Unfortunately, winter has hit us hard at Erskineville Doctors. Multiple staff and GPs have been wiped out by illness this week (19 – 23 August).

As we have limited clinical staff and GPs on site, we will be closing at 4pm each day.

Appointments can be managed (cancelled or changed) online, or via the AMS Connect App.

Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 to get free and fast medical attention for health issues that are not an emergency​​​ or go to Balmain GP Casualty at 29 Booth Street, Balmain.

In an emergency, always call 000 or go to straight to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) Emergency Department at Missenden Road, Camperdown.

Dr Nicolette Holly has left the practice, to the Hunter Region to be closer to loved ones following a recent death in the family.

We’re very excited to welcome a new GP, Dr Georgia Wyatt who has recently relocated back to Sydney after 8 years in the Northern Rivers. Georgia has a keen interest in Preventative Medicine, Women’s Health and Paediatrics. She has a background in Refugee Health and Aboriginal Health, having previously worked at the AMS alongside Dr Lonergan and Dr Kain.

Dr Wyatt will be available for appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

July leave dates

Dr Michael Tran is currently interstate presenting at a conference, he will be back on Monday 8 July.

Dr Cara Frame is currently on leave until Tuesday 9 July.

Dr Annabel Kain will be away the first week of School Holidays, Monday 8 July – Saturday 13 July.

Dr Jennifer Lonergan will be on leave from Monday 15 July – Saturday 21 July.

Last updated Monday 1 July 2024

Who is eligible for a Flu vaccine?  

Anyone aged 6 months and over can receive a Flu vaccine.  

Patients who are at highest risk of severe illness are eligible for a free Flu vaccine under the National Immunisation Program (NIP):

• all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over 
• children from 6 months to less than 5 years of age  
• people aged 5 years and over with serious health conditions (including severe asthma, diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, obesity, kidney, heart, lung, or liver disease) 
• pregnant people  
• people aged 65 years and over  

All other patients, aged 5 to 64 years can receive a private Flu vaccine for the cost of $35.00 

Young children aged 6 months to less than 9 years who are receiving a Flu vaccine for the first time will require a second dose at least 4 weeks after their first.  

Last updated 16 April 2024

The practice will be closed on ANZAC Day, Thursday 25 April 2024.

The practice will re-open on Friday 26 April 2024.

In an emergency, always call 000 or go to straight to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) Emergency Department at Missenden Road, Camperdown.

If you require urgent, but non-life-threatening medical assistance during this period, the following services are available:

Balmain GP Casualty at 29 Booth Street, Balmain, 8am 10pm, 7 days a week or Maroubra Medicare Urgent Care Clinic at 806 Anzac Parade, Maroubra, 8am 8pm, 7 days a week

For after-hours assistance contact the National Home Doctor Service on 13 74 25, from 6pm weekdays, 12pm on Saturday and all-day Sunday and public holidays.

People eligible for COVID-19 booster dose as of March 2024

To protect yourself from severe illness, it is important to understand when you should receive your next COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

Please book an appointment with your GP to discuss vaccination or check your eligibility using the COVID-19 booster vaccine eligibility tool.

75 year and older

Recommended every 6 months.

65 – 74 years

Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits.

• Recommended at least every 12 months, but can receive every six months.

18 – 64 years

Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits.

• With severe immunocompromise: Recommended at least every 12 months, but can receive every six months.
• Without severe immunocompromise: Can receive every 12 months.

5 – 17 years

• With severe immunocompromise: Can receive every 12 months.
• Without severe immunocompromise: Not recommended.

Under 5 years

• Not recommended.

For more information please visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Last updated 12 March 2024

Nicotine prescribing and vaping products 

If you require an appointment to discuss vaping as part of your plan to quit smoking, please check with our staff for a list of doctors who are registered to do so.

From 1 October 2024, vapes with a nicotine concentration of 20mg/mL or less will be available from Australian pharmacies to patients 18 years of age or older without a prescription. A pharmacist must evaluate the patient’s need and determine if it is clinically appropriate before supplying the good.

Vapes for patients under 18 years and/or with a nicotine concentration of more than 20 mg/mL will require a prescription from a medical or nurse practitioner.

Doctors can write a prescription for nicotine liquid for use with a re-fillable vape, when the prescription is part of a management plan to quit smoking. The guidelines stipulate that other methods of quitting must be tried first, as the longer term harms of vaping are not known. In addition, some people have acquired a vaping habit and may need assistance to reduce or quit. 

To prepare for our consult and to assist your doctor to write an appropriate prescription we recommend that you:

1. Read the information for patients from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
2. Review the list of products available 
3. Talk to your local pharmacist about the devices and products they are able to obtain for you

If you want a general consultation about smoking cessation, please make a time to see your doctor to discuss.  You must consider other methods before trying vaping.

We also suggest you visit the Quit.com website.

You can also consider any of the following services to obtain a prescription for vapes:

Home – Medical Nicotine – Medical Nicotine Prescriptions 

Vaping & Nicotine Prescriptions Online | Authorised Doctors | Quit Clinics 

Quit Smoking | Same Day Personalised Vaping Prescription For Nicotine | QuitRx 

Online Nicotine Prescriptions Australia – Smokefree Clinic | Smokefree 

For more information and advice about vaping and vaping products, please visit the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association website.

Last updated 17 January 2025

Assigning your benefit for Telehealth consultations

From Monday 13^th November, if your doctor elects to bulk bill your Telehealth consultation, you will be required to accept the doctors billing by assigning your benefit via secure SMS.

This acts as a record that you have provided consent for your Medicare rebate (e.g., $41.40) to be paid directly to your doctor. This is a Medicare requirement.

At the end of your Telehealth consultation, your doctor will ask for your verbal consent to bulk bill and record this in the consultation notes – they may also check your mobile number.

Once the billing has been completed, you will receive a secure SMS from our designated practice number (this is the same number we send appointment confirmations from).

To access your billing information, you will need to enter your (or your child’s) date of birth.

You will then be provided with the option to either Accept or Decline the assignment of the benefit.

It is very important that you respond to this SMS, as it ensures your doctor is paid for the services they have provided.

If you choose to decline this request, you will be required to pay a private fee for your consultation.  

If the billing information does not seem accurate, please call reception for clarification prior to making your selection.

Shingles vaccination

There is still an extremely limited number of vaccines available.

As such, we will be prioritising the vaccination of patients who are at highest risk of illness (e.g. immunocompromised patients undergoing cancer treatment) and have not previously had any dose of a Shingles vaccine before.

Patients who have received their first dose, will be contacted by the practice to make an appointment to receive their second dose 5 months after the first.

If you would like more information about your eligibility for free Shingles vaccine, please make an appointment with your GP or call and speak to our Practice Nurse.

Last updated 21 March 2024

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From 1st November 2023, the shingles vaccine Shingrix will replace Zostavax on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for eligible people.

The Australian Government has announced that from 1st November 2023, those aged 65 years and over, First Nations Australians aged 50 years and older and immunocompromised people aged 18 years and older* will be eligible to receive the newer Shingrix vaccine for free, as a part of the National Immunisation Program.

The new eligibility criteria means more people have the opportunity to be protected from Shingles, however it is different from the advice we received form the Department of Health and Aged Care in September.

If you have recently received a private Shingrix script from your GP, and would now like to wait until after the 1st November for a free vaccination, do not have this script dispensed.

If you would like to have a Shingles vaccine, or would like more information about your eligibility please make an appointment with your GP or call and speak to our Practice Nurse.

For more information about Shingles, please visit the Health Direct website.

It’s not too late to get a flu vaccine for 2023. Cases are increasing the moment and have not yet peaked. Notifications are highest amongst children, as reported in the media. As school goes back next week this is time when kids will be more at risk of acquiring influenza.

Anyone aged 6 months and over can receive an influenza vaccine, that offers some protection against four strains of Flu. Influenza is a serious illness that can lead to hospitalisation, and in many people will result in at least a full week unwell at home. Prevention includes all of the strategies we have used to reduce risk of COVID, and flu vaccines add about 50% effectivness in reducing the risk of influenza and serious illness.

A free vaccine is available to people at highest risk of severe illness, including all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over, children from 6 months to less than 5 years of age, people with serious health conditions, pregnant women and those aged 65 years and over.

Note that children are likely to be much more unwell with influenza than they are with COVID. Kids can have a flu vaccine on the same day as their scheduled childhood vaccines.

All other people, aged 5 to 64 years can receive a Private Flu vaccine for the cost of $25.00. Pharmacies also have flu vaccines available.

If you are attending an appointment with your GP, you can ask for them to administer a fluvax during that appointment if time permits. You can also book a flu vaccine appointment with the nurse. If you are eligible for a COVID vaccine (6 months since last vaccine OR last COVID illness) and we have stock it can be administered at the same time.

More information about the Flu vaccination can be found on the NSW Health website and NCIRS.

So far this year, there have been 19 cases of meningococcal disease reported in NSW. The majority of cases have been due to the Meningococcal B strain of the infection. Meningococci can cause meningitis and other invasive disease (sepsis) – these are rare but life-threatening.

Meningococci are carried in the throat,and transmitted through close contact and respiratory droplets. The most at risk groups are children under 2, and 15-19 year olds, but people at any age can be affected.

Young children

Parents of young children will be familiar with the recommendations – Meningococcal ACWY (Nimenrix) is administered in the 12 month schedule, and Meningococcal B  (Bexsero) is also recommended though not funded. Bexsero can be administered at any time with the regular scheduled newborn vaccines, and requires 2-3 vaccines (depending on age of first dose).

Teenagers

Meningococcal ACWY (Nimenrix) vaccine has been administered to Year 10 students for the past 5 years. If you didn’t attend school on the day it’s possible to have missed out. You can check your records on the Australian Immunisation Register through Medicare or My Health Record. If you have missed a dose, free catch up is available through our Practice Nurse up until age 19. Private cost is about $60-$80.

Meningococcal B vaccine (Bexsero) is also recommended for teenagers. It is not offered in schools or funded by the government. Two vaccines are required – we can provide you a prescription, or vaccines are available for $135. Discuss with your doctor or the Practice Nurse.

Given that meningococcal disease spreads through close contact vaccination is worth considering  for younger people living in share accommodation and university colleges, attending music festivals and travel.  

People of any age who want to protect themselves against Meningococcal disease with either or both vaccine can make a time to discuss with their doctor. We particularly recommend this for travel.

Further information:

NCIRS Meningococcal Vaccines

Department of Health