More about the COVID-19 Pandemic

The principles of our response

Vermont Medical Clinic is open but it is not business as usual. The principles of protecting our patients, doctors and other staff are paramount. Therefore we ask you to use alternatives to attending in person whenever possible. If you book online you will be asked several screening questions before you able to make an appointment. If you phone for an appointment, please be patient as the burden on our staff is large, and you will be asked some COVID-19 screening questions before an appointment can be made. Please be honest in your answers, and do not be offended, as the questions are asked to protect the vulnerable in our community by slowing the spread of COVID-19. Slowing the spread will help keep health resources available to all who need them. Please do not be offended if you have acute respiratory symptoms and are advised to remain at home and care for yourself, or if you come to the clinic and are turned away. Taking these precautions during this pandemic will result a lower spike in local cases with the result of less unnecessary deaths through a lack of resources. This is a dynamic situation and information will be updated here regularly.

COVID-19 Preparation Images - No cash transactions

Vermont Medical Clinic is protecting staff and patients with screening, triage, car park consultations, isolation rooms, and telehealth and phone alternatives to attending in person wherever possible. We know that many people will still require a face to face consultation so we are making this process as safe as possible.

Building entrance

Clinic entry triage

Please sanitise hands and wait

Please stay behind the tape

Social distance between chairs

Bags can go on the chairs

Clinic News

Labour Day - Monday 8 March 2021

Just a reminder that we are closed on public holidays which includes next Monday (Labour Day).

BILLING POLICY CHANGE - from 1 March 2021

We believe that access to good medical care should not be limited by an ability to pay. We cannot continue bulk-billing as many patients as we do currently as the amount received does not cover our costs. From 1 March full pensioners, veterans, children twelve and under, and those in financial hardship will STILL be bulk-billed. People receiving part pensions and older children aged 13 to 17 will receive a discount on our usual fees. Thank you for your support as we continue to care for you.

REGISTRARS - Goodbye and Hello!

Farewell to our registrar Dr Sharee Walford, it has been a great six months having you with the clinic and best wishes from all at the clinic for the exams and her future career. On 1 Feb we will welcome Dr Gowthri Ragunathan and Dr Nish Nayar who will commence six month placements as registrars.

NEW SERVICES

PAEDIATRIC SPEECH THERAPY: Sessions will be available from mid-September. These sessions will be run by Natalia Ehrlich, a qualified paediatric speech pathologist.

SWEATING CLINIC: Botox injections for excessive armpit sweating are now available at the clinic with a qualified dermatologist, Dr Josephine Yeatman.

CHANGES TO CURRENT SERVICES

ADJUSTMENTS TO OPERATING HOURS: We are slightly increased our operating hours as the pandemic recedes. These are now:
Monday to Friday: 8am – 8pm Saturday: 8am – 4pm Sunday: Closed. We will review our hours in response to the pandemic situation.

DIABETES EDUCATION: As of 1st September 2020 a fee of $54.60 is payable to see our Diabetes Educator if the visit is not covered by a referral under a care plan. There will be no out of pocket cost for visits allocated under a care plan.

ASTHMA EDUCATION: We will be ceasing our Asthma Education clinic as of 1st September 2020. Any patients with concerns regarding their asthma, or who have future bookings with the Asthma Educator should continue to see their GP.

TELEPHONES: We have changed phone provider over the last week and there have been a few issues, we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
We now know what the problem is.
Please update your Vermont Medical Clinic contact number to 03 9874 2422. If you have 03 8547 1140 please delete, this number will no longer be active after 13th September.

NEW GP, GP REGISTRAR AND RECEPTIONIST: We would like to inform you that we have two new doctors starting soon. Dr Sharee Walford is a GP registrar and will be joining us on a full time basis from Monday 3rd August. Dr Trish Hough will be joining the team mid-October and will more than likely be working Monday and Thursday afternoons. We also have a new team member on our front desk, Rachel, who started last week and is settling in well.

DR LUFI MULYADI: We are very happy to announce that Dr Lufi Mulyadi has joined the practice permanently from 1 July.

SKIN CANCER CLINIC: Full body skin cancer checks are recommencing from the week starting 3 May 2020. Some extra precautions are being taken, particularly with masks to be worn by patients.

NEW DOCTORS: We welcome Dr Daniel Epstein and Dr Jerome Klein to our GP team. Their biographies and working hours will be fully updated shortly but the short version is that Dr Epstein is an academic GP based at Monash University. He will be typically working on Tuesdays and Thursdays but will have periods of absence while completes his PhD. Dr Klein will usually be working on three days per week. He is also studying for fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).

DEPARTURE OF DR PAUL NGUYEN: Dr Paul Nguyen left general practice after Christmas 2019 to pursue other interests. Please be advised that he will not be able to provide ongoing care at any other location.

AFTER HOURS SERVICE (Changed hours from 16th November 2020): The after hours service is open until 8 pm on weekdays, 1pm to 4pm on Saturdays. Bulk-billing is automatic for children under 16, pensioners and veterans and is available on request for those suffering financial hardship. For more information click this text.

NEW PRACTICE MANAGER: We welcome Daniel Rossiter, who has commenced work at the clinic on 26 August 2019, and wish him a long and successful career here.

CONTINENCE & PELVIC FLOOR SERVICE: The clinic is pleased to offer a continence and pelvic floor service. More information is available HERE.

Our Hours and Services

The clinic is open on six days per week but not on public holidays, usually from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays, and 8.30 am until 4 pm on Saturdays. The doctors at the clinic offer general medical services, minor surgery including removal skin lesions, drainage of abscesses, and repair of wounds using sutures or glue, iron infusions, lactation consultancy, psychological counselling, immunisations, aged care including visits to aged care facilities, paediatrics, women's health, men's health, travel medicine, and skin cancer surveillance and treatment.

Fees and Pathology Tests

This clinic bulk-bills children under 16 (other than children seeing Dr Julie Chang, who are discounted), pensioners and veterans, with discounted fees for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. WorkCover and TAC patients are liable for the costs of care until claims are accepted by the insurer. Pathology tests (next door at Clinical Labs) and medical imaging services (on the same floor at Capital Radiology) are usually bulk-billed. Patients are expected to return to the clinic to discuss all results of investigations.

Long consultations and procedures - please book by telephone

It is preferable that long consultations, procedures and other non-standard and allied health services are booked by phone to ensure that an appropriate length of time is scheduled. The receptionists can advise about the length of time required.

Allied Health Services

As well as medical and nursing services, the clinic has several allied health providers available each week: Dr Phoebe Kho is our psychologist, Dr David Jayapaul is our podiatrist, Ms Varsha Bhikha is our physiotherapist, Ms Bridget Wilkes is our diabetes educator, and Ms Natalia Ehrlich is our speech pathologist.