Like last year, the Free Government flu vaccine in 2018 is a Quadrivalent vaccine for patients under the age of 65.  This vaccine is also available privately at Blackburn Clinic for patients who are not eligible for the Free Government vaccine.

There is a new boosted/stronger Free Government flu vaccine for patients aged 65 years and over.

When there is sufficient patient demand we run special Flu Clinics, and at other times you can book for a flu vaccine with your regular doctor.

We recommend patients phone for a Flu appointment, so that staff can identify that the appointment is for a Flu vaccine.

COSTS

Private Quadrivalent flu vaccine = $20 (incl. GST) plus Consultation fee^^

^^If you attend a Flu Clinic, the Consultation will be bulk billed.  Flu Clinic appointments do not address anything other than your flu vaccine.  If you have your flu vaccine as part of a normal consultation with your regular doctor, consultation fees will be the doctor’s discretion.

If you are eligible for a Free Government flu vaccine, and attend a Flu Clinic, there is no cost to you.

Eligibility criteria for free government supplied seasonal influenza vaccine#

# Source:  https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/immunisation/vaccine-order-and-stock/seasonal-flu-vaccine
•    People who are 65 years of age and over
•    Pregnant women at any time during their pregnancy
•    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months to under five years and 15 years and older
•    Any person 6 months of age and older with a chronic condition placing them at increased risk of complications from influenza
–   New eligible group for 2018 – all children from 6 months of age, to under 5 years of age.

Terence joined Blackburn Clinic in February 2017, and loves the variety that General Practice work provides.  A keen traveller, a former physiotherapist, loves Thai food – Click on “Spring 2017 Newsletter” to read the full story.

This article details the five steps of booking an appointment online, with pictures to guide you through the process.

Online bookings are open to existing patients only – New patients, and patients who have recently received a new Medicare card, or have not attended the clinic for a few years may need to phone us for an appointment.

If you have never tried to book an appointment at Blackburn Clinic via the internet, or have had difficulties doing so in the past, this article is here to help.

Remember, only some of our appointments are available online – please phone the clinic if you cannot find a suitable timeslot online, as we may be able to help you over the phone.  If you need a LONG consultation you will need to phone the clinic to book.

Patients love our online booking function – if you wake up in the middle of the night and know that you will be too sick to go to work that day, there is no need to wait for us to turn the phones on at 8:00am, just jump online to book, set your alarm in time for your appointment and go back to bed!

Click HERE to read the article.

Working Part-time as a GP and being a full-time mum is a juggling act.  Click here to read the article.

Maree Plucinski, Division 1 Registered Nurse at Blackburn Clinic:

“When I started in 1980 there were only 6 doctors at Blackburn Clinic.  We used paper records and were located in an old house on the current site, but we’ve always had a Practice Manager and Division 1 Registered Nurses.  In 1992 we moved into the newly erected current building, accreditation was introduced in 1998 and we were one of the first clinics to participate and pass, and in 2002 we started using computer records.  Now almost everything is on computers.”

Please view our Summer 2016-2017 Newsletter for the full article.