A patient portal is a secure online tool provided by GP practices that can allow convenient access to your health information as well as interaction with the practice e.g. booking appointments and requesting repeat prescriptions. We have a patient portal - The Doctors App Instructions are available on our website how to download the App Through the App you can book appointments, request prescriptions and check test results. Enrolled patients can also book appointments through our website You will need to register to use the portal and you may need to call the surgery (ph: 579 6953) to check your details are correct in our system to allow access. Website - The Doctors Mt Wellington medical centre & GP services

Primary care practices offer a range of services and are able to deal with most minor accident care. If they are not able to deal with an injury they will refer on to the appropriate service.

Your GP's surgery is far more than a place to go when you are feeling unwell and needing a quick cure. The doctor who sees you has gone through an extensive medical training to equip her or him to help children and adults of all ages with a range of physical and emotional difficulties. GPs are at the centre of the healthcare hub and will be aware of services and expertise that are available locally and further-a-field. GPs are also aware of the link that stress and unhappy life events have on physical health so know when to suggest a talking therapy rather than medication.

Minor surgery is commonly provided in primary care practices, providing fast, competent removal and biopsies of skin lesions. Other services include cosmetic work such as removal of benign moles and skin tags. Ingrown toenail surgery is also commonly provided. These conditions do not need to be referred to a hospital, perhaps saving you a long wait or a cancelled appointment when a more serious case takes priority. Fees for minor surgery usually start at $250.00 and increase from this price depending on the type and amount of surgery required. The fee is set by the doctor and can be discussed at the pre surgery appointment.

Each GP surgery or primary care practice will have its own procedure for repeat prescribing but the following rules are common to most, if not all. Patients who are well-known to the practice who have a stable condition like asthma, hypertension or diabetes could be allowed to get a repeat prescription for up to six months. Repeat prescriptions are never given to patients who are not known to the practice and there is probably a blanket ban on repeats for narcotics and other drugs that could be misused as doctors are expected to monitor these drugs carefully. How to order a repeat prescription: · Regular medication can be requested through the patient portal - The Doctors App · Phone the medical centre and request your medication with the Receptionist. · Send us an email with the medication needed – info@mw.thedoctors.co.nz Prescriptions can be collected from our reception or sent directly to the pharmacy. If you are wanting your prescription sent to a pharmacy, we must have the full and correct name of the pharmacy. 24 hours notice is required for a prescription to be processed. Cost - $25.00 per prescription - collect or sent to the pharmacy. Urgent prescriptions will incur additional fees. Please note: · Prescription requests are at the discretion of the doctor and you may be asked to book an appointment to see your GP if a repeat prescription is not appropriate. · If money is owing on your account, we ask that you settle this prior to requesting a repeat prescription. However, we do understand there maybe circumstances where this is not possible, so please call us and we can discuss the options with you.

Sometimes your doctor needs to take a sample of blood or urine either to discover what is wrong with you or to measure something in your blood so that the right medication is given to you. These tests could be anything from blood sugar to a full blood count or a sample of tissue to test for cancer. While urine can generally be tested in the surgery, blood and other specimens are usually sent away for testing at a laboratory. Most results come back within 48 hours unless a very rare test is needed which has to go to a specialist lab further away when it might take a little longer. Patients can obtain their results: • Most results once checked by the doctor will be available on the patient portal – The Doctors App • Please call and ask for your results from the Practice Nurse Please note that due to the Privacy Act we are only able to give results to the patient who underwent the tests. We are unable to give results out to any other family member unless it is for a child under the age of 16 years, or if prior consent has been given.

If a man decides he does not want to father children, he may choose to have a vasectomy which is a simple and effective method of sterilisation. During this surgical procedure, the vas deferens (the tubes carrying sperm from the testicles to the penis) are cut. A vasectomy can be carried out in a doctor's surgery and takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Dr Loos carries out vasectomy procedures using the "no scalpel" method. A vasectomy involves 3 appointments: Pre vasectomy counselling appointment. Approximately 15-20 minutes. Cost: $100.00. Vasectomy procedure. Approx 45-60 mins. Cost: $450.00. Post operative follow up appointment. Approx 15 minutes. Cost: no charge. Total cost : $550.00

Liquid nitrogen is a fast, effective treatment provided in many practices to treat viral warts, sun damaged skin, skin tags and many benign cosmetic lesions. It comes in a container with a nozzle and is usually applied by swab or spray. Often one treatment is all that is needed but sometimes it may need repeating after two weeks. Because it cannot be stored for too long, you will often find that your GP will treat a number of patients one after the other. For more information click here. Liquid Nitrogen is available every day and is administered by the doctor. Cost: $15.00 This is in addition to usual consultation fee.

LARC methods are very effective at preventing unplanned pregnancy and are “fit and forget” forms of contraception – you don’t need to remember them every day or every month. LARC methods: Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCD or IUD) are inserted through the cervix into a woman’s uterus. IUCDs may be either hormonal (Mirena® or Jaydess® ) or non-hormonal (copper IUCD). Jadelle® is a hormone-releasing implant that is inserted just under the skin of the upper arm. Depending on the type of device, it will need to be changed after between three and ten years. Read more about LARC methods here Cost: $150.00 This is in addition to usual consultation fee.

All women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 who have ever had intimate skin-to-skin contact or been sexually active should have regular cervical screening. This includes women who have been immunised against HPV. Together, regular screening and HPV immunisation provide the best protection against cervical cancer. There are now more options for how you have cervical screening done: a simple vaginal swab test for HPV, either done yourself or with help from a healthcare professional a cervical sample taken by a healthcare professional (used to be known as a smear test). Talk with your healthcare provider to decide which option is best for you. If HPV is found, you may need to have a follow-up test or be referred directly for colposcopy. If you’ve not yet had HPV testing, you should be screened 3 years after your last test (or 1 year if immune deficient). Once you have had an HPV test, and providing HPV is not found, your next screening will be in 5 years (or 3 years if immune deficient). For more information: Cervical screening | Time to Screen - National Screening Unit All smears taken now use the Thin Prep system. Cost: $10.00. This is in addition to usual consultation fee if done by the doctor. Smears can also be done with our Practice Nurse on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. A nurse smear is $30.00.

An ECG is a recording of your heart's electrical activity. Electrode patches are attached to your skin to measure the electrical impulses given off by your heart. The result is a trace that can be read by a doctor. It can give information of previous heart attacks or problems with the heart rhythm. Cost: $35.00 This is in addition to usual consultation fee.

Another service offered to you at your GP surgery (primary care practice) is advice and immunisation before you go to another country. While you are likely to have the immunisations needed to live in New Zealand, there may be other injections you need to protect yourself before going for example to Africa or South America. In some places you will need protection from rabies or malaria. Yellow fever vaccinations are only available at approved centres; please click here to view the centres in New Zealand. Your doctor will be able to tell you what diseases you will need to be protected from in any named country and advise you on other medical matters.

All New Zealand children are entitled to 11 free health checks from birth to three years. The checks aim to ensure that children are growing and developing as well as possible. Included in the checks are clinical assessment, health education and family/whanau support. Baby checks are at birth and then at 24 hours, five days and around 2-4 weeks. Babies are weighed and measured to ensure that they are developing correctly. These sessions provide a great opportunity for parents to ask questions from an expert and have any problem addressed; difficulties with breastfeeding or sleep for example. They can also be used to discuss immunisations and vaccinations. These checks will be carried out by your lead maternity carer (LMC). Between the ages of 4-6 weeks and three years, there are seven core health checks available, typically these are around 4-6 weeks, 8-10 weeks, 3-4 months, 5-7 months, 9-12 months, 15-18 months and 2-3 years. These checks may be carried out by a Well Child Provider of your choice e.g. Plunket, Maori health provider, community nurse, a general practice team (doctor and practice nurse). Your LMC will be able to give you a list of Well Child Providers in your area. More information about Well Child services is available on the Ministry of Health website.

A virtual consultation is a way of having an appointment with your healthcare provider, but not in person. This is usually done via a video app or a phone call. For more detailed information about telehealth consultations, please see the guide from Healthify. Our doctors can provide telehealth consultations - both virtual and phone consults. These appointments are booked in the same way as an in-person appointment. The fee is the same as our normal consultation charges.