Our Services
Welcome to Balranald Medical Practice, where your health and well-being are our top priorities. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our rural community.
Older peoples care
Whether you’re travelling in retirement, aging in place in the comfort of your own home or a resident at an aged care home, the team are here for you and your healthcare.
Minor procedures
Treatment rooms to assist with procedures such as minor accidents, excisions, biopsies, dressings and wound care.
Skin Health
Addressing the need for comprehensive skin checks for skin cancer surveillance and surgical procedures to treat skin cancers and other skin lesions
Liquid nitrogen therapy for warts and other skin conditions and treatment of acne, eczema and other common skin conditions.
General Medicine
A person-centred approach for all patients and families in all aspects of general medicine. We work alongside patients to assist them in reaching all their health goals and needs.
an integrated care approach
Chronic Disease Management
We take a team-based approach to managing illness which includes screenings, check-ups, monitoring and coordinating treatment, and patient education. Contact us to arrange a health assessment or care plan with one of our experienced clinical staff.
FAQ
What is a care plan and how do I know that I am eligible?
A GP Management plan (commonly known as a Care plan) is a plan of action for people with chronic and complex care needs. Common conditions which may require a care plan include but are not limited to the what’s listed below.
If you’re unsure that you are eligible for a care plan, please speak with your doctor.
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Severe asthma and lung disease
- Thyroid disease
- Autoimmune conditions (eg. Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease)
- Other medical conditions requiring regular visits with the GP and multiple specialists
What can be done during a care plan or a care plan review appointment?
Care plan appointments are for people with chronic and complex conditions. New care plans should be done every 1-2 years and typically take 30-45 minutes and include a nurse and a doctor (and sometimes a clinical pharmacist). They involve setting health goals, and planning tasks (e.g. Pathology tests, specialist and allied health reviews, attending to preventative health checks). These appointments can also be used to organise routine care including referrals and scripts.
Care plan review appointments give an opportunity for you and your doctor to check that your chronic health condition is being managed well and your health goals are being met. They can also be used to organise routine care including scripts and referrals. Care plan reviews can only be done once every 3 months.
Care plans and care plan review appointments will be bulk billed for all patients, if eligible.
Will I be charged for consultations with a nurse?
No, appointments with nurses alone do not incur an out-of-pocket fee. Examples of nurse only consultations include:
- Vaccination administration
- Simple wound dressings
- Routine removal of sutures
- Routine administration of injections (eg. B12, Prolia, immunotherapy, other medications)
What is a mental health care plan and how do I know if I'm eligible?
A mental health care plan is an agreed plan of action with you and your GP to manage a mental health condition your GP or other mental health professional has diagnosed. If you have a valid mental health care plan, you can access Medicare rebated psychology visits.
These GP visits will be bulk billed and typically take 30-45 minutes. A mental health care plan review is a planned appointment which can be used to access further Medicare rebated psychology visits.
Why do I need to complete a new patient registration form when I've been a patient of Balranald Medical Centre for years?
Dr Vitalis Ihuarulam has setup a new operation under a new ABN and clinical information system. Unfortunately, all electronic medical records that were kept on premise by the previous GP/practice owners were not made available.
If you have not opted out of your My Health Record, Dr Vitalis Ihuarulam and clinical nurse staff are able to access much of your medical history from this important resource.
If, however, you have opted out of My Health Record, Dr Vitalis Ihuarulam will have to rely on what history and paper records you currently have access to.
Please allow extra time (long consultation booking only) for your first appointment so that a thorough history can be updated to our new clinical information system.
What if I need after hours care or can't get to the clinic for an appointment?
Dr Vitalis Ihuarulam will be providing home visits, however won’t be available for after hours. If you require a home visit, please ensure you inform reception staff at time of booking. Home visits are only available to patients who are physically unable to leave their home. Patients with COVID-19 or other infectious diseases are encouraged to book a telehealth appointment instead.
After hours service options for residents in Balranald include:
Healthdirect: 1800 022 222 or https://www.healthdirect.gov.au. If you are unsure you can use Healthdirect’s online symptoms checker.
National Home Doctors Service: 13SICK (that’s 13 7425)
If you or someone you are caring for is experiencing a medical emergency, please call 000 immediately or visit the emergency room at the Balranald Multi-Purpose facility.
How will I receive test results?
At Balranald Medical Centre all your test results will be reviewed by your doctor. Our procedures are as follows:
Urgent results: your doctor or a nurse will contact you immediately by phone to advise you to make an appointment. If there is no answer after 3 attempts, a letter will be sent to you, advising an urgent appointment is necessary. A clinical staff member may continue to contact you at the doctor’s discretion and urgency of your results.
Non-urgent results: A staff member will contact you via a variety of modes e.g. phone, SMS, email or Hotdoc App. If there is no answer after 3 attempts, a letter will be sent to you, advising an appointment.
Normal results: We do not contact you to advise of normal results. We encourage you to make a follow up appointment to discuss the results, even if they are normal. Nurses or administration support staff do not provide results over the phone.
Most Pathology tests results will be available in your My Health Record 7 days after the result has been sent to your doctor.
Do you accept new patients?
Absolutely! As we are a new practice opening in December 2024, every patient will be treated as a new patient.
The team are delighted you have chosen to receive your care at Balranald Medical Centre. They kindly ask you to arrive 30 minutes ahead of your first appointment. This is so the nurses and doctor can ensure they have time to help you become acquainted with the clinic and update your records in our information system. You will be greeted by one of the reception staff who will ask you to complete our new patient registration form. Don’t worry, the form is easy to complete and reception staff can assist you if you have any questions.
If you made your first booking online via Hotdoc, you’ll be prompted to complete a new patient registration form at the time of making your booking.