Services

If you are experiencing an emergency such as chest pains, please do not wait to see the Doctor. Call 000 immediately for an ambulance to assess your condition and take you to hospital.

For urgent after hour service on Monday to Friday between 6.00pm -11.00 pm please call Dr Andrew Hewett on 0415 699 896

For urgent service during other times, public holidays and weekends, please call the locum service on (03) 5979 8200

Sandringham Hospital              9921 1000 or 9921 1472.
Monash Medical Centre            9594 6666
Holmesglen Private Hospital  9567 9000

For mental health consultations, a longer appointment is required. Please book a double appointment (30 minutes) when making your booking.

We provide clinical services for:

• anxiety;
• depression;
• Counselling and Psychology referrals;
• GP Mental Health Care Plans.

Our GPs provide support, a thorough assessment of your situation, documentation of your symptoms, provide information and educational material, are available for ongoing care, and ensure privacy and confidentiality.
For more information about our mental health services click here.

As children enter their mid to late teens they may wish to consult a GP independently. It is important to discuss this with them, and so that they can get their own Medicare card. Teenage health advice can be sought independently for various psychological conditions, developmental concerns, for sexual health and contraception.

Antenatal care is the care you receive from healthcare professionals during your pregnancy. It is best to have doctors whom have had experience with pregnant women to care for during this time.

Dr Naomi Eisenberg has furthered her studies with a Diploma in Obstetrics and provides shared care.

For more information, click here.

We develop asthma management and action plans to help individuals with asthma. For moderate to severe asthma, or poor level of asthma control, we provide an Asthma cycle of care.

Click here for more information.

Our team strongly believes in preventative care. Cancer screening can help protect your health through early detection, even if you don’t have any symptoms of the disease.

With 1 in 8 women having a life time risk of breast cancer, regular breast examinations and mammograms are very important. Ongoing colonoscopies are needed for those with a family history of bowel cancer as well as those whom have had polyps in the bowel detected previously.

Simple screening tests look for particular changes and early signs of cancer before it has progressed or before any symptoms emerge. Our recall and reminder system helps to remind you when your next screening is due.

We care for all ages of children from birth onwards. We provide post natal checks for mothers and their babies, When attending with your child please remember to bring the ‘Green Immunisation “ booklet to visits when your children are under 18 months so we are able to  record growth and immunisations.

We provide all childhood vaccinations.

The Clinical Team at Southland Medical Centre work comprehensively with Allied Health and Nursing staff to develop and manage care plans for people with chronic disease.

Chronic disease management and care plans are available for complex and long-term diseases that entitle you to 5 Medicare subsidised visits to Allied Health Professionals such as Podiatrists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians and Diabetic Nurse Educators. These plans are available for many conditions including:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Cancer
• & Memory loss.

Southland Medical Centre has an excellent referral network of specialists and Allied Health professionals to help with chronic disease management.

Our Diabetes Nurse Educator, Wendy Anthony, works to educate and empower patients with diabetes towards self-management. Wendy works closely with patients to educate them in self-care, and collaborates with your doctor to provide holistic disease-management. Please call our reception to make a booking.
For more information click here.

Our clinic provides comprehensive consultation and advice on all family planning and contraceptive methods.

We specialise in Implanon insertion and removal.

The Federal Government together with Medicare Australia have recommended patients over the age of 75 to have annual Health Assessments. These are bulk billed, so there is no out of pocket costs. This involves a practice nurse attending your home for approximately one hour to assess your health. This is followed by an appointment with your usual Doctor in the surgery for a review of your medical conditions. This process allows our team to identify any issues/problems before they become significant and to tweak the current therapy for your current ailments to ensure optimum health.

Our practice nurse, Lana Avergun, has been working with patients for over 10 years, performing Health Assessments and addressing patient needs. A Health Assessment is a comprehensive examination of your health where Lana and our Doctors focus of your individual circumstances. Providing Health Assessments is part of our focus on preventative care. Our aim is to support patients over 75 to be able to live independently or make decisions about their ongoing lifestyles.

The underlying cause of coronary heart disease is a slow build up of fatty deposits on the inner wall of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood (the coronary arteries). These fatty deposits gradually clog the arteries and reduce the flow of blood to the heart. This process, called atherosclerosis, begins when people are young and can be well advanced by middle age.
There is no single cause for coronary heart disease, but there are ‘risk factors’ that increase your chance of developing it.
There are ‘modifiable’ risk factors (ones that you can change), including:

• smoking – both active smoking and being exposed to second-hand smoke
• high blood cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• physical inactivity
• being overweight
• depression, social isolation and a lack of social support.

. There are also risk factors that you can’t change, such as being male, increasing age and having a family history of coronary heart disease.
While some of these risk factors (such as age and gender) can’t be changed, the good news is that there are many steps that you can take to reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Both Dr Louise Batchelor and Dr Naomi Eisenberg specialise in Implanon insertion and removal. An initial appointment is needed to discuss if Implanon is suitable for you. A double appointment is then required for insertion. Our doctors will inform you of the process and fees involved for insertion and removal.

You can find more information about Implanon at the Family Planning Victoria website.

Dr Louise Batchelor has completed further training in Clinical Hypnosis. This can be used to alter any thought, feeling or behaviour that you may like to change.
Hypnosis is commonly is used for:

• Weight loss
• Smoking cessation
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Phobias
• Pain management

Appointments are for approximately 45 min duration and are privately billed. It is best to wear loose comfortable clothing. For optimal results, it is important to bring a recording device ( eg a smart phone) so  the session can be recorded and you can listen to it daily at home.
A follow up session is scheduled one week later to fine tune the hypnotic suggestions, to maintain the changes made and add to them as needed.
Further sessions are often helpful depending on the condition being treated.
Please notify reception that the appointment required is for Clinical Hypnosis so  appointments are made for the appropriate duration and at a quieter time of day.
Click here for more information.

Regular men’s health checks are essential in living a long healthy life. Those nagging minor issues that Australian men ignore can reduce quality of life, but are most often treatable. We offer a range of checks to help ensure your health is on track:

Cancer screening

Smoking cessation

Prostate screening

Heart disease

Cholesterol Management

Blood Pressure Control

Diabetes

Mental health, depression

Erectile difficulties

The clinic performs the following minor procedures:

• • Excision of skin cancers

• • Wound suturing

• • Wound management

• • Cryotherapy

• • Excision of skin lesions

• • Ingrown toenails

• • Insertion and removal of Implanon contraceptive rods

• Skin biopsies

Prior to any planned procedures, we will inform you about the cost involved. The costs of minor and surgical procedures vary due to the type and complexity.

There is a Melbourne Pathology Clinic next door to our facility. Our doctors are also fully capable to perform pathology collections if required.

Most illnesses are preventable or at least able to be deferred to a later age. Most cases of heart disease, hypertension (raised blood pressure), raised cholesterol, and diabetes are preventable. The incidence of many of the cancers, especially skin bowel and lung cancers can be reduced  through life-style changes. Whether it is eating correctly, increasing your exercise, stopping smoking or using sensible skin protection measures, many illness can be avoided or delayed by years or decades.

Never feel that it is too late to make inroads into bad habits or start new activities, as the benefit to your health can be dramatic.

We provide screening services and provide treatment and information for a range of STIs.
For more information read on.

Dr Peter Enten has completed additional training through Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre as well as the University of Queensland in the diagnosis and excision of skin cancers. We provide comprehensive skin cancer checks.

By the time Australians reach the age of 70, 2 out of 3 will have had a skin cancer. Prevention and early detection is critical.

You are at a higher risk of skin cancer if you:

• • Have previously had a skin cancer

• • Have a family history of skin cancer

• • Have a large number of moles on your skin

• • Have skin type that is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and burns easily

• • Have a history of severe/blistering sunburns

• • Spend lots of time outdoors, unprotected, during your lifetime

• • Use solariums, sunlamps and sunbeds

• Work outdoors

Our doctors use a Dermascope which magnifies skin lesions to allow for a more accurate diagnosis of skin lesions.  As a result of the examination you may be spared unnecessary future surgical procedures.
For more information, click here.

Southland Medical Centre provide telehealth and phone consultations for patients who are symptomatic or who cannot make it into the surgery.

Telehealth and phone consultations are privately charged. There is a full out-of-pocket fee for new patients or patients who have not attended our surgery in the last 12 months.

Children under the age of 16 are bulk-billed before 6pm and on weekends.

You can book a telehealth or phone consultation here

The following websites provide translated material for use by health practitioners and organisations who work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. It includes a wealth of information about health, including some audio and video files and links. Search by topic or language.

Health Translations Victoria
Find translated health information in a variety of ways. Search by topics or languages.

Multicultural Health Communication NSW Health
Multilingual publications about health, including some audio and video files and links. Search by topic or language.

Health Navigator New Zealand
Some fact sheets about specific topics with pictorial focus (Eg: Iron, calcium, Vitamin D, diabetes)

NPS Medicine Wise
Translated health information about medicines.

The following links are a list of translated online health resources. Although care has been taken to select resources from reliable government departments, peak health bodies, hospitals, community health centres and welfare agencies, the Mater Hospital takes no responsibility for translation quality.

Arthritis – Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria has information sheets about Arthritis & Other Musculoskeletal Conditions, medicines, exercise and dealing with pain in Arabic, Croatian, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese

Autism – Positive Partnerships have developed a range of resources that have been translated into 6 languages to assist with conversations and shared planning to support a child with diverse learning needs and their family. Arabic, Greek, Simplified Chinese, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese

Breastfeeding information – in different languages

Calcium – An easy to read Calcium factsheet translated to Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Karen, Persian/Farsi, Somali, Tamil by Auckland District Health Board

Cancer

Child Health (including feeding at various ages) – in limited translated languages

Contraception Choices – Family Planning Qld have translated the Contraceptive choices brochure into Amharic, Arabic, Dinka, Somali and Tigrinya.

Dental Health Services – Victoria have produced oral health advice and guides in Arabic, Chinese, Dari, English, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Persian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese

Diabetes  – Diabetes Australia have resources in English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Greek, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese

Disability and Disability Insurance Scheme 

Domestic Violence – Immigrant Women’s Support Service (Qld) have information in Bosnian, Chinese, Dari, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Japanese, Juba Arabic, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese

Drugs and their effects – Australian Drug Foundation have produced brochures about depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens in Albanian, Amaharic, Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Somali, Tigrinya, Vietnamese

Health Assessment 

Hepatitis B – HepBHelp have fact sheets about Hepatitis B Fact Sheets including for newly diagnosed in  English,  Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Khmer, Dari, Thai, Burmese, Indonesian, Turkish, Italian, Greek

Hepatitis Queensland – Brochures translated into Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, French, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese

Immunisation – Department of Health, Victoria have developed fact sheets about various immunisations, including vaccine side effects. Translated into multiple languages

Influenza – Immunisation Australia have developed an Influenza Fact Sheet for Consumers in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Filipino, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Sinhalese, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. ‘Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella Information for parents’ available in multiple languages.

Incontinence information – Continence Foundation of Australia provide factsheets and video in multiple languages on pelvic floor exercises for men and women, bladder leakage, childhood bedwetting, constipation and bowel control, prostate and bladder problems, and more to help you learn about healthy bladder and bowel habits.

Iron Deficiency – Easy to read factsheet developed by the Refugee Health Collaborative at Auckland District Health Board in English, Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Somali, Tamil, Karen and Persian Farsi

Parenting – Includes: safe bathing, nappy changing, wrapping a newborn, bottle and formula preparation and small amount of information about cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hearing impairment, vision impairment and Fragile X Syndrome

Mental Health

Multicultural Mental Health Australia have translated information about mental health conditions into multiple languages.

Transcultural Mental Health Centre (NSW) have brochures about A good night’s sleep, Problem solving and setting goals, Promoting wellbeing, Stress and stress management available in various languages

SANE Australia have translated 10 factsheets into Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (Simplified, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Nutrition

Queensland Health Community Nutrition Unit have provided translated pictorial resources about providing health drinks for your children, preparing health lunches for your children and a resource on having safe kitchens and safe food in Australia. In English, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, French, Karen, Somali, Kurdish – Kurmanii, Kurdish – Sorani, Swahili, Tigrinya. It is also available in MP3 Audio version for Dinka and Kirundi.

The Department of Health have ‘Get Up and Grow’ resources to provide families with practical information and advice to support healthy eating and physical activity in young children. Translated into Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Arabic, Turkish and Spanish

Pap Screen Victoria publishes resources in a variety of languages about Pap tests HPV and cervical cancer.

Renal Resource Centre – Kidney Failure Treatment options brochures in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese

Quit Smoking – Quit line – Resources in multiple languages

Safe sleeping – SIDS and Kids – Safe Sleeping tip sheets in multiple languages

Vitamin D Deficiency – Easy to read fact sheet in English, Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Somali, Tamil, Persian Farsi, Karen and Nepali developed by Refugee Health Network by Auckland District Health Board

Women’s Health – Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne, relevant women’s health topics translated in up to 16 community languages

Other Translated information available

The Australian Government Department of Social Services has developed a family safety pack with information on Australia’s laws regarding domestic and family violence, sexual assault and forced marriage.

Information for tenants is available in many languages from the Residential Tenancies Authority

Dr Louise Batchelor has completed further training in Travel Medicine and can offer comprehensive advice in pre-trip planning including

•        Vaccinations
•        Emergency medical kits
•        Travelling with chronic disease
•        Travelling whilst pregnant
•        Advice on malaria and other mosquito borne disease prevention
•        Altitude sickness treatment and prevention
•        Travelling with children
•        Traveller’s diarrhoea prevention and treatment.

Travel medicine consultations are privately billed. When attending your consultation, please bring as many details of your travel arrangements as possible to receive comprehensive advice.

Vaccinations are part of the frontline defence in preventative care. We provide free paediatric and childhood vaccinations. Influenza vaccine can be given to children from 6 months of age or over with medical conditions predisposing them to severe influenza.

Free influenza vaccine is available for all Australians aged 65 and over as well as for all pregnant women to prevent complications of pregnancy. People over the age of 65 are at high risk from influenza and its complications, with the majority of deaths from influenza occurring in this age group.

Free vaccines through general practitioners are available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who are aged 15 years or over.

Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers. As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage chronic disorders.

Three out of five Australian adults and one in four children are obese or overweight. Loosing small amounts of weight by changing your eating patterns and increasing your physical activity significantly reduces the risks of these diseases.
For more information, click here.

We support patients and employers in promoting a considered, comprehensive assessment for the patient’s capacity to return to work.

We also provide streamlined administrative and liaising practices when working with businesses and organisations.

Click here for the full work cover page