Posted in Health and Well Being

3 million Australians are living with anxiety or depression

And this number is probably growing by the second. We are living in the most uncertain times in living history and this is bringing up uncomfortable feelings for many in our community. It is well known that excessive stress negatively impacts our immunity; this is yet another reason for us to embrace effective stress management skills.

There has never been a better time to explore our vulnerabilities, our uncomfortable emotions and the courage that comes from being supported.

• Learn new skills.
• Develop new ways to cope, and support ourselves.
• Develop long term strategies for optimal mental health.
• Increase our self-esteem and self-compassion.
• Improve our productivity.
• Learn relaxation skills.

To support people and to help those affected harshly by this pandemic, Dr. Michelle Woolhouse is conducting a 6-week online group consultation relating to anxiety management.

Thorough exploration of the scientifically validated whole person approach to anxiety management.

• 7.5 hours of contact at a regular time each week.
• Maximum of 10 people only per course.
• Cutting-edge science and insight on the areas of the mindfulness, the body-brain, and self-compassion.
• Practical tools such as breathing exercises, and other mindfulness-based experiences.
• Experiential exercises including guided awareness practices such as body awareness and other awareness-based skills.
• Receive a recording of the guided meditations done throughout the course.

Next Course:

• Wednesday 9am -10.15am
• May 6th - June 10th 
• Via Zoom meetings
• Only 10 spots available
• You will be sent a zoom link, please arrive about 5 minutes before starting

Please note that there is no out of pocket fee for this program.  To book please call reception on 03 5986-4229

Many people ask us this. Shared care is when pregnant women chose to share their ante-natal care between an experienced GP and their chosen hospital. The benefits of using GP lead shared care is the opportunity to develop a long-lasting and warm relationship with a GP that takes you beyond the pregnancy into breastfeeding, postpartum care and not to mention making sure the baby's health is well looked after too and possibly even the Dad!

Dr Preveena Nair is a registered shared care GP associated with Frankston Obstetrics. Recently she had her second baby and is passionate about sharing the journey with her patients. She is known for her warmth and compassion and will support you through all of the twists and turns needed for a healthy and vibrant pregnancy journey.

There is no need to drive to un-necessary hospital visits, when you can receive some of your care in the quiet and safe practice of Whole Medicine.

For you safety and care: social distancing, including temperature checks, cleaning and triaging are all in operation at Whole Medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Skin cancer is the most common cause of cancer in this country, with our beautiful sunshine and gorgeous beaches, finding skin cancer is, unfortunately, more common than we all would like. Regular skin checks are becoming an essential part of our overall holistic health regime. Winter is the best time for a skin check because if you need any treatment, your skin will be healed in time for the summer. Many of us have to travel to Frankston to get our skin properly check, but now you have another option. Dr. David Parsons has a diploma in dermoscopy and has been practicing skin cancer medicine for over a decade. He has very fine surgical skills and combined with his calm and friendly nature he is the ideal GP to look after your skin and monitor any suspicious lesions. For a limited time during COVID-19 we are offering bulk billed skin checks with Dr. David Parsons.

Social isolation and strict triaging including temperature checks are in place at Whole Medicine - so we can access high quality medicine and stay safe.

There are a lot of mistruths circulating in the community at the moment and we thought that we should take this opportunity to support you in understanding the importance of optimising healthcare during this COVID-19 pandemic:

Firstly there is a myth that people needing healthcare should stay at home to avoid overloading the health system or contacting the virus in a clinic or hospital.

There is nothing further than the truth. It is very much encouraged and always has been, that people SHOULD NOT stop coming to see their GP. Stopping seeing your GP during a pandemic is a major concern.

Regular screening, prevention and treatment are all very much needed to keep the medical system going and minimise the enormous strain that may occur when this whole pandemic/social isolation program ends. Regular general practice will be under enormous strain when this all ends if we don't maintain our regular healthcare visits. This is especially true for all chronic disease management such as asthma, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, heart disease, diabetes, auto-immunity and cancer care to name a few. Never has there been a more important time to support your immune system by maximising chronic disease management and supporting overall holistic health principles.

In short: seeing the doctor for your chronic disease is very important, especially during this pandemic.

Some patients have interpreted the recommendation to stay home to mean that their chronic conditions don't need care or aren't a high priority and that monitoring with testing can wait. This is potentially risky, as good chronic disease control might make the difference between overcoming infection or becoming overwhelmed by it.

Patients with chronic disease should be attending for pathology tests and health monitoring, and care planning and review appointments with the nurse are also available.

Some people are anxious about attending their doctor because they think they can contract the virus from walking in open spaces in public to get to the clinic. Some people are fearful of leaving the house, while others fear that a clinic waiting room is a high risk. At Whole Medicine, our doors are locked, every person entering the building is triaged, their temperature is taken and social distancing is upheld at all times. This includes monitoring of the staff and GP's as well. Exposure to the virus is regarded as someone who has been in close face-face contact for over 15-30 minutes.

Given these systems are now in place, which includes:

• Triage online and by phone to separate outpatients who may have had contact with coronavirus patients, or who have had recent travel.
• Upper respiratory tract infections or fever, the likelihood of being in a room with a subclinical carrier is an incredibly low risk.

Patients should be reminded that healthcare can now be provided over the phone in many cases, which can provide comfort for those needing to remain in touch with their doctor but anxious about attending.

Telehealth is a timely innovation that GPs can use to prevent patients from falling behind in their care.

Call reception for further information 03 5986 4229.

We are here to support you through this, please don't hesitate to ask for help.

Firstly, we wish to acknowledge that we are very aware that many people are suffering from uncertainty, confusion, fear and social isolation at the moment and to all of you we send our warmest thoughts and best wishes.

Secondly, we would like to say a big thank you for all your support as a community. We have received so many kind wishes from people and gratitude for our service, which has been quite overwhelming. It is an honour to look after so many grateful people, who offer us all such respect during this challenging time. Australia is doing such a wonderful job of respecting each other and respecting the beauty of life for us all. I am particularly proud of what we have all achieved in all doing our part to flatten the curve.

Many people in the last few weeks have expressed guilt at making a normal medical appointment to see us, feeling like they are wasting our time or placing an unnecessary burden on our resources. Please, please, please be reassured, we are here for you, now more than ever. It is very important to us that we provide you with an even better service now. We have a lot of doctor and psychology availability at the moment and you are not wasting our time. This could be a great opportunity for some to start a new journey looking into health care for yourself, your family or your loved one or friend. Please don't hesitate to call us for all your normal medical needs. Our reception team will guide you through all the changes.

Below is an outline of our offering to our community throughout this pandemic:

• ALL Patients are now eligible for Telehealth under Medicare.
• Telehealth includes both video and/or telephone consultations.
• Telehealth can be done in your home or office or from your car in our car park.
• Medicare rebates apply to all telehealth consultations including all normal medical appointments, Care Plans, Mental Health Care Plans and Psychology and Dietetics Services.
• All those over 70 and under 16 years and those at high risk of COVID-19 are bulk-billed.
• Consultations done from the car park have the advantage that if you do require an examination or investigation this can be actioned at the time.
• Our reception team will conduct payment over the phone and your Medicare rebate will be automatically reimbursed into your chosen bank account.
• In the situation where an examination is deemed appropriate a follow-up appointment will be made.
• Care plans and care plan reviews are all bulk-billed. There is no out of pocket cost for you. These can be done in the comfort of your home. Our Nurse Heather will be calling you over the next few weeks to schedule a good time.
• All people suffering from upper respiratory symptoms, fever or flu-like illness or those with a travel or cruise ship history are consulted via telehealth only and are not seen in the clinic

Social-distancing is IMPORTANT to us:

• To minimize human contact and interaction we ask all those that need to be seen at the clinic to wait in their car before seeing your practitioner.
• Please call reception upon arrival to let us know you are here.
• Our waiting room is as much as possible a people-free zone.
• Our door is locked at all times at the moment to make sure this policy is strictly adhered to.
• For all supplement orders: please phone reception on 5986-4229 to order and to pay. You can nominate to pick it up or have it posted to your home.
• All people entering the clinic are to have their temperature recorded including staff daily.

Strict Cleaning and Sanitation is in place:

• All the practitioners and staff adhere to strict hand washing between every patient.
• A new cleaning roster has been devised and is activated throughout the day.
• We will reduce any potential environmental contamination by cleaning with agents that are effective against corona viruses, particularly COVID-19. We use agents with high levels of proven efficacy based on external advice.
• Hand sanitiser is available through-out the clinic for both staff and patient use.
• We only accept card at this time: no cash, please.

Recommendations as to how these precautions should be implemented are changing all the time and we will strive to provide an environment where we can continue to deliver the best possible patient care, while also looking after the health needs of our valued patients and staff members.