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Our Services

At St Lucia Village Medical Centre we offer the following services:  Family Medicine, Student Health, Mental Health – Support, Assessment and Care Plans, Travel Medicine, Immunisations, Child Health Checks, Preventative Medicine, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Skin Checks, Sexual Health, Wound care, Injury Management, Dressings, Minor surgery, Implanon insertion / removal, Cryotherapy, ECG, Lung function testing, Health Assessments and Care Plans.

Please see below for further information.

St Lucia Village Medical Centre is proud to offer comprehensive and up to date medical care for all our patients – young and old, for both acute issues and ongoing medical concerns.

Although we encourage patients to book appointment ahead of time, we understand that some medical issues arise quickly and a re more urgent by nature – especially with children.

If you require a more urgent appointment please call our friendly medical support staff and we will do our best to accommodate you.

For those patients with more complex issues or requiring care plans, we kindly request that you book a double appointment to ensure the doctor has adequate time to address your issues.

St Lucia Village Medical Centre provides expert travel advice, vaccinations & medications for all worldwide destinations. We recommend making an appointment with one of our doctors at least 8 weeks before you depart to ensure you have the relevant vaccinations for your trip, as well as any booster doses for previous vaccinations that you may require.

In addition to discussing vaccinations specific to your travel plans, we also provide general medical advice regarding travellers’ diarrhoea, altitude sickness, malaria prophylaxis and specific advice for any medical conditions you may have.

Available vaccinations and frequency required – as per Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition

Yellow Fever 10 yearly booster
Hepatitis A Course of 2 vaccinations for lifelong immunity (3 if in combo with Hep B)
Hepatitis B Course of 3 vaccinations for lifelong immunity
Typhoid 3 yearly booster
Cholera Immunity short-lived (3 months to 2 years) before revaccination needed
Japanese Encephalitis 1-2 doses, need for booster dosing not yet determined
Polio 3 dose primary course plus booster for lifelong immunity
Rabies 3 dose primary course for lifelong immunity; booster for high-risk groups
MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) 2 doses for lifelong immunity
Pertussis (Whooping cough) 10 yearly booster(if pregnant, 5 yearly or in 3rd trimester)
Tetanus (+ Diphtheria) 10 yearly booster(or 5 yearly if high-risk travel)
Varicella (Chicken Pox) 2 doses for lifelong immunity
Pneumococcal vaccine Once for lifelong immunity;Booster dose in medically-at-risk group
Seasonal Flu vaccine Yearly


General Travel Tips

  1. Your own medication: If you take regular medication, ensure you have enough with you for the duration of your trip. Our doctors can provide you with a letter for customs listing all of your relevant medications.
  2. First aid kit: Our doctors will provide you with a list of recommended items to take with you such as headache tablets, antacids, antiseptic lotion, cotton wool, band-aids, latex gloves, safety pins, sunscreen & appropriate insect repellent.
  3. Be travel fit! If your journey requires you undertake any strenuous activity, it is strongly advised that you slowly build up your fitness in the months prior to leaving to give your body the best chance to adjust.
  4. Plan ahead: Whether you like your holiday to be meticulously organised or you prefer to be more spontaneous with your travel plans, it is essential to always travel safely and ensure you have adequate travel insurance prior to leaving Australia. Check the DFAT travel advice website for the latest issues & events: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Index

References / Links:

Destination specific advice: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list

Smart Traveller: http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/tips/health.html

Malaria

Malaria is a major public health issue worldwide, affecting over 97 countries including Africa, Asia and the Americas. Malaria is a febrile illness caused by parasites, which are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

People infected with malaria often experience flu-like symptoms of fever, chills, headache and vomiting 7 to 15 days after initial infection. If not treated promptly, malaria can lead to severe complications, and can be fatal – so urgent medical treatment is required.

As there is no vaccination to protect travellers from malaria, prevention is the first line of defence:

  • use of protective clothing: light coloured long trousers & long-sleeved shirts, particularly in the evening
  • applying effective insect repellents
  • sleeping in screened accommodation or under long-lasting insecticidal nets
  • avoiding outside activities from dusk until dawn
  • avoiding perfume & aftershave

The use of preventative medications (chemoprophylaxis) can be used depending on the malaria risk of the area you are visiting, so ensure you discuss this with your doctor during your travel health consultation.

References / Links:

WHO: http://www.who.int/malaria/travellers/en/

Centre for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/index.html

Therapeutic Guidelines of Australia: www.tg.org.au

All routine childhood immunisations at St Lucia Village Medical Centre are performed by our experienced GPS as part of a full check up.

We have a comprehensive range of travel immunisations (see our “Travel Medicine” link) and additional vaccinations for older or medically-at-risk patients, including vaccines for shingles and pneumococcal pneumonia.

We also recommend the annual influenza vaccine for patients of all ages, particularly over 65yrs, any patients with chronic diseases, or simply those seeking protection from the flu season ahead.

For a comprehensive list of childhood immunisations, please see our “Child Health Checks” link.

All children under the age of 5 are bulk billed at St Lucia Village Medical Centre.

Our doctors consider regular health checks and routine immunisations are important aspects of every child’s long-term wellbeing, and a wonderful opportunity for parents to discuss any worries or concerns that you might have about your child’s health or development.

Routine check-ups are recommended from 1-2 weeks after birth, then medical review and immunisations are recommended at:

  • 6-8 weeks of age
  • 4 months
  • 6 months
  • 12 months
  • 18 months
  • 4 years

At St Lucia Village Medical Centre, we offer a comprehensive range of medical services for our female patients including:

  • Pap Smears
  • Breast examinations
  • Contraceptive advice – including Implanon insertion / removal
  • Family planning
  • Pre-pregnancy counseling
  • Pregnancy care
  • Menopause advice and management
  • Depression and anxiety assessment and management

With regard to Obstetric medicine, we offer private referrals for any obstetrician of your choice, or shared-care in the setting of Obstetric management through both Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital (RBWH) and the Mater Hospital.

Our experienced team of doctors understand that the health needs and concerns of male patients differ from their female counterparts, and as such we offer medical advice and assessment for male patients including:

  • General lifestyle factors
  • Blood pressure assessment and management
  • Prostate and testicular issues
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Depression and anxiety assessment and management

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are damaged, most often by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Skin cancers account for 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia, which means 2 in every 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70 years old.

As with many areas of medicine, prevention is paramount: slip on sun-protective clothing, slop on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF50+ sunscreen, slap on a hat that protects you face, head, neck and ears.

We strongly recommend annual skin checks for all patients, particularly those at-risk patients who have had substantial sun exposure throughout their lives. It is also important for all patients to seek medical review for any new or changing skin lesions that you have noticed.

All of our doctors are happy to review new or changing skin lesion(s) of concern, and Dr Kirsti Gow is happy to perform full-body skin checks on patients at any time.

Sexual Health is sometimes taboo, and often difficult to talk about. The thing is, it can affect any person, at any age, of any sexuality.

At St Lucia Village Medical Centre, our experienced doctors will provide a comfortable and respectful environment for you to discuss any sexual health issue you may be concerned about, or talk you through a routine sexual health check-up.

It is important to consider a full sexual health check-up if you have any unsafe / unprotected sexual contact, if you are at the beginning or the end of a sexual relationship, or if you think you may have symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Our doctors at St Lucia Village Medical Centre are happy to assess and manage a variety of injuries, including workplace injuries, accidents, suture wounds closed, and assess / stabilise fractures.

Together with our accomplished nursing staff, the GPs are also happy to manage simple and complex wounds, with a wide variety of dressings available to ensure the best and most effective recovery for each patient.

A major role of a community based General Practice is that of preventative medicine, as well as the treatment of active disease. In light of this, the medical team at St Lucia Village Medical Centre encourage patients to present for ‘routine’ health check ups to assist in monitoring your overall health, early identification of any health issues or risk factors, and implementing changes where necessary for better long-term health outcomes.

Where patients are struggling with a number of medical issues at any given time, they should consider whether a Care Plan might benefit them with regard to the co-ordination of treatments, allied health referrals, and close follow-up to ensure the best overall result.

Mental Health issues affect people from all walks of life; at any age, at any time. There are currently more than 3 million people in Australia living with anxiety or depression, and more are dealing with stressful life events, which are negatively impacting their lives. One of the most difficult things to do is to seek help, and to know that you are not alone.

The GPs at St Lucia Village Medical Centre help patients through support, diagnosis, management, and referral where necessary to get you back on the road to recovery.

If you are suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, relationship issues, addictions or post-natal depression, please contact our practice for an appointment today.

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