Information as at August 2014
Location of Super Clinic
29 Stockton Street, Nelson Bay
Contact Details
(02) 4981 2555
Nelson Plaza Clinic website (Port Stephens GP Super Clinic)
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Funding recipient
Rural and Metropolitan Health Pty Ltd
Total Commonwealth funding
$2.5m (GST exclusive)
Description of clinic
The facility is a refurbishment of an existing property located in the main shopping precinct of Nelson Bay. It is working closely with Community Transport providers to ensure access for patients.
The clinic became operational on 3 May 2010.
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Services
Multidisciplinary care
The clinic offers a wide range of multidisciplinary, integrated primary care services provided by GPs, nurses and allied health professionals.
Services offered include:
- psychology
- physiotherapy
- podiatry
- dietetics
- speech pathology
- occupational therapy
- women and men’s health
- child health services
- indigenous health services
- specialist urology services
- smoking cessation services
- lifestyle modification services
- falls assessments
- 45-49 year old health check
- over 75 year old assessments
- screening for cervical and breast cancer
- psychology services to assist in weight loss
- dietician services for dietary or weight issues
- health assessments for dementia patients Top of page
The clinic has a focus on prevention and management of chronic and complex diseases and offers a range of chronic disease management focusing on:
- diabetes
- cardiovascular disease
- asthma
- chronic respiratory disease
- dementia
Occupational therapists, nurses, physiotherapists and dieticians conduct risk assessments, falls assessments, over 75 year old assessments and nutritional assessments.
A specialist dementia nurse practitioner conducts holistic health assessment checks for over 75 year olds and is available to conduct home visits for further assessment and referral purposes as part of the of multidisciplinary, integrated primary care services offered at the clinic.
The clinic also provides both home and residential aged care facility visits where clinically indicated.
The clinic is located near x-ray facilities, specialist rooms and pharmacy services.
A pathology collection centre is located within the clinic. All pathology services are bulk billed. Top of page
Health needs and priorities
Nelson Bay is located on the Tomaree Peninsula, within the Local Government Area of Port Stephens (population 16,400) approximately 50 mins drive north of Newcastle on the east coast of NSW. Nelson Bay is an area of choice for retirees and has the third most elderly population in NSW and has a high tourist influx during the summer months. Port Stephens also has a larger proportion of children under 15 living in jobless families (21.6%) when compared with Australia (17.7%) and NSW (18.0%).
The clinic addresses the specific health needs of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ATSI) by working closely with the Worimi Lands Council, the Awabakal Aboriginal Medical Services and through programs such as the GP Access "Closing the Gap". As part of "Closing the Gap" program, health care checks for ATSI students of the Tomarre High School have been conducted at the clinic. This "Closing the Gap" day program is conducted at the clinic on an annual basis.
The clinic has established relationships with Community Transport and other local community services such as Better Futures, Benevolent Society and Community Options. Patients from the clinic have been referred to these services as part of the case management services provided to patients.
Quality
The clinic is accredited against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners standards for general practices with AGPAL/GPA.
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Operating hours
Mon, Wed and Fri: 8am-5pm. Tues and Thurs: 8am-8pm.
Sat and Sun: 10am-3pm.
(Closed Public Holidays)
Outside these hours the clinic has a 24 hour on call arrangement through GPAccess.
Billing arrangements
MBS bulk billing for all Medicare rebateable GP consultations is offered to all residents of the Port Stephens area (permanent residents within postcode range of 2315 - 2324).
MBS bulk billing is also offered to all concession card holders, Veteran Card holders, children under 16 years old, patients with a chronic disease who participate in the clinic’s chronic disease programs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and all preventative care MBS items such as 45-49 year old health check, over 75 year old health check, Well Women's Pap Smears and skin cancer checks.
For patients who do not qualify for bulk billing, the maximum gap payment for any one consultation in $20.
Home visits and visits to residential aged care facilities
The Port Stephens GP Super Clinic provides both home and nursing home visits where clinically indicated and allied health services are available in non standard hours.
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Clinical training arrangements
The clinic has had GP Registrar placements and allied health student placements – podiatry and physiotherapy students.
The clinic has previously hosted a number of medical students and is currently hosting additional medical students.
A number of nurses have completed training to upgrade their skills. For example, asthma management training for a Registered Nurse and vaccination training for an enrolled nurse.
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