels they need to see you for an examination, they will arrange that in a safe way and at a time when there’s a minimal crossover of people. During the lockdown, we can also see new patients via telehealth, and you will still receive a medicare rebate (usually you need to have been seen in the last 12 months face to face).
If you need to come in for your consult for issues like cervical cancer screening, skin cancer checks, immunisations, wound reviews and repair and injuries, you are still welcome to – but please bring a face mask, wear it covering your mouth and nose, and dress warmly. We’ll offer people to wait outside – and have plenty of chairs for you.
You are still welcome to wait inside, but we will try to limit the time spent inside, as well as the number of people waiting at the same time.
Reasons to come to the clinic:
- Routine childhood immunisations
- Cervical cancer screening
- Skin cancer checks for people who have had skin cancer removed, or are immunosuppressed (if a routine check with no current concerns, we ask to postpone this for a week or two)
- Antenatal shared care (pregnancy care)
- Injuries, minor burns, lacerations that would need wound care or minor surgical repair
Reasons for a telehealth visit:
- Repeat prescriptions (prescriptions can be given by e-script or sent directly to your pharmacy)
- Mental health care plans
- Follow-up of results, and planning for future tests (pathology forms and radiology forms can be sent to you)
- Workcover consultations where an examination is not required
- Simple rash/lesion that can be viewed via video chat
- Any cold/flu/respiratory symptoms including fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, blocked nose, shortness of breath etc
- New patient consultation to discuss concerns and questions and do preventative health care (if needing BP/Height/weight exams – we can arrange this for a later, safer time)
How it works with medicare
If you have been to the clinic in the last 12 months, then any telehealth consultation is eligible for a Medicare rebate. Hence it doesn’t penalise you for doing the consult remotely, you will still receive a rebate.
During times of lockdown, anywhere that is a national hotspot (greater Sydney) the 12-month rule is waived during the lockdown. Hence if you are a new patient, or haven’t been in over 12 months, you are still eligible for a Medicare rebate.
If you need to be seen after your telehealth appointment
If your doctor deems it necessary to review you in person after you’ve had a telehealth appointment, they will arrange a time that is safest (ie the least amount of people). We can either do an exam at the back of the clinic or if the weather does not permit, arrange for an isolation room. This would then become a continuation of your initial consult, not a second consult.
Click the book appointment at the top of the page to organise your telehealth appointment.