Ongoing Care and Blood Tests: a Doctor for Truganina
Point Cook Doctors runs a single clinic, and it is in Point Cook rather than Truganina. If you need a doctor near Truganina for a long-term condition, it is about 8 km away and you are welcome there.
Ongoing care means regular visits, so it helps that blood tests can be collected in the same building.
Route and distance
Truganina falls across the Melton and Wyndham council areas. From its centre, take Palmers Road and Ashcroft Avenue to Forsyth Road, then Boardwalk Boulevard. Expect roughly 9 minutes for the 8 km when traffic is outside peak times.
Managing a long-term condition
Conditions such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure need regular review. A GP can prepare a chronic condition management plan if your condition has lasted, or is likely to last, 6 months or longer, as Services Australia describes. With that plan you may be eligible for up to 5 Medicare-funded allied health services a calendar year, under the current rules. The chronic disease management page explains the process, and iron infusions are available for people whose low iron needs them.
Pathology onsite
Australian Clinical Labs runs a collection centre at the clinic:
- Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm
- Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm
- closed on Sundays and public holidays
Bring the request form from your doctor and your Medicare card. Weekday collection stops at 4pm, so plan around that if you work during the day. See pathology for more.
One trip instead of two
If your doctor asks for blood tests before your next review, have them taken at the collection centre in the days before, so the results are ready when you sit down with the GP. Results usually arrive by text, and urgent ones by a phone call. Reception cannot give results over the phone, so book a time to discuss them.
What to bring to a review
- all your medicines, or an up-to-date list
- any readings you keep at home, such as blood glucose or blood pressure
- letters from specialists you have seen since your last visit
- questions about side effects or changes you have noticed
Write down anything that has changed since the last visit, even if it seems unrelated, as it can matter for an ongoing condition.
Booking a doctor for Truganina: hours and costs
GP appointments run from 8am until 8pm through the week, 9am until 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 10am until 3pm on public holidays. With a valid Medicare card, standard consultations are bulk billed. To book online, choose a time that leaves room for collection if you need it, or call (03) 7300 7780.
Common questions
If I register with MyMedicare, where do I get my care plan?
Patients registered through MyMedicare need to have their GP chronic condition management plan and its reviews done through the practice where they are registered. Read about MyMedicare before choosing.
Can I see the same GP at every review?
Yes. Ask for that doctor by name each time you book. Seeing one GP makes it easier to notice changes over months and years.
Do I need an appointment for a blood test?
Bring the request form your doctor gave you to the collection centre during its hours. Your doctor will tell you if you need to fast, so ask if you are unsure.
Is the blood test bulk billed?
Services Australia notes that bulk billing can cover pathology tests when the provider chooses to bulk bill. The collection centre is run by Australian Clinical Labs, so ask them about any charge.
Can a review be done by phone?
Some can, if you have been seen in person in the past year. Phone consultations are not suitable when the doctor needs to examine you.
Good to know
Before your appointment
If you are a new patient, please arrive at least five minutes before your consultation and bring:
- Photo ID
- A valid Medicare card
Fees and billing
We offer bulk billing to all patients with a valid Medicare card for standard consultations. All procedures are subject to fees.