Our outreach service

Whether you’re managing a long-term condition, need help at home, or require palliative care, our team is dedicated to making your health journey as comfortable as possible. We understand the unique needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and families providing care, and we’re here to listen and help every step of the way. You’re not just a patient to us – you’re part of our community, and we’re committed to providing care that truly makes a difference.

Your care team

At Next Practice Deakin, we provide care through a team-based approach designed to meet your unique needs with flexibility, compassion, and expertise. Your care will be overseen by a General Practitioner (GP), who works closely with a dedicated team of health professionals to ensure the right care at the right time, striking a balance between continuity and responsiveness. Each member of the team brings specialised skills to support your health and well-being, working together to deliver the best possible care.

• Nurse Practitioners: Highly skilled professionals who can assess, diagnose, and manage your health concerns, including prescribing medications and developing care plans.
• Registered Nurses: Provide hands-on care, support with chronic disease management, health assessments, wound care, and immunisations, ensuring you stay on track with your health goals.
• Practice Pharmacist: Reviews and optimises your medications, ensuring they are safe, effective, and tailored to your needs.
• Dietitian: Provides personalised nutrition advice and tailored meal plans to support your overall health and address specific conditions.
• Physiotherapist: Focuses on improving movement, strength, and function, whether you’re recovering from an injury or managing a long-term condition.
• Social Worker: Provides emotional and practical support, connecting you with community resources and helping navigate life’s challenges.
• Accredited Mental Health Social Worker: Offers specialised care for mental health concerns, including counselling and therapy.
• Oral Hygienist: Ensures your oral health is part of your overall care, supporting preventative and ongoing dental health.
• Geriatrician: Provides expert care for older adults, addressing complex health needs and helping to maintain independence and quality of life.

This integrated, flexible approach enables us to adapt to your evolving needs, ensuring you receive the right care from the right professional at the right time. When necessary, we collaborate with other specialists and services in the broader healthcare neighbourhood to provide seamless, comprehensive care. Together, we are here to support your health journey with kindness, expertise, and agility.

Requesting care

Accessing care at Next Practice Deakin is designed to be simple and convenient, tailored to meet your needs. You can contact us by phoning the clinic to discuss your care requirements and schedule appointments. For those living in residential aged care homes, care and reviews are often requested by the care home’s registered nurses. To ensure smooth communication and effective scheduling, we have an online communication system in place with each nursing home, making it easier to coordinate and plan care. The online communication forms are reviewed usually by the overseeing GP with advice given back to the nursing homes or if a review is needed it is scheduled with the most appropriate member of the team.

Due to the nature of our outreach program, we aim to be as responsive as possible but cannot provide exact time slots for visits. Instead, we offer time bands or ranges to give you an idea of when to expect us, while allowing the flexibility needed to respond to urgent care needs. We’re committed to working with you, your family, and your carers to ensure that accessing care is as seamless and supportive as possible.

Our fees

At Next Practice Deakin, we strive to make our fees clear and transparent. For patients registered with us under the MyMedicare program and who hold a concession card, we bulk bill all attendances for our outreach program, meaning no out-of-pocket costs for you. For those not registered with us under MyMedicare, a private fee applies, which includes a fixed gap.

Please note that for non-rebatable services and procedures, private fees will apply. Full details of our fees are available on our website, where you can find up-to-date information on costs and billing. If you have any specific questions about our fees or payment options, our operational management team is happy to assist. You can reach out to them via our general email address or by calling us. We’re here to help clarify any concerns and ensure you feel supported in managing your care.

Prescriptions

For residents in Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs) who receive medications through the contracted pharmacy, we utilise electronic medication charts to streamline the process. These electronic charts serve as both medication records and prescriptions, facilitating the effective management and dispensing of medications. For more information about electronic medication charts, you can visit the eNRMC website.

If you prefer to use an alternative pharmacy or if you do not reside in residential aged care, we are happy to work with you and them to ensure your medication needs are met. In such cases, a prescription would require a consultation with the GP or NP, which can be conducted face-to-face or via telehealth. These consultations are bulk-billed for patients registered under MyMedicare. Suppose the need for a prescription is more urgent, and a consultation isn’t possible. In that case, we may be able to issue a script without seeing the patient, provided it is clinically appropriate. This service, however, will attract a private fee.

Our goal is to ensure that medication management is as seamless and accessible as possible while maintaining high-quality, patient-centred care.

We recommend registering with Active Script Lists, which the pharmacy can assist with.

Referrals to specialists

If you need a referral to a specialist, this requires an appointment with one of our clinicians, either a GP or a Nurse Practitioner. Referrals cannot be backdated; therefore, it’s essential to schedule an appointment in advance. These appointments can be conducted face-to-face or via telehealth, and where appropriate, they will be bulk-billed. If a more urgent referral is required and an appointment cannot be organised in time, you can request a referral through our private services portal. Please note that fees apply for this service. For more information or to access the portal, visit Private Services Portal. Our team is here to help ensure you receive the care and support your need in a timely way.

General Practice in Aged Care Incentive

The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) is a new national program, launched on 1 July 2024, that rewards registered GPs and their practices for providing regular, proactive care to residents of aged‑care homes. By encouraging routine in-person reviews, comprehensive care planning, and timely follow-up, the GPACI aims to strengthen continuity of care and reduce avoidable hospital transfers for some of Australia’s most vulnerable patients.

Medication Reviews

A Home Medicines Review (HMR) or Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) is a friendly check‑up of all the medicines you take—prescription, over‑the‑counter and herbal. An accredited pharmacist works with your GP to visit you (or your aged‑care home), talk through how you use each medicine, make sure they all work well together, and suggest any changes that could improve your health or make things simpler. Afterwards, your GP discusses the recommendations with you and updates your plan so you can keep getting the best results from your medicines, safely and confidently.

Health Assessment

A comprehensive health assessment—sometimes called a Comprehensive Medical Assessment (CMA) for people living in residential aged‑care, or a Health Assessment for those in the community—is a head‑to‑toe check‑up that looks beyond any single illness. During an extended appointment, the practice nurse reviews your medical history, medications, lifestyle, and preventive care needs; performs or organises relevant examinations and tests; and discusses your personal goals and concerns. The findings are then written into a clear plan that sets out recommended follow‑up, referrals, and actions to keep you as healthy, independent, and active as possible. This whole‑of‑person review helps pick up issues early, streamlines care, and ensures that you—and anyone who supports you—understand the next steps.

Care Plan

A personalised care plan brings your GP, nurses, specialists, and allied health providers onto the same page by setting out your health goals, treatments, and follow-up in one clear document. If a plan already exists—such as one organised by your residential-aged-care home or hospital—your GP can make a formal care plan contribution, updating medicines, adding test results, and aligning recommendations so that nothing is missed. Whether we create the plan from scratch or contribute to an existing one, the process helps coordinate appointments and unlock Medicare-funded allied health visits. It provides you and your family with a simple roadmap to keep your care on track. The nurse or practice pharmacist may be involved in supporting the GP to create the care plan.

Case Conference

A case conference is a structured meeting—usually held in person, by phone, or via secure video link—where your GP collaborates with key members of your healthcare team (such as nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, or specialists) to share information, review your progress, and agree on next steps. By bringing everyone to the table simultaneously, these conferences reduce duplication, clarify responsibilities, and ensure that any changes to your treatment plan are understood by all parties involved, including you and your family. Medicare rebates are available when three or more providers participate, making case conferences a practical way to keep complex care coordinated, timely, and centred on your goals.