Berwick Medical Centre

Community  immunity  protects   those  members of the community  who cannot or  have  not  already been vaccinated  - like the  immunocompromised  with serious other illness like cancer  or dialysis, old age debility , those undergoing  chemotherapy and  new borns  not  yet vaccinated. To achieve community immunity  at least   92% of the community need to be vaccinated. Potentially  life threatening diseases that  are  vaccinated against in Australia are: Diptheria , Whooping  cough , Tetanus , Poliomyelitis, Measles, gastroeneteritis from Rotavirus.and chickenpox Additionally  significant  diseases  like  cancer of the cervix, meningococcal infection, hepatitis B  pnemococcal disease are  also  vaccinated through  school  and  retired ...read more

“ use  it  or lose it  “  is  a useful adage  to remember  for  osteoarthritis  especially of weight  bearing  joints. Weight  reduction of   5% in  20  weeks  is a  worthwhile  goal to aspire  to with  real benefits remembering that for every 1 kgm  weight loss  there is a 4kgm reduction in pressure  on the major  weight  bearing  joints of the leg  like the knee. Regular Exercise   reduces  pain and maintains or  improves  joint function. Balance training  reduces   the  likelihood  of falls  and  enhances  joint movement. Active  aerobic  exercise  should be  done  for   30 mins / day – most  days at...read more

Lifestyle  modification   is the  mainstay of  treatment of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and generally achieves around   5% weight loss and  should be maintained  for at least 2 years preferably 3 years to be considered sustained and permanent. It  is  best  if this weight loss is  apparent in a  reduction in waist  circumference  - less than 94 cm for  men and 80 cm for women  or  waist / hip ratio that is sustained. These  measurements reflect  the  fat load on central blood vessels. Three  forms of bariatric    weight  reduction surgery are available in Australia. Laparascopic   gastric  band, gastric sleeve  and   gastric...read more

Previous  pap smear testing which was based  on looking  for  abnormal cervical cells derived  by  smear  test taken intravaginally has been replaced with routine  HPV ( human papilloma virus ) screening  combined with  liquid  based screening  of  cervical cells derived by intravaginal brush sampling where  indicated. Routine  testing  is recommended from age  25-74 at  5  yearly intervals if there is  no indication  for more  frequent  testing  such as  a previous abnormality or  recall. The  screening  is now  based  on testing for the presence  of high risk  HPV viral types which has been researched to be  a more sensitive test. If...read more

A 2017  UK  study showed that  with high levels of continuity of care  resulted in 12.49% fewer  hospital admissions and in Holland  low levels of continuity of care was associated with increased  mortality. Traditionally high levels of continuity of care have  usually been with  a particular GP but similar  benefits at  lesser level  seem to be associated with the same group of practitioners in the same practice possibly due to shared long term  records.