This is a specialty in our practice. A chronic disease is one that has been or likely to be present for six months or longer, requires either a GP Management Plan or a Team Care Arrangement to better manage your condition. This allows you to have access to an organised and structured approach and may involve a number of other doctors as needed. Many of the services are available at the Macksville Centre with Allied Health practitioners being arranged if required. All our nurses and staff are fully au fait with the setting up and execution of these plans.

All of the services are bulk billed.

This field is a particular specialty within our practice as Dr Vince Edghill is himself a long-standing and well-controlled Type II diabetic. He is well read in nutrition and particularly interested in its relation to heart disease and diabetes. All of our doctors and nurses are very focused on this important aspect of medical care and promote exercise and nutrition to become front and centre of everything to do with your health.

This is readily available at the Centre and extremely valuable in the management of people with chronic disease, and particularly those with heart disease and/or vascular disease. ECG is a safe and non-invasive procedure without risk. All patients with chronic disease issues need to have at least one ECG carried out, and depending on the condition, repeated as necessary.

This program is advised by the Government via Medicare and is carried out on the yearly basis after you reach 75 years of age. For our indigenous friends this is often done at an earlier age. It represents an important role in population health, both in screening for risk and providing an opportunity for any medical intervention. All Health Assessments are bulk billed.

An irregular heart beat can be a sign of great significance and be quite often a life changer for you. Holter Monitoring gives a 24 hour look at your heart rhythm. This small device is applied by a trained nurse to your chest and you wear it for 24 hours. It records your heartbeat for everything you do all day and while you sleep. You then return to the clinic the following day to have it removed and the results are immediately downloaded and reviewed. Our clinic provides this service and of course it is bulk billed.

Another valuable service carried out from our clinic is that of Home Medicine Reviews.  It is a Medicare intervention, aimed at preventing confusion in medication and particularly valuable in our older clientele. All of our doctors and nurses are involved in organising these services with your own personal pharmacist. Because of the ageing population of the Nambucca Valley, we find this a particularly valuable service and part of our Chronic Disease Management program.

This is the safest and most effective way of giving you and your family protection against a variety of diseases that may cause significant illness, permanent damage or even death. Immunisation starts at birth and continues through various stages of life – our clinic offers all childhood immunisation as per the national immunisation programme. We also arrange catch-up programmes for children who’ve missed any of the vaccines and also provide flu vaccines during the flu seasons.
Free vaccines against conditions like shingles, pneumonia as per the advice of the Australian government guidelines are also available.
Ask our friendly doctors or nurses for more information.

Men of course, have their own set of problems. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare states that men in Australia have generally poorer health than women. For example, 50% of men have experienced violence since turning 15 and the same number have experienced sexual difficulties. You are more than welcome to speak to our male GPs to find out how we can help.

Dr Vince Edghill carries out minor surgery on a weekly basis. Our clinic has excellent facilities for minor operations including accredited sterilisation procedures. More complex surgical procedures can be referred to Coffs Harbour. Being knowledgeable in our local region we know exactly who to refer you to should you need to see a specialist, i.e.skin cancer specialists. And this need is often more important than you might think.

Though our clinic does not provide these services they are readily available through our ophthalmological contacts both in Macksville, Nambucca Heads and of course Coffs Harbour. Because we live in a small regional environment, we are personally in touch with these professionals on a daily basis.

We pride ourselves on having on-site Laverty pathology services. This service is available from 8:30 in the morning until 11:30, but Laverty Pathology also has an office just across the road from the Macksville Medical Centre and is readily and easily accessible. Pathology forms from other providers are also accepted and welcome.

These services are readily available off-site in both Macksville and Nambucca Heads. All doctors and nurses are fully aware and knowledgeable about the services. It is generally very much in order in relation to chronic disease care. The government via Medicare provides 5 mostly free services involving physiotherapy and podiatry.

We have an excellent on-site Podiatrist with more than one provider. They are present most days and the service is fully bulk billed. We also offer on-site Lower Leg Circulation (ABI) Studies which are again fully bulk billed. This is carried out on the recommendation of your GP and is dealt with at the technical level by our resident and well-qualified podiatrists. Because of the particular concentration on Chronic Disease Management, knowledge of one’s circulation becomes critical especially in people with any vascular issues.
The measurement of ABI studies is often critical in diabetics and people with prediabetes, and those with a history of obesity and smoking and other cardiovascular disorders. Including heart disorders, stroke syndromes etc.

The clinic does not have a visiting specialist at present, but all of the doctors are well acquainted with the numerous specialists both in Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, and Port Macquarie. Every doctor has a good rapport with and knowledge of these specialists and are well aware of the need for their involvement in specific care as required.

Overseas travel offers wonderful new experiences but may also expose you to potentially serious health risks. With a little preparation you can prevent many illnesses that could ruin your holiday or worse. Book an appointment with one of our doctors, ideally four weeks ahead of travel, for advice and vaccination even if you are well.

We are fortunate to have the services of Womens Health Specialist GP, Dr Pyae Win, as well as good specialist contacts in Coffs Harbour and elsewhere including John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.