Recently, in an attempt to have people #stayathome and flatten the curve, the Government announced that those of us with a Medicare number are now eligible to access Medicare-funded telehealth appointments.
“That’s great, but what actually is telehealth?” we hear you say. A telehealth appointment means that you can have an appointment with your GP, psychologist or allied health worker, over the phone or via video.
Telehealth appointments can be used for:
- Chronic disease management – for example diabetes, high cholesterol, renal disease, cardiovascular
- Issuing repeat prescriptions for medicines used to treat long-term illnesses or contraception
- Discussing your mental health
- Monitoring your diet and physical activity
- Writing referral letters so that you can be treated by other health professionals
- Having a yarn and making sure you stay connected to community
There will be other times when a face-to-face consultation may be more appropriate, including:
- Vaccinations, including the flu shot
- Conditions where your GP has to listen to your heart or lungs
- Getting blood tests and x-rays
You should contact your GP or health care professional to discuss whether they are able to provide telehealth appointment as each individual organisation will have different arrangements in place.
We are committed to providing quality health and well-being services to our community. Contact our friendly team on 4925 2259 to find out more.
We are continuing to operate during COVID-19
All Hunter Primary Care services and supports continue to operate during COVID-19. To comply with physical distancing recommendations and to ensure the safety of both our community and our staff, we have many of our staff to work from home. All staff are contactable via phone and email and we have also started to introduce telehealth or video appointments.