Easing Tweeds pain

Residents living between Tweed Heads and Kingscliff will have greater access to after-hours medical care with the launch this week of the House Call Doctor service.

The service, which provides 100% bulk-billed GP visits to Medicare and DVA card holders, offers medical consultations at people’s homes when normal GP clinics have closed.

A team of local doctors, accompanied by chaperones, will be on the road from 6pm weeknights, after noon on Saturdays and all hours on Sundays and public holidays.

Initially, the service will be available to residents in suburbs including Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads West, Tweed Heads South, Fingal Head, Chinderah, Cudgen and Kingscliff.

New South Wales state manager Phil Lagana said the service launched in the Tweed on Monday, just in time for the busy Christmas season.

“There used to be a number of after-hours GPs operating within Tweed Heads,” Mr Lagana said.”However, at least one of these doctors has reduced their service locations in recent years.

“House Call Doctor will provide a valuable addition to local healthcare services. We can offer families peace of mind if they fall sick at unusual times of the night.”

A visit from House Call Doctor can be particularly crucial in medical situations that do not warrant an emergency response but cannot wait until normal clinic opening hours.

“Our doctors take detailed medical notes during their home visits, which are then sent to the patient’s regular GP by the next business day,” Mr Lagana said.

The service, which is expected to expand further into NSW over the next year, is expected to ease the demand on busy hospital emergency departments.

Phone 13 55 66 or visit www.housecalldoctor.com.au for an appointment.

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Original Source: Tweed Daily News | 21st December 2016