Menopause by Remuera Doctors

2024 flu (influenza) vaccines are now available at Remuera & Mission Bay Doctors, along with the updated COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer XBB.1.5. Vaccination is the best way to boost your immune system, and to protect vulnerable people in our community. Free flu vaccines are available from 2 April to 31 December 2024. STANDARD FLU VACCINE The 2024 standard flu vaccine is called INFLUVAC. This is FREE for patients who meet funding criteria. For patients who do not meet funding criteria, the cost is $35. INFLUVAC will be available from 2 April 2024. ADVANCED FLU VACCINES FLUCELVAX QUAD is available for patients aged 6 months and over. This is an advanced flu vaccine with up to 19% improved efficacy versus the standard flu vaccine. The cost is $45. FLUAD QUAD is available for patients aged 65 years and over. This vaccine has been shown to provide an enhanced immune response with longer-lasting protection. The cost is $55. For more details about the 2024 flu vaccines, see the immune.org.nz website UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABLE The updated COVID-19, Pfizer XBB.1.5, vaccine is available at Mission Bay Doctors, and coming soon to Remuera Doctors. This vaccine will help protect people from becoming seriously ill from newer strains of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, and it replaces older versions of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The latest information about COVID-19 vaccines is available here.

“Sore throat or ears, chest infection, UTI? Our prescribing nurses can diagnose and treat.” Our highly trained nurses hold additional qualifications that permit them to see patients for a range of medical conditions and prescribe medications for treatment. A nurse appointment may be sufficient when you or a family member is suffering from seasonal illness like cough and cold symptoms, sore throat, sinusitis, painful ears and ear infections, skin infections, eczema, headlice, conjunctivitis, mastitis, STIs, UTIs (female only), if you’re seeking advice about contraception, or need help with quitting smoking. If you’re unsure, ask our reception team whether your appointment needs to be made with a doctor or a nurse.

“A person is a person no matter how small” - Dr Seuss As a family medical practice, we welcome babies and children. Our first contact with your newborn is often for the six-week check, a detailed examination and discussion about health – your baby’s and yours too. We measure and weigh your baby, beginning a record of growth and weight gain that we add to over the following months and years. Your baby will also receive six-week vaccinations, the first in a series of childhood immunisations which protect against serious illnesses. As a parent, you’re always welcome to see us if you have feeding or developmental concerns, and of course, we will always see a sick child as quickly as possible. Even if an appointment is not available, we will fit urgent cases into our schedule. As your child grows into adolescence there may be physical or mental health concerns which we can help you manage. Our long record of caring for families makes us competent and confident about what we offer; however, we always refer our patients to specialist care when appropriate.

Our aim is to empower you to manage your own health throughout your life. This process starts with individualised patient risk assessment, and a plan for proactive screening and care. Cardiovascular (CVD) and stroke risk, mental wellbeing, skin checks, bowel screening, breast screening and mammograms, cervical screening, and prostate screening are recommended to help prevent the development of serious illness. As well as utilising these valuable tools, along with age-appropriate vaccinations, we’ll work with you to address personal, individual health concerns. Our team will proactively remind you when you are due for an investigation or checkup. These are important to maintain your wellbeing and to monitor progression of existing medical conditions.

Our nurses and doctors are always here to discuss sexual health and contraceptive advice, including emergency contraception. The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) continues to be one of the safest contraceptives, preventing unplanned pregnancy and causing only minor, if any, side effects for most women. Mission Bay Doctors also offers insertion of long-acting contraceptives, including the copper and Mirena intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCD) and the implant Jadelle.

Hormonal changes which accompany menopause can cause significant symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, decreased libido, depression, anxiety, and a dry, painful vagina. But menopause is also a milestone in the healthspan of every woman. We work alongside our patients, helping to make it a time to look positively at overall health, and ways you can enjoy and sustain a high quality of life.

Early detection of melanoma and other skin cancer is the most important aspect of its management. Our specialist GPs offer full skin checks (dermoscopy). If your doctor finds a skin cancer, or a precancerous lesion, we can treat it on-site with cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen), topical creams, or an excision. Skin excisions are minor surgery, performed using local anaesthetic. Our nurses provide follow-up wound care and you’ll be recalled for regular skin screening.

We recommend you plan for safe and healthy overseas travel. Begin by booking a travel consultation with your doctor six to eight weeks before you set off. We’ll look at your immunisation record and ask you where you’re going. Provide us with as much information as you can, then we’ll be able to give you relevant, detailed advice. Here’s a short checklist of helpful points to cover with your doctor: · Where are you going and for how long? · Will you travel through both urban and rural areas? · What type of accommodation will you stay in? · What activities are you planning? Your doctor will advise you about the vaccinations you need. Some travel vaccines are given over a number of doses, so it’s helpful to start them well ahead of your travel date. See our reception team to book vaccination appointments with our nurses. We can also suggest reputable online resources for you to learn other valuable pre-travel information. Know about risks or health alert updates for your intended destinations, whether you’ll need water purification tablets, details you might need to check about the cover provided by your travel insurance policy, what to do if you’re visiting a place where altitude sickness can occur.

“There is no health without mental health” At Remuera Doctors we want to keep you well. Rather than only treating illness, we aim to ensure your continued physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. In addition to seeing your GP, our nurse, Sonya Lee, offers weekly one-on-one clinics specifically for youth and adult mental health support. She holds a Mental Health and Addiction in Primary Care credential, working with each of our GPs in situations where it is appropriate, to help patients who are dealing with problems including depression, anxiety, addiction, self-harm, and eating disorders.

Call us to book a nurse appointment for a dressing change, suture removal, liquid nitrogen treatment, an injection, a cervical smear, or a blood pressure check. Our nurses liaise closely with our doctors at all times. A quick call to our nurses will clarify anything you’re uncertain about. Our practice does not contact patients when test results are normal. But if you have an abnormal test result, for a cervical smear or a blood test for example, our nurses will contact you as quickly as possible. Through MyIndici, your online medical record, you will be able to view your own test results once they’ve been seen by your doctor.

For your convenience we offer video and phone consultations with all our doctors and nurses. You can book by calling reception or by using MyIndici, your online medical record.