News
Bookings are now available online for COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 years starting January 2022
- We have very limited allocation of 50 doses per week
- We will open up only a few weeks in advance until we are certain that the supply is stable
- More clinics will open up mid January
- Please book both dose 1 and 2 at the same time (interval is 8 weeks)
Please note our online availability is accurate. If you are not able to secure a booking please check back again in a week.
The approved interval for a COVID-19 Booster dose has been reduced from 6 months to "from 5 months". This means that those at high risk of exposure can access a booster earlier than the expected 6 months. A few things to consider:
- This brings forward eligibility for over 4 million people however our vaccine stock will not arrive until after Christmas
- Our mass clinics are scheduled for mid-late January onwards- you can book an appointment here
- Patients wanting a booster before then can access one at your local pharmacy
- Any updates will be posted here and on our facebook page here
We are excited to bring you the latest news from RTH.
New doctor
We have a new practitioner joining our team. Dr Krishna Ghosh has worked in general practice for over 10 years and has a keen interest in Women’s health with a particular focus on perimenopause and menopause. She will be working 2 days a week and alternate Saturdays. Click here to book.
Return to face to face consultations
As COVID-19 restrictions have eased in the community, they also have at RTH. Face to face appointments can now be booked online without having a telehealth first. We do however strongly encourage you to utilize our convenient video appointment option wherever possible. This way we can minimize the number of patients in the building at any one time.. We thank you for your patience during this time. It is important we remain vigilant for symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms please do not attend the clinic. Telehealth appointments remain available and we encourage you to utilize this service- It remains the safest way to have a consultation with your doctor.
Skin checks
As we come into the summer months we wish to emphasize the importance of skin checks and sun safety. Dr George Marshall will be focusing specifically on Skin health in the coming months. Keep an eye on our website and facebook for further information. If you are at all concerned about a skin lesion or have never had a skin check before, book an appointment with one of our skin doctors today.
Booster doses- Pfizer
ATAGI have announced eligibility criteria to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination. Rozelle Total Health is committed to ensuring our patients have access to this.
Who is currently eligible?
- Patients who are 18 years and older and who received their second dose of any COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months ago.
- Severely immunocompromised patients who have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months ago.
Availability
We currently have availability on 25 November and 16 December. If you are booking in for a booster dose please ensure you are following the above guidelines. If you are unsure whether you’d like to receive a booster dose feel free to book an appointment with your regular GP to discuss.
Please note we will be opening up regular clinics in the new year commencing January 2022 when most of our patients will fall due. We will ensure that those who are wanting a booster dose are able to receive it here at RTH.
COVID-19 Vaccine- Children
We expect an announcement from ATAGI in the coming weeks relating to the approval of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 5 -11 years. Keep an eye out on our website and facebook page for updates. We will advise you when these clinics are available to be booked online.
Last but not least-Merry Christmas!
We may be jumping the gun slightly as it isn’t even December but Woolies have already put up their Christmas decorations a month ago so we thought we’d get in the spirit too.
What a year it has been! We want to thank you all for choosing RTH. We are honoured we were able to continue caring for our community during what was a very difficult year. We are very much looking forward to 2022 and all the new and exciting things we have planned for RTH.
Like you, we will take a much needed break to connect with our loved ones. We will be closed for all NSW public holidays. Otherwise we will remain open to look after you and yours. Our standard opening hours will vary over the holiday period. We will post these on our website and facebook page closer to the time.
We would like to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas. We hope you are able to connect with your family and friends over the break. Stay safe.
ATAGI have announced eligibility criteria to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine. Rozelle Total Health is commited to ensuring our patients have access to this.
Who is currently eligible?
- Patients who are 18 years and older and who have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months ago.
- Severely immunocompromised patients who have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months ago.
What does severely immunocompromised mean?
Patients with the following immunocompromising conditions:
- Blood-related cancers
- Recipients of a solid organ transplant with immunosuppresive therapy.
- Patients currently taking immunosuppressive medications
- Stem-cell transplant recipients
- Long term renal dialysis
Availability
We have opened up availability on the 25 November and 16 December. Please click this link to book and select COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic- BOOSTER DOSE- Pfizer
Please note we will be offering further clinics in January 2022.
Children turning 12
If your child is turning 12 in November or December we will contact you to offer an appointment at the appropriate time.
If you are unsure if you're eligible for a booster vaccine please book a telehealth consult with your regular GP here
Hi There,
We are now accepting bookings for patients seeking a second dose of Pfizer at RTH, while stocks last.
To date we have administered over 4000 COVID-19 vaccines since April 2021. We want to thank you all for coming forward to help protect our community. We understand that some of you may have accessed the vaccine elsewhere and are waiting longer than 21 days to receive your second dose of Pfizer. We would be happy to assist you in this regard and have availability in the next 2 weeks.
If you have had your 1st dose of Pfizer and are now due for your 2nd (3 weeks since your first dose) please follow this link and select the Second Dose Pfizer appointment type to book
Please note you MUST provide a copy of your vaccination certificate prior to your appointment. This is available via your medicare online app or website. If you do not provide us with a copy we will not be able to vaccinate you. This is a requirement of being a Government approved COVID-19 vaccine provider.
Please email a copy of your vaccination certificate to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the time of booking. We will update your file accordingly. Please also ensure that you complete the consent form as soon as possible. This will be sent to you in an email from HotDoc.
Let’s get the Inner West to 80% double vaxxed!
Thank you
The team at Rozelle Total Health
Rozelle Total Health wants to ensure you have the latest news and updates about the COVID Vaccines.
COVID Vaccination Update- July 2021- Pfizer
Rozelle Total Health has been selected by the government to provide our patients and community with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination. We will commence Pfizer vaccinations on 8 July 2021 in line with government regulations.
The following people are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine:
- All adults aged 40-59
- All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 to 59
- NDIS participants, and carers of NDIS participants, aged 16-39
- Temporary visa holders aged under 50 years who are currently in Australia and have been approved for return travel to Australia through the travel exemption process
- Quarantine and border workers under 60
- Health care workers under 60
- Aged care and disability care residents and staff under 60
- People aged 16-59 with an underlying medical condition or significant disability
- Critical and high risk workers aged 16-59 and over including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing.
- Individuals under 60 with an Australian Border Force outwards travel exemption in an eligible category
Only the eligible patients will be offered the Pfizer vaccination. If you are over the age of 60 years you are advised to have the AstraZeneca vaccine as per ATAGI guidelines. Your last chance to get your AZ vaccine at RTH is Sat 10 July, please book now to avoid disappointment. You will be directed to a vaccine hub after this date.
All patients who have had a first dose of AZ should continue with the second dose of AZ as per ATAGI advice
Important Points
Please confirm your eligibility here before booking an appointment
- Our appointment availability is limited by vaccine availability
- There is no waiting list. All appointments will be made available online as stock is delivered each fortnight. Bookings can be made here.
- These appointments will run to a strict time schedule. Please bring your valid Medicare card and/or other form of ID to your appointment and wear appropriate loose fitting clothing to allow us to access your left shoulder in a group setting. You will be vaccinated in groups of 5 people and be required to wait 15 minutes post vaccination to watch for any adverse reactions.
- You must book your second dose when you book your first. The interval for Pfizer is 3 weeks apart. You will automatically be directed to a date 3 weeks from your first dose appointment- please do not deviate from this.
- Your appointment is for the vaccination only. If you have any questions, concerns or are unsure if the vaccination is right for you, please call us on 02 9087 4600 or book an appointment via HotDoc with your regular GP on a day any time prior to your vaccination appointment. Please follow this link for up to date information about the vaccine.
- You will be required to complete a consent form. This will be sent to you via email from HotDoc once your appointments have been booked. You must complete this as soon as possible. You will not be vaccinated if this is incomplete.
At this time we request you do not call reception in relation to booking appointments. All appointments will be made available online. You may need to check back at a later date as more appointments become available. Keep an eye on our website and like us on Facebook for updated information.
We thank you for your patience whilst we manage and oversee this extensive and unprecedented immunisation roll out.
Rozelle Total Health
The ATGAI have released new recommendations regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine. You can read their statement here
The recommendation states those under the age of 60 years are to receive the Pfizer vaccine. At this stage the government has not yet supplied us with Pfizer. You will be notified via email if this changes. We continue to administer AstraZeneca.
We are in the process of contacting patients who are under 60 years who are booked in for their first dose of AstraZeneca. We will be cancelling these appointments as per the recommendation.
Please note the ATGAI have stated if you have already received your first dose of AstraZeneca it is advised that you also receive your second dose unless you’ve had a severe reaction.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
Rozelle Total Health
You will have heard that Australia has both the COVID vaccine and the Flu vaccine available at the same time. This is important for protecting ourselves and our community in 2021. The flu vaccine is not new and if you would like to read more on this year’s vaccine please check the information here
Our aim is to vaccinate as many patients as possible in the safest manner. We will only be able to vaccinate you when you are certain you are ready to have the Flu vaccine. If you are unsure or you have questions about the vaccine, please book an appointment to discuss this with your usual GP. If you are ready to book an appointment you can now do so online through HotDoc
The Federal Government provides Flu Vaccines at no cost to those who:
➢ Are aged between 6 months and 5 years, or 65 and older
➢ All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
➢ Pregnant women (at any stage)
➢ Heart conditions
➢ Chest or Lung conditions
➢ Neurological symptoms
➢ Diabetes type 1 and 2
➢ Kidney disease
➢ Long term aspirin treatment in children 6 months to 10 years of age
If you are not eligible for the government funded flu vaccine private vaccines are available at a cost of $20.
Thank you,
Rozelle Total Health
What causes abdominal bloating?
Contrary to what many people believe, bloating is not necessarily due to too much gas in the stomach. Researchers have performed studies on patients who feel bloated using CT scans, and shown that they often do not have any more gas in the belly than people who have no symptoms. Excessive gas production probably plays a part, but does not explain the whole picture.
Rozelle Total Health has been selected by the government to provide our patients and community with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination.
As of the 29th March, we will be a registered COVID-19 Vaccine clinic and we will commence vaccinations in line with government regulations.
Important points:
- We will commence COVID Vaccination clinics as of Wednesday 31st March 2021.
- The vaccination is free for patients with a valid Medicare card
- The first priority group (1b) is patients 70 yrs and older, patients with chronic/serious health conditions, Health care workers not in phase 1a and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 55 years old.
Only these patients are eligible for the vaccination at this stage. Others will be notified and vaccinated at a later date.
- At this stage we will be receiving only 50 doses per week for Phase 1B. We expect this number to increase.
- Initially we will be contacting our 80 + year old and most vulnerable patients first to book an appointment for the vaccine. Please do not call the surgery inquiring about where you are on the list as we can assure you we will get to you in due course. There is no waiting list.
- These appointments will run to a strict time schedule. Please bring your valid Medicare card and/or other form of ID to your appointment and wear appropriate clothing to allow us to access your left shoulder in a group setting. You will be vaccinated in groups of 5 people and be required to wait 15 minutes post vaccination to watch for any adverse reactions.
- Your appointment is for the vaccination only. If you have any questions, concerns or are hesitant about the vaccination, please call us on 02 9087 4600 or book an appointment online via HotDoc with your regular GP on a day any time prior to your vaccination appointment. Please continue to educate yourself about the vaccine by reading COVID-19 vaccination | healthdirect
At this time we request you do not call reception in relation to booking appointments. We will be accepting online bookings for the vaccine through HotDoc soon. Keep an eye on our website and like us on Facebook for updated information.
Your care is important to us and we are always striving to be of service to you. However, we do ask for your patience whilst we manage and oversee this extensive and unprecedented immunisation roll out.
Thank you,
Rozelle Total Health
We are pleased to advise that Rozelle Total Health has been approved to deliver COVID vaccinations to our community. The rollout will be staged as per the Dept of Health and we will be starting with the phase 1b.
Please note - We have not yet received any vaccination stock!
We are busy planning how best to deliver the vaccine to you safely and quickly so please do not phone us at this stage regarding vaccination. We will notify you as soon as we are ready to take bookings.
While you are waiting - we suggest you take the time to inform yourself about the vaccination, and check your eligibility, so you are ready to act when the time comes.
If you wish to discuss your personal circumstances, or need help deciding what is right for you, we recommend booking an appointment with your GP.
To stay up to date please visit us here on the website or follow us on facebook
Am I eligible for stage 1b vaccination? (click).
Click here for more information about Covid vaccination.
RTH is keeping a close eye on the upcoming release of a COVID vaccine. The indications are that approval of a vaccine is fast approaching and will start to become available in the first half of 2021.
The release of the vaccine will be completed in stages. The most vulnerable people will be vaccinated first. There will be guidelines which we will have to comply with. We continue to wait for further information from NSW Health.To receive updated information make sure you like us on Facebook. Please also share this message with anyone you know who might benefit from the information.Thank you for continuing to help stop the spread
Government changes to MBS funding for telehealth came into effect on 1 October 2020.
Rozelle Total Health continues to offer care to our patients both face to face and via telehealth. We are pleased to offer this choice so patients may elect to access care in the mode that best suits their circumstances. There are some clinical settings where a face to face appointment may be required to complete the assessment. There may also be circumstances where we request you do not attend a face to face appointment (eg you or your GP may be infectious) and you will be offered a telehealth consult.
We are pleased to advise that medicare rebates remain available for telehealth consultations provided the patient has been seen in person at the practice at least once in the preceding 12 months. Private fees are applicable to all consultation and we are not able to offer routine bulk billing. The government requirement to bulk bill certain patients due to COVID has been removed and the payments to GPs for doing so have ceased.
We are a privately billing practice and the fees remain the same for both face to face and telehealth consultations. Payment is required on the day of service. Where you start with a telehealth consult but are required to attend for a face to face review on the same day - you will only be charged once.
If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch with our service team.
Regards
Rozelle Total Health
BIG CHANGES to prescriptions are taking effect in the coming weeks. Scripts will be delivered by ‘token’ to your email or mobile phone! Please make sure we have your TOTALLY up to date details here:
www.hotdoc.com.au/forms/rozelle-total-health-new-patient-registration-form
At Rozelle Total Health we are working very hard to ensure we can continue to look after our patients in the face of COVID19.
The situation is rapidly evolving and recommendations are changing on a daily basis. We will do our best to keep you informed based on the information we receive through the trusted channels available to us.
Our commitment to you:
RTH will strive to meet the health needs of our patients and the community, whilst respecting the importance of public health recommendations and also keeping our team safe and functioning. We believe the best way to navigate this challenging situation is to work together. We will continue to innovate and find new ways to work with you.
We ask for your patience at this very busy time.
We have been inundated with patients requesting COVID19 screening swabs. We unable to offer routine swabbing at the practice.
The most common symptoms of coronavirus are fever, sore throat, dry cough and fatigue. Other symptoms can also include headaches, nasal congestion or a runny nose. Diarrhea and nausea have also been reported as symptoms but they are less common.
Patients who have symptoms and have recently traveled overseas, or have been in contact with a known case should call 1800 020 080 who may refer appropriate cases to a local COVID-19 testing clinic (nearest to our practice is RPA). Please note this is for patients who meet the criteria of a confirmed or suspected case.
If you have these symptoms and do not meet the case definition for COVID; have not travelled or had a known contact and are otherwise well and do not need emergency care –we recommend you stay home and rest as you would with seasonal flu.
If you feel you need to consult your GP please call the reception team who will discuss how we can best care for you.
Finally - we are unable to swab patients simply because it has been requested by their workplace. This is not appropriate as per Public Health guidelines and can be falsely reassuring. If you are unwell you should not attend work. If you fit the case definition of COVID risk – you should attend the RPA clinic as above.
For advice about corona virus please call 1800 020 080. In an Emergency please dial 000 and request an ambulance.
Disclaimer: This advice is general and does not constitute personal medical advice.