Suits telehealth→
Results
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Explaining bloods, imaging and screening results.
All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Some items, including privately purchased vaccines and consumables, attract a fee.
A phone appointment saves a trip when the problem is one that can be sorted by talking. When it needs looking at, listening to, or feeling, it needs a room.
Telehealth is at its best for conversations: results, medication reviews, mental health follow-up, referral renewals, and checking in on something already assessed. It is at its worst as a substitute for examination.
Medicare rebates for telehealth generally require an existing relationship with the practice — usually a face-to-face visit in the previous 12 months. Some exemptions apply. Reception will confirm your eligibility when you book.
Both are available. Video helps when something needs to be shown, such as a rash or a wound.
Then you come in. The doctor will say so and reception will find you a slot.
Explaining bloods, imaging and screening results.
Reviewing how a plan or medicine is going.
For stable, long-term medicines where you have been seen recently.
When nothing has changed since the last assessment.
Chests, ears, abdomens, lumps, rashes, joints, blood pressure.
Chest pain, breathlessness and severe symptoms need to be seen, or 000.
Book through HotDoc or by phone, choose telehealth, and be somewhere you can talk.
Around your appointment time. Clinic runs vary, so keep the phone with you rather than watching the clock.
The doctor will usually try again. If you miss it entirely, ring reception to rebook.
Where you are eligible under Medicare's telehealth rules, yes.
Telehealth appointments
Phone & video
Existing patients
Results and follow-up
Mental health reviews
Some repeat scripts
Bulk billed where eligible
Book via HotDoc
Telehealth appointments
Phone & video
Existing patients
Results and follow-up
Mental health reviews
Some repeat scripts
Bulk billed where eligible
Book via HotDoc
Telehealth appointments
Phone & video
Existing patients
Results and follow-up
Mental health reviews
Some repeat scripts
Bulk billed where eligible
Book via HotDoc
Medicare rebates generally require an existing relationship with the practice. Reception will confirm.
Where you meet the Medicare eligibility rules, yes.
Sometimes, depending on what needs to be assessed.
Many, but not all. Controlled medicines always need a face-to-face appointment.
Both. Video is better when something needs to be seen.
Reception will find you a slot, often the same day.
For follow-up conversations, sometimes. An unwell child almost always needs to be seen.
Yes. Same confidentiality as any consultation — which is why somewhere private at your end matters.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
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Insurance, licensing, camps and sport all ask a doctor to certify something specific. These are assessments, not paperwork — and because they are not Medicare services, they are privately billed.
These assessments exist because a third party — an insurer, a licensing authority, a school, a club — needs an independent medical opinion. That makes them different from a consultation about your health, and Medicare does not fund them.
Medicare funds care for your health, not assessments requested by a third party. The fee is quoted before you book, and you will never be surprised by it.
Longer than a standard appointment — often 30 minutes or more, sometimes with tests.
Rarely. These need to be booked ahead so enough time is set aside.
Life, income protection and superannuation assessments.
Commercial driving and heavy vehicle fitness assessments.
Overnight camps, excursions and school sport.
Fitness to play, particularly contact sport.
Plus glasses if you wear them — vision is often tested.
Including any specialist letters and recent results.
Ring reception, say what the assessment is for, and you will be given the fee before you commit.
Always. You will know the fee before the appointment is booked.
Some employers arrange billing directly. Ask them, and tell reception when you book.
The doctor's job is an honest assessment. Where something is fixable, that becomes the plan.
Private medical assessments
Insurance forms
Licence medicals
Camp & sports forms
Privately billed
Price quoted before you book
Long appointment
Bring the paperwork
Private medical assessments
Insurance forms
Licence medicals
Camp & sports forms
Privately billed
Price quoted before you book
Long appointment
Bring the paperwork
Private medical assessments
Insurance forms
Licence medicals
Camp & sports forms
Privately billed
Price quoted before you book
Long appointment
Bring the paperwork
No. Third-party assessments are not Medicare services and are privately billed.
Yes, always, before the appointment is booked.
Usually 30 minutes or more.
The form, photo ID, your medicines, glasses if you wear them, and any recent results.
No. These require examination.
Ring and confirm the type of licence — requirements differ by category.
Bring it to the appointment. Completing a form without an assessment is not something a doctor can do.
Yes — see the pre-employment medicals page.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
A good referral tells the specialist what has already been tried, what has been ruled out, and what the question actually is. That saves you repeating yourself and often saves an appointment.
Specialists in the Hunter are mostly in Newcastle, Maitland and Tamworth, with visiting clinics closer to home for some specialties. Public referrals cost nothing but wait longer; private referrals cost more but are usually faster. Which is right depends on how urgent your problem is, what you can afford, and how far you can travel.
A GP referral to a specialist usually lasts 12 months from your first appointment. Referrals for ongoing chronic conditions can be written as indefinite where that is appropriate.
Yes. If you have a preference, say so. Otherwise we will suggest someone based on the problem, the wait and the location.
Yes. Seeing a specialist without a valid referral means no Medicare rebate at all.
Public outpatient clinics through the Hunter New England network.
Often months. Urgent cases are triaged and seen faster.
Weeks rather than months for many specialties.
There is a gap. Ask for the cost when you book — you are entitled to know.
Newcastle is roughly two hours. Factor it in, especially for repeat visits.
The specialist's letter comes back to us, so your GP record stays complete.
A referral needs an appointment because it needs a proper letter.
Generally not. The referral has to reflect a current assessment, and a thin referral gets a thin appointment at the other end.
Book a short appointment. Renewing a referral is quick, but it does need to be done before your specialist visit.
We receive the specialist's letter and it goes into your record. Booking a follow-up with us afterwards is how the plan actually gets carried out.
Specialist referrals
Public & private options
Newcastle, Maitland & Tamworth
Referral appointment bulk billed
12 months standard
Indefinite where appropriate
Results sent back to us
Continuity of care
Specialist referrals
Public & private options
Newcastle, Maitland & Tamworth
Referral appointment bulk billed
12 months standard
Indefinite where appropriate
Results sent back to us
Continuity of care
Specialist referrals
Public & private options
Newcastle, Maitland & Tamworth
Referral appointment bulk billed
12 months standard
Indefinite where appropriate
Results sent back to us
Continuity of care
Usually 12 months from your first specialist appointment. Some chronic conditions can have indefinite referrals.
Yes, as a standard consultation with a valid Medicare card.
Yes, if it is still valid. Bring a copy.
Private is usually faster but has a gap fee. We will talk through both.
Newcastle, Maitland and Tamworth, with some visiting clinics closer to home.
Allied health does not need a referral, but a chronic condition care plan can give you subsidised sessions.
Say so. Urgent referrals are marked as such and we can ring the rooms directly.
Yes, or it can be sent electronically to the specialist. Either way you should know who you are being sent to and why.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
Renewing a medicine is a chance to check it is still the right one, still the right dose, and still doing what it was meant to do. That is why it needs an appointment.
Most long-term medicines need reviewing at least once a year, and some more often. A script appointment is short, but it is a proper check: is the dose still right, are there side effects you have stopped mentioning, has anything else changed that interacts with it.
Prescribing without seeing you means prescribing without knowing what has changed. For most medicines a short appointment is safer and it is bulk billed.
For many stable long-term medicines your GP can prescribe two months' supply on one script, which means fewer pharmacy trips and lower cost. Not every medicine is eligible — ask at your next review.
Ring us. Your pharmacist may also be able to supply a small emergency amount for some medicines while you get an appointment.
Not a list. Boxes show the strength, the brand and how much is left.
Including anything from another doctor, the supermarket, or a herbalist.
Side effects, cost, timing, whether you still need it at all.
If another practice or a specialist has done bloods, bring the report.
Deprescribing is a real conversation, particularly as people get older.
Ask whether your medicine is eligible for two months on one script.
Book online or by phone. Say it is for a script review so the right length is set aside.
For some stable medicines, yes, if you have been seen here recently. Certain medicines always need a face-to-face appointment.
Electronic prescriptions can be sent to your phone or email, and you choose the pharmacy. Say what suits you.
We work with local pharmacies on packed medicines. If organising doses is getting hard, raise it — that is exactly the sort of thing worth fixing.
Repeat prescriptions
Bulk billed
60-day dispensing available
Medication reviews
Book ahead, not on the last tablet
Webster pack support
Telehealth for some scripts
Home Medicines Review
Repeat prescriptions
Bulk billed
60-day dispensing available
Medication reviews
Book ahead, not on the last tablet
Webster pack support
Telehealth for some scripts
Home Medicines Review
Repeat prescriptions
Bulk billed
60-day dispensing available
Medication reviews
Book ahead, not on the last tablet
Webster pack support
Telehealth for some scripts
Home Medicines Review
For most medicines, yes. It is a short appointment and it is bulk billed.
About a week before you run out.
Many stable long-term medicines are eligible. Ask at your next review.
Some, for existing patients on stable medicines. Reception can tell you whether yours qualifies.
Speak to your pharmacist — for many medicines they can supply a small emergency quantity. Otherwise Muswellbrook Hospital, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Yes. If you take several medicines, a pharmacist review at home can be arranged through us.
Not without their involvement, unless you are their legal decision-maker. Ring and we will explain what is possible.
Some require an authority, and some — including controlled medicines — have strict rules and always need a face-to-face appointment.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
Results get filed, systems get busy, and letters go astray. Always assume it is your job to find out — and we would far rather you rang than waited.
Pathology and imaging results come back to the doctor who ordered them and are reviewed before being filed. If something needs urgent attention, we contact you. But normal-looking results are not always the end of the story, and a result you never hear about is a result you cannot ask questions about.
Not usually. That is why booking a results appointment matters, particularly for anything you were worried about.
Most blood tests come back within a few days. Imaging depends on where it was done. Some specialised tests take a couple of weeks.
No. Reception can tell you whether a result has arrived and book you in. Interpreting it is the doctor's job.
In person or by telehealth. Results are explained, not just read out.
Reception can confirm a result has arrived and find you a time.
Slightly outside the reference range is often not abnormal for you.
Trends matter more than single numbers for most things.
Scans sometimes show something unrelated. It usually needs explaining, not panic.
A useful question: what result would have changed the plan?
Results come back to us electronically and are reviewed before filing.
Ask for it to be sent to us, or bring a copy. A result we do not have is a result we cannot act on.
Yes. Ask at the appointment or ring reception.
We contact you, usually the same day. Which is why it matters that reception has a current phone number for you.
Test results
Book a results appointment
Telehealth available
Abnormal results contacted
Always follow up
Bulk billed
Your record in one place
MyMedicare continuity
Test results
Book a results appointment
Telehealth available
Abnormal results contacted
Always follow up
Bulk billed
Your record in one place
MyMedicare continuity
Test results
Book a results appointment
Telehealth available
Abnormal results contacted
Always follow up
Bulk billed
Your record in one place
MyMedicare continuity
Book an appointment, in person or by telehealth.
Yes, for anything that needs urgent attention. Keep your phone number current with reception.
Usually a few days for bloods. Imaging and specialised tests can take longer.
A telehealth appointment is the way to do that properly.
No. Reception can tell you a result has arrived and book you in.
Ask for a copy to be sent to us so your record is complete.
Often yes, because normal is not always the whole answer — especially if symptoms continue.
Yes, as a standard consultation with a valid Medicare card.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
A number of appointments are held back each morning for problems that have come on suddenly. They are not for routine reviews, and knowing the difference helps everyone get seen.
Same-day slots exist for problems that have appeared recently and need attention before the next routine appointment — a child with a fever, a wound, an infection, a flare-up, an injury. They are limited, so they work best when used for what they are for.
Routine reviews, repeat scripts for stable medicines, care plan reviews and paperwork. Those are better booked ahead so you get the right length of appointment.
Ring and tell reception what is happening. They can advise on urgency and will fit in anything that genuinely cannot wait.
For anything severe or fast-moving, yes. The urgent list below is the guide.
A child or adult unwell in the last day or two, particularly with a fever.
Cuts, sprains and knocks that need looking at, cleaning or dressing.
Asthma, back pain, gout, eczema or a long-term condition that has suddenly worsened.
The everyday illnesses that need someone to actually look and listen.
Blood pressure checks, care plan reviews and stable medication reviews.
Insurance, employment and licensing forms need a long appointment and the paperwork with you.
Slots are released in the morning and go quickly. Both routes work — reception can also tell you how urgent it sounds, which HotDoc cannot.
From 8am. If you cannot get through, keep trying or book what is available online and ring to explain.
Yes, through HotDoc from 8am. Ringing has the advantage that reception can assess urgency.
Say so. Children who are unwell are prioritised, and a fever in a baby under three months is a hospital matter rather than a GP appointment.
Same-day appointments
Released each morning
Acute illness & injury
Children prioritised
Ring from 8am
Book via HotDoc
Bulk billed
After-hours advice available
Same-day appointments
Released each morning
Acute illness & injury
Children prioritised
Ring from 8am
Book via HotDoc
Bulk billed
After-hours advice available
Same-day appointments
Released each morning
Acute illness & injury
Children prioritised
Ring from 8am
Book via HotDoc
Bulk billed
After-hours advice available
From 8am each clinic morning.
Yes, like all standard consultations, with a valid Medicare card.
You can ask, though same-day slots depend on who is on. Continuity matters less for a one-off acute problem.
Muswellbrook Hospital, 36 Brentwood Street, (02) 6542 2000, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for advice. In an emergency, 000.
Sometimes. It suits some problems and not others — reception will tell you which yours is.
Under three months, hospital, the same day. Older than that, how they look matters more than the number — ring and describe it.
Better to book ahead. A short appointment for a repeat is easy to schedule and leaves the acute slots for acute problems.
Ring and describe it. That is exactly the kind of call reception is there to take.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
A standard consultation runs about ten minutes. That is enough for one or two things done properly — and knowing that before you arrive changes how much you get out of it.
A standard consultation suits a single new problem, a follow-up, a script review, or results that need explaining. Bring more than that and something gets rushed — usually the thing you were most worried about, because people tend to raise it last.
If you have more than a couple of things, if it is a mental health conversation, a skin check, a care plan, or any paperwork — book a long appointment and say what it is for.
Please do. Hand it over at the start and we can decide together what fits today and what needs another visit.
Where possible, and it is worth asking for. Continuity means not retelling your history every visit.
Plus any concession or pensioner card.
The actual boxes if you can, including anything from the supermarket and any supplements.
Anything from another practice, a hospital or a specialist.
Blood pressure, blood sugar or weight if you track them.
When it started and how it has changed is more useful than “a while ago”.
What you are afraid it might be. It is very often the thing left unsaid, and usually the most useful.
Online through HotDoc at any hour, or by phone during clinic hours.
Routine appointments can be booked well ahead online. Same-day slots are released each morning for problems that cannot wait.
Ring us. Depending on the day we may be able to keep the slot, or move you to the next available.
Standard consultations are bulk billed for everyone with a valid Medicare card.
Bulk billed GP consultations
Book online 24/7 via HotDoc
Same-day appointments
Long appointments available
Male & female GPs
Continuity with your own GP
MyMedicare registration
Telehealth available
Bulk billed GP consultations
Book online 24/7 via HotDoc
Same-day appointments
Long appointments available
Male & female GPs
Continuity with your own GP
MyMedicare registration
Telehealth available
Bulk billed GP consultations
Book online 24/7 via HotDoc
Same-day appointments
Long appointments available
Male & female GPs
Continuity with your own GP
MyMedicare registration
Telehealth available
About ten minutes. Longer appointments are available and are the right choice for anything complex.
Yes, for everyone with a valid Medicare card. Some services such as work medicals and ADHD assessment are privately billed.
No. New patients are welcome. Registering with MyMedicare links you to us for continuity, and there is no charge for it.
Yes, through HotDoc, any hour of the day.
For some things, yes. See telehealth for what suits and what does not.
Tell reception when you book. It is far better than being asked to return for a second visit.
Yes, always. Two people remember more of an appointment than one.
Ring and say what is happening. Same-day slots are held each morning, and reception can advise on urgency.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
A medical certificate is a doctor's professional opinion, not a receipt. That shapes what can be written, when it can be dated, and why a GP will not backdate one.
A certificate states that in the doctor's opinion you were unfit for work or study over particular dates. Your employer is not entitled to your diagnosis, and a certificate does not have to include one. Carer's leave certificates work the same way for someone you are caring for.
A doctor can only certify what they can reasonably form an opinion about. If you were unwell before you attended, that can sometimes be recorded as reported history, clearly marked as such — but a certificate cannot simply be written for dates before you were seen.
No. A certificate can say you were unfit for work without naming the condition.
A carer's certificate covers time off to care for someone. The person being cared for generally needs to have been seen.
For dates the doctor can reasonably form an opinion about.
Universities and TAFE generally accept the same form of certificate.
Time needed to care for a family or household member.
Including modified or reduced duties where that helps.
A certificate reflects an assessment, not a request.
Which is why work capacity and fitness questions need a proper appointment.
Same-day slots are held each morning. Say when booking that you need a certificate so time is set aside.
The consultation is, with a valid Medicare card. Some employer, insurance and licensing forms are privately billed because they are not Medicare services — reception will tell you before you commit.
Sometimes, if we have seen you recently. It depends on what needs to be assessed.
Work injuries use a SIRA certificate of capacity, which is a longer appointment. Say it is a work injury when you book.
Medical certificates
Work & study
Carer's leave
Fitness to return to work
Bulk billed with a standard consult
Same-day appointments
Telehealth for some
Confidential
Medical certificates
Work & study
Carer's leave
Fitness to return to work
Bulk billed with a standard consult
Same-day appointments
Telehealth for some
Confidential
Medical certificates
Work & study
Carer's leave
Fitness to return to work
Bulk billed with a standard consult
Same-day appointments
Telehealth for some
Confidential
Only in limited circumstances, and it must be clearly marked as based on your report rather than examination.
No. It can simply state you were unfit for work.
The consultation is, with a Medicare card. Employer and insurance forms may be privately billed.
Sometimes, for existing patients, depending on what needs assessing.
That needs a SIRA certificate of capacity and a longer appointment.
Yes. The person you are caring for generally needs to have been seen.
As long as is clinically reasonable. Longer periods usually need review before extension.
Yes, including on modified duties if a staged return makes sense.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →
Care plans work when they are living documents. The review is where the targets get checked, the allied health sessions get renewed, and the parts that were never realistic get changed.
A review looks at what has actually happened since the plan was written: readings, symptoms, whether the allied health sessions were used, what got in the way. Then the plan changes to match real life rather than the version written in an optimistic moment.
Usually every three to six months, depending on the condition and how stable things are.
A GP Chronic Condition Management Plan provides a set number of Medicare-subsidised allied health services per calendar year. The review is where use is checked and the referrals are renewed as needed. Older GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements stay valid until 30 June 2027.
Then that is the useful conversation. Cost, travel, timing and confidence are all common reasons, and most are fixable.
Blood pressure, HbA1c, cholesterol, weight, lung function — whichever apply.
Doses, side effects, and anything you have quietly stopped taking.
How many sessions used, and whether they helped.
Cost, transport, shift work, motivation. All legitimate, all worth solving.
Targets that were never realistic get replaced with ones that are.
So the next year's sessions are in place before you need them.
Reviews are a longer appointment, frequently shared between the practice nurse and your GP.
Longer than a standard consult. Reception will book the right length.
Often both. The nurse gathers measurements and history, the GP makes the clinical decisions.
Yes, with a valid Medicare card.
Care plan reviews
Subsidised allied health
Chronic condition management plans
Diabetes, heart, lung, arthritis
Bulk billed
Practice nurse support
Every three to six months
MyMedicare
Care plan reviews
Subsidised allied health
Chronic condition management plans
Diabetes, heart, lung, arthritis
Bulk billed
Practice nurse support
Every three to six months
MyMedicare
Care plan reviews
Subsidised allied health
Chronic condition management plans
Diabetes, heart, lung, arthritis
Bulk billed
Practice nurse support
Every three to six months
MyMedicare
A structured plan for managing a long-term condition, which also unlocks Medicare-subsidised allied health.
Usually every three to six months.
Yes, with a valid Medicare card.
A set number of Medicare-subsidised services per calendar year under a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. We will confirm the current number at your review.
Yes. Tell us who you would like to see.
Chronic conditions that have lasted or are likely to last at least six months — diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis and many others.
No. Care plans are made in general practice.
Reviews still matter — that is often when medicines can be simplified.
General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.
Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.
Prefer to meet us first? Meet the doctors →