Our Services |
A matou ratonga

Our Doctors offer information and advice, dealing with a variety of concerns for women, starting from the early teenage years through to adulthood, including pregnancy, menopause, post­menopause, and beyond.

Child Immunisations
Post Partum check for mum, and baby’s six week check are booked with the GP together. Immunisations are booked with the nurse to follow.  Book with a Practice Nurse directly for all other childhood immunisations.  

School Immunisation Program
If this is missed during the school program, we can administer the necessary vaccination/s. Or if parents prefer to bring a child into the practice for their immunisations, they can book with a nurse.

Vaccinations and Pregnancy
If you are planning to become pregnant it is highly recommended to check which vaccinations you may need before you become pregnant. Whooping Cough vaccination is strongly recommended for all expecting parents and other adults such as grandparents who will be in close contact with a new baby. Newborns are at risk of serious complications if they contract whooping cough.  Pregnant women can have a free whooping cough vaccine from sixteen weeks. This provides optimal protection for new babies. The Flu/Influenza vaccine can also be given. 

Adult Vaccinations
Please note not all adult vaccines are funded. Some incur a cost and are only free to particular age groups or medical conditions. Immunisation is still relevant in adulthood as ongoing protection is required for preventable diseases. Even if vaccinations were given in childhood, adults may need booster doses to maintain immunity. There are a range of adult vaccines available at our practice.

List of Vaccines

• Whooping Cough (also known as Pertussis)
• Influenza/Flu
• Measles -Mumps-Rubella
• Chickenpox (also known as Varicella)
• Pneumococcal Disease
• Tetanus
• Diptheria
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• We offer the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule (now including HPV Virus) for all eligible children.
• Whooping Cough is funded for pregnant women from sixteen weeks and recommended (but not funded) for close family members i.e. partner, grandparents, and close family members.
• Tetanus boosters are recommended at 45 and 65 years of age or early in the case of dirty
• wounds.

Travel Vaccinations -Child and Adult
These need to be booked directly with your GP.

Travel related Diseases we can help you avoid:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Typhoid
• Meningococcal disease
• Rabies
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Tetanus, Diptheria + Polio
• Travellers Diarrhoea (Cholera)

We are a provider of community spirometry. This is a comprehensive test to ascertain lung function. To access this service you must be referred by your GP. A Practice Nurse/Health Care Assistant will perform your Spirometry test.

All of our clinical team are involved in the delivery of the sexual health service. It includes contraception, diagnosis, and treatment of STIs (sexually transmitted infections), cervical screening, management of erectile dysfunction, management of gynaecological health etc.

Our GP’s perform minor surgical procedures. These are carried out under local anaesthetic for your convenience and comfort. This requires a consultation with your GP and may result in a referral.

Some of the procedures we do:

• Removal of moles and skin lesions
• Removal of cysts and some skin cancers
• Cortisone injections
• Biopsies
• Cryotherapy (Liquid Nitrogen) is offered by GP’s and Practice Nurses.

Cardiac Risk Assessments (as per the Ministry of Health Guidelines) are available at Invercargill Medical Centre. This test will determine your risk of cardiac event or stroke within the next 5 years. These free assessments are based on age and cultural background. You’ll receive an invitation for your health check at the appropriate time for you. Also, Cardiac Rehabilitation is offered to people at risk of a cardiac event or post-cardiac events and surgery.

We do Diabetes Annual Reviews for people with an established diagnosis of Diabetes. This is free for patients enrolled at our practice between the ages of 15-79 years. This annual review assesses you for ongoing diabetes-related complications and for cardiovascular risk. As part of the diabetes service, we also provide an Insulin Initiation service.

Family history and symptoms such as weight loss/gain are an indicator of diabetes.  Diabetes is largely avoidable; we actively work with our patients to prevent the onset of diabetes.

Maintaining good health throughout a lifetime is one of the best ways to prevent disease from occurring in the body and enjoy quality of life as old age approaches. Our GP’s can help detect and treat disease early, to reduce the risk of a disease becoming serious, debilitating, or fatal.

Preventive health checks include:

General

• Annual check-ups for early detection of disease
• Non-funded smoking cessation advice
• Recommendations based on family medical history
• Skin Checks

Women

• Breast checks
• Cervical Smears/HPV Swabs
• Mammogram referrals

Men

• Prostate examination

If you feel as though things are not quite right with your mental health, your GP is usually the first port of call. Our GP’s are qualified to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health issues. Some of the symptoms and triggers of a mental health issue can include:

• Life Crisis
• Family conflicts
• Suicidal thoughts
• Trauma
• Psychosis
• Relationship problems
• Constantly feeling ‘down’
• Constant worrying
• Constant feelings of anger
  
  

Mental Health has a significant impact on all aspects of life, including thoughts, feelings, behaviour, interactions, relationships, and decision-making. Mental health illnesses include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, anorexia and bulimia.

What our GP’s can do
The aim of seeing a professional to help with your mental health is to resolve psychological problems and improve your quality of life through various coping strategies.

Mental Health Assessment

• Refer you to the Te Whatu Ora-funded Brief Intervention Service – Health Improvement Practitioner and Health Coach for adults and youths
• Refer you to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, other specialists or support group
• Prescribe medication
• Advise on positive lifestyle adjustments.

In 2023, there was a change to the way cervical cancer screening is done in Aotearoa NZ from the previous cervical smear test.

The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) test is now the primary screening test for cervical cancer. The new test looks for the virus (HPV) which is known to cause more than 95% of cervical cancers. The virus is very common and is spread by intimate skin to skin contact or sexual activity.

Most adults will have HPV at some time in their lives. Infections usually clear by themselves, but some types of the virus which persist can go on to cause cell changes that turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer is preventable if you have regular screening.

The test is available to all women between the ages of 25 and 69 years who have ever been sexually active, even if you have been immunised against HPV. The HPV test is simple, easy, less uncomfortable, and very reliable.

There are 2 options for you to the new HPV testing –

• A vaginal swab which you can do yourself (self – test even at home) or have this done in the clinic by the nurse or
• You can have a cervix smear test done by a clinic nurse
  
  

Ask your nurse about your cervical screening options or the take-home test kit and instructions. In some cases, your screening test is free of charge.