Our services

Visiting patients where they live is at the heart of how this practice works. Dr Wilmer routinely visits home-care patients and residential aged-care residents for regular reviews and day-to-day care.

Residential aged care

If you live in a residential care facility we work with, you do not need to make routine appointments — the doctor makes structured visits each week, or as negotiated with your facility. If you or your family would like a specific appointment with the doctor, call our office during office hours and we will arrange it.

Care at home

For patients cared for at home, visits are planned as part of your ongoing care. Existing home-care patients also have after-hours arrangements for clinical concerns — see after hours and emergencies.

Getting started

If you think home visits could suit you or a family member, call us during office hours to talk it through. Facilities and care providers are welcome to contact the office directly.

Dr Wilmer is a GP with a special interest in geriatric medicine — the health care of older people. Much of the practice’s work is caring for older patients at home, in residential aged care and in the rooms.

What we help with

• Managing several health conditions at once
• Reviewing medicines when the list has grown over the years — see medication reviews
• Falls, mobility and frailty concerns
• Memory changes and the questions that come with them
• Planning care with you, your family and your carers

What to expect

Good care for older people takes time and continuity. We look at the whole picture — health, medicines, daily life and what matters to you — and we involve family members and carers when you want us to. Where other services can help, such as allied health or aged-care supports, we help coordinate them as part of your care.

Palliative care is medical care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life for people living with a life-limiting illness. It is about living as well as possible, for as long as possible, in the place you call home.

How we care

Dr Wilmer provides palliative care to patients at home and in residential aged care, working alongside families, carers, facility staff and local palliative care services. Care is guided by the person’s own wishes: managing pain and other symptoms, avoiding unnecessary hospital trips where safe, and supporting the people around them.

Planning ahead

We also help with advance care planning — talking through, and writing down, what matters to you and what care you would or would not want. These conversations are easier to have early, and you can revisit them at any time. Family members are welcome to be part of them.

If you would like to talk about palliative care for yourself or someone you care for, call our office and ask for a conversation with the doctor.

A long-term condition can be easier to live with when your care is planned rather than rushed. We provide structured care for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma and other lung conditions, and arthritis.

Planned care

Care usually starts with a longer appointment to go through your condition, your medicines and your goals. The doctor may suggest a GP management plan — a Medicare-supported planning tool that sets out your care and the steps involved. If other health professionals are part of your care, such as a physiotherapist, podiatrist or dietitian, a team care arrangement can help everyone work together. Whether Medicare supports these plans depends on your circumstances — ask us, or see Services Australia for current details.

Regular reviews

We review your plan with you at regular visits. A review is a chance to check how you are going, adjust the plan, and renew referrals or prescriptions. Some reviews may suit telehealth.

When to book

If you live with a long-term condition and would like more structured care, ask for a long appointment and mention it when you book. See our appointments page for how booking works.

Medicines lists have a way of growing over the years, and what suited you five years ago may not suit you now. Regular medication review is a core part of care at this practice, especially for older patients and anyone taking several medicines.

What a review covers

• Whether each medicine is still needed, and still at the right dose
• How your medicines interact with each other
• Side effects you may have put down to something else
• Practical things — timing, swallowing difficulties, packaging and reminders

How it works

The doctor reviews medicines as part of regular visits, at home, in residential care or in the rooms. Where a more formal review would help, we can arrange one with a pharmacist and go through the findings with you. Bring a current list of your medicines — or the medicines themselves — to any appointment, and always tell us about anything you take that we didn’t prescribe, including over-the-counter and herbal products.

A health assessment is a planned, unhurried check of your overall health. Medicare supports these assessments at certain ages and stages of life. The rules about who is eligible change from time to time, so we do not list them here. Ask us whether you are eligible, or check the current details at Services Australia.

What an assessment involves

An assessment takes longer than a standard consultation, so we set aside extra time. We ask about your medical history, the medicines you take, and how you are managing day to day. Depending on your age and needs, this can cover sleep, mood, memory, mobility and falls. We check things like blood pressure, height and weight, and review any screening or immunisations that are due. We finish with a plan: what to follow up, what to watch for, and when to come back.

How to book

Call us and ask for a health assessment so we can allow enough time. Bring a list of your current medicines, your glasses or hearing aids if you use them, and any recent test results from other clinics. See our appointments page for how booking works, and ask about billing when you book — our fees page explains how billing works at the practice.

Immunisation is one of the simplest ways to help protect yourself and your family against serious disease. We provide immunisation services across all ages, including:

• childhood immunisations under the National Immunisation Program schedule
• boosters for adults, such as tetanus and whooping cough
• seasonal influenza immunisation each year
• immunisations some workplaces require, such as hepatitis B
• travel immunisation services — see travel health
• catch-up doses if you or your child have missed any.

What to expect

When you book, tell us who the appointment is for and which immunisation you need, so we can plan any doses. Bring any immunisation records you have. Plan to stay for a short time after an injection so we can check you are feeling well. You can view your immunisation history through your Medicare account — see Services Australia.

Some immunisations are funded under government programs for people who are eligible; others have a cost. Eligibility rules change, so ask us what applies to you when you book, and see our fees page for how billing works. Not sure what you or your children are due for? Book an appointment and we can review your records with you.

Transport for NSW requires a medical assessment for some drivers — for example at certain ages, for some licence classes, or where a health condition may affect driving. We do these assessments at the practice.

What to bring

• Your driver licence
• Any paperwork or forms you have been sent about the assessment
• Glasses or hearing aids, if you use them
• A list of your current medicines

What to expect

The assessment covers the health areas relevant to safe driving, such as vision, movement, and any conditions or medicines that could affect you behind the wheel. It is an honest clinical assessment: the doctor reports what they find, and any decision about your licence rests with the licensing authority. If something needs attention first — like an eye check — we will tell you and help arrange it.

Book by calling the office, and mention it is for a driver assessment so we can allow the right amount of time.

Different destinations carry different health risks. A pre-travel consultation gives you advice based on where you are going, how long you will stay, and what you plan to do — not one-size-fits-all tips.

What we cover

We talk through your itinerary and your own health, then focus on what is relevant to your trip. This can include travel immunisation services, food and water precautions, insect bite protection, and risks specific to your destination. We also help you plan your regular medicines for the trip — how much to carry, how to store them, and the paperwork some countries expect for medicines you bring in. If you live with a long-term condition, we can talk through managing it away from home.

When to book

Book well before you leave. Some travel immunisations need more than one dose, spaced out over time, and your body needs time to respond before you travel. The earlier you come in, the more options you have — especially for longer trips, remote areas, or travel with children. Ask for a longer appointment if several family members are travelling. And if you become unwell after you return home, especially with a fever, book an appointment and tell us where you travelled.

The Hunter region gets strong sun for much of the year, and sun damage builds up slowly over a lifetime. Outdoor work, sport and time in the garden all add up. A skin check examines your skin and looks for spots or changes that may need follow-up.

What happens during a check

We start by asking about your skin: past sunburn, outdoor work, family history of skin cancer, and any spots that worry you. The doctor then examines your skin in good light, looking closely at anything new, changing or irregular. If a spot needs follow-up, we explain your options. These can include watching it over time, arranging a test, or a referral for treatment where needed.

When to book

Book an appointment if you notice a new spot, or a change in an existing one — in size, shape or colour, or a spot that bleeds, itches or will not settle. Many spots turn out to be nothing serious, but it is worth having changes looked at promptly rather than waiting. Sun protection still matters at every age: a hat, covering clothing, sunscreen and shade all reduce further damage. If you are unsure whether a spot needs attention, raise it at your next visit or book an appointment.

We provide women’s health care at every stage of life. Your appointment is private and led by what you want to discuss. Nothing is too small or too awkward to raise.

What we can help with

• Cervical screening — a routine test that looks for changes that may need follow-up. We can tell you when yours is due.
• Contraception — talking through the options and what may suit your health and your plans
• Pregnancy planning — a health check before you try for a baby, and referrals for pregnancy care
• Menopause — time to talk through your symptoms, and the treatment and lifestyle options available
• Breast health — checking any breast changes, and arranging referrals for imaging or further assessment where needed

Booking your appointment

Many of these conversations need time. Ask for a long appointment if you have several things to discuss — see our appointments page for how booking works. Some follow-up discussions can be done by telehealth. If you are not sure what kind of appointment you need, ask when you book.

Many men put off going to the doctor. Symptoms get ignored, and check-ups slip down the list. We want to make it easy to come in — no judgement, no lecture, just practical care.

What we can help with

• Heart health — blood pressure checks and a review of your overall heart health risk factors
• Prostate health — an open conversation about screening options, including the possible benefits and downsides, so you can make an informed choice
• General check-ups — a chance to review your health, your lifestyle and anything you have been putting off
• Mental health — stress, low mood and poor sleep are common and worth raising. See our mental health service for how we can support you.

When to book

You do not need to be sick to book. If it has been a while since your last visit, a general check-up is a good place to start. Ask for a long appointment if you have a few things to discuss — see our appointments page for how booking works.

We look after children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers. Children are always welcome here, and no worry is too small to bring in.

What we can help with

• Childhood illnesses such as fevers, coughs, ear infections, rashes and tummy upsets
• Growth and development checks for babies and young children
• Childhood immunisations
• School-age and teenage concerns, such as sleep, behaviour and mood

What to expect

For babies and young children, bring your child’s personal health record (the blue book) if you have it. It helps us keep track of growth and immunisations.

If you are not sure whether your child needs to be seen, you can call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free health advice, 24 hours a day. When in doubt, book an appointment — being worried is reason enough.

In an emergency — for example, if your child is struggling to breathe, is floppy, or is hard to wake — call 000 (Triple Zero) straight away.

Mental health is part of health, and your GP is a good place to start. Whatever you are dealing with — low mood, anxiety, stress, grief, sleep problems, or something you find hard to name — you can talk about it here, in confidence.

How we can support you

A first appointment is a conversation. The doctor listens, asks some questions and works with you on what might help. Together you may put together a mental health care plan — a Medicare-supported planning tool that sets out your goals and the support you will use. It can include referrals to other professionals, such as psychologists or psychiatrists. We keep seeing you along the way, review how things are going and adjust the plan with you.

These conversations need time. Please ask for a long appointment and let us know it is for mental health — you do not need to explain more than that. See our appointments page for how booking works.

If you need help now

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. For crisis support at any time of day or night, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For 24-hour health advice, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

A telehealth consultation is an appointment with the doctor by phone instead of in person. It can save you a trip when a physical examination is not needed, and it suits our home-care and residential patients well for reviews between visits.

What works well by telehealth

• Follow-up appointments for a condition we are already looking after
• Talking through test results
• Some prescription renewals
• Mental health conversations
• General health questions and advice

When to come in instead

Anything that needs a physical examination is better in person — for example, a new lump, ear or chest problems, injuries, immunisations and procedures. Unwell children are usually best seen in person too. Sometimes the doctor may ask you to come in after a telehealth call so you can be examined properly.

Booking and fees

Book a telehealth appointment through the practice in the same way as any other appointment, and ask what is available for your situation — see our appointments page. Fees for telehealth are listed on our fees page. Medicare support for telehealth depends on current rules, so ask us when you book or check Services Australia for details.