Clinic News

Tuesday 6th November

Glen Iris Medical Group will be closed

Although it does not happen every year, the events that unfolded in 2016 were a powerful reminder that it is best to be over prepared than under prepared.

So what should we do to prepare ourselves?

• If you have known asthma ensure you have an asthma action plan in place. Be sure you know how and when to take your preventer medications and that you have a valid prescription (including a repeat) at all times. Be vigilant in taking your medications every day and if you are sensitive to grass pollens, keep track of pollen counts via your State pollen count website and the Bureau of Meteorology website.
• If you suffer from seasonal hayfever, even midly, consider speaking with your Doctor about a preventer medication for the Spring months. Some Doctors may recommend using anti-histamine medications daily (as a preventative measure) even if you are not currently symptomatic.
• If you ever suffer from wheezing, shortness of breath, exercise or cold- induced respiratory symptoms, speak to your Doctor as you may have undiagnosed asthma. They can refer you for lung function testing and provide you with the best […]
  

  By Dr Lisa Prichard

Crying is a normal part of your baby’s development. We sometimes use the term ‘colic’ which suggests there is an illness causing your baby’s crying. We now understand that prolonged episodic crying in young babies is common and usually normal. Mostly we can’t find a medical cause for the crying. As parents we are often distressed and exhausted which is understandable! There is much confusing and conflicting advice on the internet which can add to the burden. Crying begins in early weeks and peaks around 6-8 weeks of age. Crying may last for several hours and is often worse in the late afternoon and evening. Thankfully crying usually improves after 3-4 months of age.

If your baby is acutely unwell and behaviour has changed then the crying is presumably not normal and you should consult with your GP.

If your baby is crying for prolonged periods in its first few months of life we appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with you and to examine your baby. There are some indicators that may suggest there is a cause for your baby’s crying, e.g. poor feeding, poor weight gain, excessive […]

September is World Prostate Health Awareness Month

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia, affecting one in seven men. There are around 20,000 new diagnoses and sadly, close to 3500 deaths annually.

All men over 50 years (or over 40 years if you have a family history) should talk about prostate health with their GP.  Prostate cancer is usually slow growing and many men can live without symptoms for many years. Later stage symptoms include urinary frequency, urinary difficulty, urinary discomfort, blood in urine or semen or pain in the lower back, hips and upper thighs. The presence of any of these symptoms does not mean you have prostate cancer, but you should see and discuss with your Doctor. Early intervention and management is key.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia is asking everyone to get involved and help create awareness through fundraising and using the social media hash tag #getchecked.

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World Mental Health Day – October 10th 

Mental Health issues can affect anyone. In Australia, 45% of people aged 16 to 85 years will experience some form of mental illness at […]

It has been well established that participation in regular physical activity has a multitude of health benefits. It can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia and certain types of cancer. It can also improve emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing. Physical ‘inactivity’ is therefore considered the world’s leading risk factor for non-infectious diseases, mental health and poor quality of life.

Recently, The Lancet (general medical journal) published the results of a global 15-year study, conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) into physical activity levels among adults. The study took place between 2001 and 2016 and involved more than 1.9 million participants in 168 countries.

Results of this study show that one in four adults globally are classified as physically ‘inactive’. In some countries, it was as high as one in three. Women were around 8% less active than men and high-income countries were significantly less active than middle or low income countries.

Physical inactivity, according to the WHO was defined as not meeting the minimum target of 150 minutes of medium intensity activity per week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity per week.

These results indicate that more effort needs to […]

We had a lovely dinner to celebrate Dr Sharon Woolf’s retirement from the partnership of Glen Iris Medical Group recently.

Sharon started the practice in 1981 as a solo GP and has left the partnership with a healthy and vibrant practice of 12 Doctors, 3 nurses and 12 reception and admin staff.

Sharon’s commitment to her patients and the practice, her leadership and ability to create a culture of clinical excellence through continual education and innovation will remain with us always.

Sharon will continue working 3 days a week and wants to reassure her patients she is not retiring from General Practice and is available for appointments on Monday, Thursday and Friday’s.

Move over acai bowls and matcha lattes… there is a new ‘super’ ingredient in town and if you believe the marketing, it would seem just about anything can be fixed with turmeric!

Turmeric is a widely available spice that comes from the Turmeric plant, part of the ginger family. It has a warm, bitter taste and a deep mustardy-yellow colour. The turmeric ‘bulb’ itself can be eaten, but it is usually dried and ground into powder. It is used in a lot of traditional Indian and Asian cuisine and especially in curries. Turmeric contains a chemical ingredient called curcumin that gives it its colour. Curcumin is often used as a colourant in food and cosmetics.

Turmeric has been marketed for use in the treatment and management of such wide reaching health conditions as:

• Heartburn
• Headaches
• Joint and arthritic pain and osteoarthritis
• Digestive problems
• Gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Gallbladder disorders
• Stomach ulcers
• Bloating (water retention)
• Haemorrhage (bleeding disorders)
• Jaundice
• High cholesterol
• Skin conditions, itching and skin inflammation
• Fatigue
• Bronchitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Menstrual problems
• Depression
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Diabetes
• Bladder inflammation and
• Kidney diseases

As you can see, this list is extensive and while […]

Dear Patients,

Due to the increasing costs of running a General Practice and the continued freeze on Medicare rebates, we are

increasing our fees effective 1st September, 2018.  This decision has not been taken lightly and fee increases have been kept

to a minimum.

Item’s 23 and 36 and their equivalent item numbers have been increased, item 3 and 44 will remain the same.

There has been a slight increase to our Saturday and Sunday fees too.

2018 FEE REVIEW

Fees last increased April 2016 – please click on link

2018 Common Fees