Newsletter July 2020

GREEN BAY MEDICAL CENTRE

70 Godley Road Green Bay Phone 8274075
Newsletter July 2020
General Practitioners
Dr John McAllister Dr Cushla Borthwick
Dr William Reyneke Dr Gina Kaye
Dr Deborah Mitchell

Practice Manager: Dianne Gamble
Lead Receptionist: Kylie
Receptionists: Bernice, Karen, Sophia, Donna and Liz
Lead Practice Nurse: Nickie
Practice Nurses: Rosemary, Tracy, Sarah, Sue, Delia and Pilar
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Hours for June 2020
Hours Open Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. *Fridays 8am - 5pm
Urgent Clinics : No Urgent Clinics until further notice

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CORONA VIRUS - COVID 19

Stay at home, Use the phone. If you have concerns about Corona Virus, please do not present at the clinic, call Health Line for advice on 0800 358 5453

Influenza Vaccines
Please see a Receptionist to book your Flu injection. Children to make a normal nurses appointment
GP Appointments
Please phone to arrange an appointment with your GP, this is likely to be scheduled as a phone or video consultation call during this time. The GP or Nurse can advise you if you are required to come to the Clinic
1737, need to talk?
‘1737, need to talk?’ is New Zealand’s national mental health & addictions helpline number. The 4-digit number is free to text or call anytime (24 hours a day 7 days a week) to talk with a trained counsellor.
What can someone call about?
Anyone feeling stressed, anxious, worried, depressed, needing advice on mental health or addictions issues can call or text 1737.

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AFTER HOURS

In an emergency: please call 111: and ask for the ambulance service.
For non-emergency calls: phone 8274075 at all times.

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AFTER HOURS: (When we are closed)

Care for illness or accident is available at Henderson Westcare/White Cross Clinic at 131 Lincoln Rd, Henderson (24 hours) and at Westcare/White Cross Clinic, 2140 Great North Road Avondale. Our phones are switched over to Home Care Medical (HML) each week day at the scheduled close time. There is further information in our Practice Information Leaflet.

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ENROLMENTS

Although our books are officially closed to new patients we regularly have room for family members, living at the same address as our current patients and sometimes for Green Bay residents to join the Practice, as patients move out of the area. Please ask at reception about the application process.

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Primary Health Organisation (PHO) ENROLMENT

We are required to have a signed form for each patient to confirm enrolment on our Practice Register. We continue to update these forms as the required information is now more detailed. For those patients born overseas, the Ministry of Health requires us to hold documentation proving eligibility for NZ Health Services; generally this involves producing your passport for us to photocopy, which we keep with your Enrolment (or Update) form. Should you fail to produce the required information you can still continue to be cared for, although charges will be at ‘Visitor’ rates [the standard fee is $75].

VISITORS

Visitors who wish to be seen on a casual basis: We will see relatives or friends staying temporarily with Practice families for urgent medical care, however generally we do not have the capacity to see casual or transferred patients, so we may direct them to their own G.P. or to a Westcare/Whitecross Clinic.

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TRAVEL VACCINATIONS

Dr Deb Mitchell is available to discuss your requirements prior to overseas travel. The cost of the consultation is $60 as it is not funded by the Ministry of Health - this covers the appointment with Dr Deb and the nurse. Please make an appointment and advise the receptionist that it is for travel. If vaccinations are recommended, these are at an additional cost and are preferably given some weeks before your trip so please make an appointment well in advance.

VACCINATIONS FOR OTHER DISEASES
A number of other immunisations are recommended in New Zealand, although not funded in the current programme. These include Chicken pox vaccine (for older children, as it is funded at 15 months), Shingles vaccine for those 50 to 64 years, also Meningitis vaccine for students entering tertiary education (or boarding school). Please discuss with your GP.

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SKIN CHECKS

Doctors Gina Kaye and Deb Mitchell are now offering dermoscopic skin cancer checkups: a half hour appointment, examining all skin lesions. This is highly recommended for anyone who lives under the harsh NZ sun! In particular, people with a personal or family history of skin cancer.
The cost is $100.

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INFECTIOUS DISEASES

For the protection of staff and other patients, it is essential that patients or parents PHONE for medical advice if they, or their children, may have an infectious disease. If a consultation is recommended, we will provide a separate area to wait to see the GP.
URGENT CARE: (When are open). If you, or your child, require urgent attention, please phone the Medical Centre and ask to speak to a Practice Nurse. She will liaise with your doctor regarding your care.

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PATIENTS WITH MOBILITY PARKING PERMITS

The carpark in front (road-side) of our building is shared by the Medical Centre and Green Bay Dentists. A carpark space has been designated for ‘Mobility permit Parking’ in front of the Dental practice entrance. We hope this will make access to the Practice easier for those with mobility issues, while you have a medical or dental appointment.

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COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS

Please discuss with your doctor if you have any problems with your treatment or experience at the Medical Centre. If your G.P. is unavailable, or you wish to discuss non-medical matters, please contact Dianne, the Practice Manager.

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PRESCRIPTIONS and LABORATORY or XRAY RESULTS

See below for ways to contact the Practice Nurse and there is further information in our Practice Information Leaflet

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PRESCRIPTIONS

Between regular three or six monthly consultations with your doctor, repeat prescriptions may be requested from the Practice Nurse and will be available in 2 working days When possible please avoid collecting prescriptions on a Friday afternoon, especially if needing recordings with the nurse.

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CONTACTING THE PRACTICE NURSE

Contact the Practice Nurse by phone on 8274075 or email nurse@gbmc.co.nz. Please ensure that the return email will remain confidential, and include your contact details, in case the Nurse has any queries. If a Practice Nurse is not free to take your call, the receptionist will take a number for you to be phoned back.

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PRACTICE CHARGES

Please refer to our Fees & Info page for current practice charges.

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Enrolled patients
The enrolled-patient fees are $19.50 (adults) and $13 (14 to 17 years). These fees are for standard 10 minute medical consultations with the GP, additional charges will apply for extended consultations and when extra services are provided. There is no charge for standard consultations for enrolled children 13 years and younger, although fees apply for consumables and special procedures.
After the initial (new patient) consultation, fees for medical consultations are discounted for those enrolled with the Practice.

ACC Part Charges

ACC provides a partial subsidy)
Under 14 years: free G.P. and Nurse consultations (charges apply for dressings)
For those 14 to 17 years: $20 (plus cost of dressings etc)
Adults 18 years and over: $25 (plus cost of dressings etc)
Patients with CSC [Community Services Card] (Charges apply for dressings)
Teens 14 to 17 with CSC [own or parent’s] - free G.P. and Nurse consultations
Adults 18 and over with CSC - free G.P. and Nurse consultations

There are further details about charges in our Practice Information Leaflet.

We undertake to provide urgent Medical Services regardless of ability to pay.
We encourage you to pay your account at the time of the consultation and additional charges will apply if payment is not received at the time the service is provided: a $5 non-refundable administration fee will be added automatically.

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PAYMENTS

Payment can be made by EftPos, cash or Internet banking and we will process credit card payments for amounts over $100.

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PRESCRIPTIONS

Prescriptions are free for 13 years and younger (when collected from the Practice), cost $7 for enrolled 14 to 17 years and $15 for enrolled adults.
Same-day prescriptions for regular medication will be printed for one month only.
Posted scripts cost $3 more and faxed scripts (within Auckland) are an extra $6.

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INR MONITORING

(for enrolled patients on Warfarin). There is a $5 monthly fee towards the practice cost of providing this service.

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EMAIL CONSULTATIONS WITH YOUR GP

We appreciate that it is convenient to email your GP for medical advice, however to do our best for you, it does take time to review your notes and decide on the best response so $10 fee applies. Prescriptions can be requested from the nurse (nurse@gbmc.co.nz) for only the cost of a script fee.

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‘DNA’ APPOINTMENTS

When patients do not keep their appointments, or cancel at short notice, we charge the usual consultation fee for those without a reasonable explanation for not arriving for an appointment.