The easiest way to book an appointment is on our website via HotDoc. If you can’t find the type of appointment you need or you’d like to request an appointment with a particular doctor, please call our team on 03 4244 1030 and we’ll book your appointment over the phone.
Our clinic follows all COVID safe guidelines and Government regulations. This means that everyone working in the clinic is fully vaccinated and practicing COVID safe measures.
To ensure the safety of all of our patients, you will be asked to wear a mask in the waiting room if there are other patients present. Our team will keep you informed of your Doctor’s schedule should there be any delays to your appointment time. We thank you for your understanding in this regard.
Please tell our staff if you have any respiratory symptoms and we will arrange appropriate measures for you to get the care you need.
Yes, we offer both telehealth and video consultations for your convenience.
Please note that standard consultation fees apply to these appointment types.
Unfortunately, Medicare will not provide a rebate to any patient who has not attended the practice for an in-person consultation in the past 12 months.
If you are uncertain what type of appointment you need, please give our friendly team a call on 4244 1030 and we can make sure you get the care you need.
Yes, we accept new patients and welcome them! We look forward to helping you with your health and medical needs.
If you need to see a doctor immediately, we will do our best to see you. If it is a medical emergency, please dial 000.
If parking is difficult, we have 2 dedicated parking spaces at the Uniting Church (across from Star Fish Cafe). These spaces are reserved for the use of patients of Barwon Heads Family Practice and are within 5 minutes of the clinic. There is also reserved wheelchair accessible parking at the rear of our building and there is patient parking at the back of “76 Hitchcock” – our newest consulting space.
We’re transparent with our costs, and you’ll be charged the same out of pocket fee for a standard or long consultation. Additional feels apply for most procedures and out of pocket costs apply for dressings and some vaccinations. For a breakdown of costs including what you can expect to pay on the day, please see ‘Appointments Page’.
Yes, standard consultation fees apply to these appointment types. Known patients to the clinic can still claim their Medicare rebate over the phone. Unfortunately, Medicare will not currently provide a rebate to any patient who has not attended the practice for an in-person consultation in the past 12 months.
Your Medicare rebate will be paid into your nominated bank account or onto your debit card you have registered with Medicare. We will organise this automatically for you upon the payment of your account.
We accept cash, debit cards and credit cards.
If this occurs, please inform the clinic so that we can check the payment has been processed correctly. However, the most likely reason for this is that you need to contact medicare to update them on your payment details. When your child turns 15, they can choose to get their own card and so Medicare need to be informed if they intend to remain on your card from that point. see link https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/what-happens-when-your-child-turns-15?context=60007
We want you to build a relationship with your doctor to ensure continuity of care, which is why we’ll try our hardest to get you an appointment with your regular doctor, if not on the day then within a few days. If we’re unable to fit you in with your regular doctor in the timeframe required, one of the other doctors in our small team will see you.
Your doctors at Barwon Heads Family Practice are all specialist GPs. They are knowledgeable healthcare professionals with years of general practice experience. Our doctors at Barwon Heads Family Practice also have additional training in their specialist interests, such as obstetrics, shared pregnancy care, skin cancer, mental health and men’s and women’s health.
Yes, we offer a range of immunisations including childhood, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations and travel vaccinations. If you know you need a particular vaccination, please call our team on 03 4244 1030 and let them know so we can ensure we have the right vaccinations in stock. Please note some additional costs may apply for certain vaccinations.
If your results are normal, there is no need for you to see the doctor, so you may not hear from us. If the doctor would like to see you to discuss results, they will call you and either talk over the phone or arrange a time for another appointment.
If you are keen to discuss your results, please book a “results only” telephone appointment with your doctor.
We encourage patients with English language difficulties to utilise the Translating and Interpreting Service National by phone 131 450. If you have any questions about this service and how it works, please call our team on 03 4244 1030.
Our clinic follows all COVID safe guidelines and Government regulations. This means that everyone working in the clinic is fully vaccinated and practicing COVID safe measures like physical distancing and wearing a mask. We adhere to all cleaning protocols to keep the clinic COVID safe, including minimising face-to-face consultations where possible, offering telehealth and video consultations and putting extra measures in place for patients with respiratory symptoms.
For patients, upon entry we ask you to wear a mask, sanitise your hands on arrival and please be mindful of other patients and respect their personal space.
Yes. At the moment, we offer Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccinations. All COVID vaccinations are booked online, please do not phone the clinic to book in for a COVID vaccination. We recommend regularly checking our website for appointment times as when vaccinations arrive, we open up times via HotDocs. We are also currently conducting community clinics at the Barwon Heads Town Hall when these are required to ensure we can offer as many people within our community a vaccination. All of our doctors and nurses have COVID vaccination training and are qualified to administer the vaccinations.
Barwon Heads Family Practice are proud to have been able to offer COVID vaccinations to our community, primarily via specially organised “vaccine days” held on weekends or public holidays in the local community hall.
As the guidelines evolve and the community’s needs changes we will continue to respond to this need and will be offering more vaccination days on an ad hoc basis.
If you are uncertain how to obtain these important vaccines, feel free to call our friendly reception team to discuss what options are available locally.
If you have a cough, cold, flu-like illness or have had contact with a person confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 we ask that you follow current public health guidance. As this is constantly changing with the situation, please check the guidelines at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist.
If you wish to see one of our team but are experiencing respiratory symptoms, we are always happy to consider this and have a dedicated area in our clinic to safely assess patients who need this service. Please either book an initial telephone consultation or call our clinic to explain your situation and we will make sure you get appropriate medical care in the safest way possible and when you need it.
If your child is unwell and has cold and flu-like symptoms, please let our team know when you book the appointment. We have a dedicated area in our clinic to safely assess patients who need this service and have respiratory symptoms – our friendly team will let you know what to do and where to go.
As children can have mild symptoms of COVID, we strongly recommend still getting them tested. Most local testing sites will provide tests for children. Please note if your child has respiratory symptoms, a rapid antigen test is not sufficient and a standard PCR test is required.
Depending on your symptoms, we can take measures for you to see a doctor if you need to see one. Please either book an initial telephone consultation or call our clinic to explain your situation and we will make sure you get appropriate medical care in the safest way possible and when you need it. We will still recommend a COVID test if you have symptoms, and we’re unable to see you in-person if you have pending test results, until these come back negative.
Please fill out the contact form on our website (link here).
For out of hours assistance, please contact the National Home Doctor Service. In a medical emergency, please call 000.
For more information on our privacy policy, click here.
Pathology services are covered under Medicare, so if you have a current Medicare card, most of the time you won’t be charged anything for using these services. Please ask the 4Cyte team for more information.
You don’t need an appointment and as pathology services operate five days a week, you shouldn’t need to wait long. We have a comfortable waiting room and staff are able to advise you on expected wait times upon your arrival.
Pathology services operate Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 12.30pm.
4Cyte Pathology accepts most forms.