New GP Chronic Condition Management Plans (‘Care Plans’)

Your GP at Blackburn Clinic can now provide Care Plans — with no out-of-pocket costs. These appointments are bulk billed directly to Medicare, making long-term care more accessible and affordable.

This new Care Plan is all about comprehensive, ongoing support for people living with chronic health conditions. The goal is to provide structured, long-term care that helps maximise your health outcomes and keeps your care consistent and well-coordinated.

What does this mean for you?

• You can see your regular GP as often as every 3 months specifically to review and manage your chronic condition
• These care-plan review visits are bulk billed, so there’s no cost to you
• Your GP can take the time to monitor progress, adjust treatment, and support your long-term health goals

Who may be eligible?

Care Plans are available for many long-term conditions, including:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Mental health conditions
• Chronic muscle and joint problems
• Stroke
• Neurological conditions including dementia
• And many other ongoing health conditions

If you need to see your GP for other medical issues, or if visits regarding your chronic condition are more frequent than every 3 months, those appointments will be billed at your GP’s usual rates.

If you live with a chronic condition and would benefit from regular, structured care, ask your GP if a Care Plan is right for you.

Care Plan Reviews – Medicare will only allow a bulk billed Care Plan review if at least 90 days has elapsed since the previous care planning service occurred. Please speak with the reception team to ensure your reviews are booked in the eligible time frame. Medicare will only pay a rebate for Care Plan services that are face-to-face or by Video (not via telephone).

Your GP and the Blackburn Clinic reception, nursing and admin teams are here to support you every step of the way.

Flu Vaccinations

Flu vaccines are still available. As specialised Flu Clinics for 2026 are finished, please phone the clinic on 9875 1123 to book.

The GP will check your eligibility and offer a Covid booster at this visit if appropriate.

The Department of Health 2026 flu season advice is below.

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all people aged 6 months and over, but only the categories below are eligible for free influenza vaccines under the National Immunisation Program (NIP):

• ages 6 months to less than 5 years
• ages 65 years and above
• pregnant women (during any stage of pregnancy)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and above
• people who have certain medical conditions which increase the risk of influenza disease complications (cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, chronic neurological conditions, immunocompromising conditions, chronic metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease, haematological disorders, and children aged 5 to 10 years taking long-term aspirin therapy).

The General Practitioners who consult from Blackburn Clinic have decided that ‘Flu Clinic’ consultations (which do not address anything other than the flu vaccine) will be billed to Medicare.  If you have your flu vaccine as part of a normal consultation with your regular doctor, normal consultation fees will apply.

If you are not eligible for a free Government flu vaccine, the vaccine will cost $20.

Nasal flu vaccine for children

Used by millions of children overseas for over 20 years, the intranasal flu vaccine  is now approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia. 

It is available as an option for children aged 2 to 17 and costs $55 (incl GST).

The injectable flu vaccine continues to be available and is free for children aged 6 months to 5 years and those with qualifying conditions. Outside this group, the injection costs $20 (incl GST).

The nasal flu vaccine is administered by a GP, nurse, or an accredited pharmacist, as a gentle spray into each nostril, rather than an injection into the arm.

It is considered as safe and as effective as the injection, with side effects of a runny or blocked nose, headache and mild tiredness observed at times.

Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis are extremely rare. The nasal flu vaccine is a live vaccine and so cannot be administered to immunocompromised patients.

Parents can choose either option at the time of the flu consultation. 

Protecting your children from flu is very important. More than one in three flu cases occur in children under 15 years of age, with children under 5 particularly vulnerable.

Most patients should have their skin checked by their GP yearly. All doctors are very experienced at assessing skin spots, and have access to the equipment needed. By booking a Skin Check Appointment, you will ensure that the doctor has time set aside specifically for this. If your doctor recommends further investigation, there are Theatre facilities on-site suitable for biopsies and excisions.
Click here for the Skin Cancer Check INFORMATION SHEET

Click here to view the UV levels in Melbourne today using the SunSmart widget provided by the Cancer Council Victoria.

UV radiation cannot be seen or felt. It is not like the sun’s light which we see, or the sun’s warmth (infrared radiation) which we feel. This means it can be damaging to our skin without us knowing.

The free SunSmart widget takes away the guesswork when it comes to knowing UV levels. It uses forecast information from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and live UV data from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to provide sun protection times for more than 600 locations across Australia.