All Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card. Some items, including privately purchased vaccines and consumables, attract a fee.
Parents apologise constantly for “probably nothing”. It usually is nothing, and finding that out is exactly what the appointment is for. Here are four things worth knowing before you come.
Four things worth knowing
The NSW Personal Health Record travels with your child for years. Growth, immunisations and checks all go in it, and it means any doctor anywhere can see the full picture in seconds. If you've lost it, tell us and we'll sort a replacement.
“I've brought the blue book.”Parents notice changes long before they can name them, and that instinct is genuinely useful clinical information. “She's just not herself” is a sentence GPs take seriously, and you will never be made to feel silly for saying it.
“She's just not herself and I can't explain why.”A standard consultation is built for one issue. Growth, sleep, a rash, behaviour and immunisations is five. Ask for a long appointment and you'll get through it without anyone watching the clock.
“I've got a few things — could I have a long appointment?”A sick child on a Saturday doesn't have to mean an emergency department. Call when the phones open, or book online, and we'll find you a spot. Walk-ins are seen subject to doctor availability.
“Have you got anything today? She's had a fever since last night.”What matters at six weeks is not what matters at six years. Tap through to see what your GP would usually cover, and what's worth booking in for now.
Open any topic for the short version first, with the detail underneath it. All of it can be booked today.
Newborn checks
What happens Your baby is weighed, measured and examined head to toe. You're checked too. Bring the blue book and any questions you've been storing up — no question is too small for this appointment.
The six-week check covers your baby's weight, length, head circumference, heart, hips, eyes, testicles and general examination, plus feeding and how they're settling. Your own recovery, bleeding, mood and contraception are covered at the same visit.
Growth is plotted on the charts in the blue book at each visit, and what matters is the trend over time rather than any single point.
Immunisation
The short version Routine childhood vaccines are free under the National Immunisation Program. They're due at birth, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months, and again at 4 years. We record every dose to the Australian Immunisation Register.
Bring the blue book. Vaccines are given by our nurses or your GP, and we'll tell you what to expect afterwards — a bit of grizzle, a warm leg and occasionally a mild fever are normal and settle quickly.
If you've fallen behind, moved from overseas, or you're not sure what your child has had, come in. Catch-up schedules exist for exactly this and there's no lecture attached.
Sick kids
Worth knowing Small children get a lot of viruses — often ten or more a year once childcare starts. Most need fluids, rest and time rather than medicine. The skill is telling those apart from the few that need more, and that's what we're for.
Go straight to hospital or call 000 if your child is struggling to breathe, unusually drowsy or floppy, has a rash that doesn't fade under pressure, or you simply feel something is badly wrong.
Come in if you're worried. A fever on its own tells you less than how your child looks and behaves: whether they're drinking, weeing, alert between temperatures, and breathing comfortably.
We're open seven days with same-day appointments, so a Saturday morning doesn't mean a trip to emergency for something ordinary.
Asthma & allergy
Why the plan matters A written asthma or anaphylaxis action plan turns a frightening moment into a set of steps anyone can follow — you, a grandparent, a teacher. Childcare and schools generally require one.
Your GP will work out what's triggering it, get the inhaler technique right (most children — and plenty of adults — use them incorrectly), and write the plan out on the standard form.
Allergy is assessed by history first, then testing where it's genuinely useful. Not every reaction needs a test, and tests without a matching history can mislead.
Skin
The short version Eczema is common, uncomfortable and very manageable, but only with the right routine done consistently. Most treatment failures come from using too little cream too rarely, usually out of worry about steroids.
Your GP will explain how much moisturiser to use (far more than most families expect), when and how to use steroid creams safely, and how to handle flares and infections.
We also see the usual run of childhood skin: warts, molluscum, impetigo, ringworm, hand-foot-and-mouth, nappy rash and birthmarks worth keeping an eye on.
Development
Worth knowing If something about your child's talking, playing, moving or interacting doesn't sit right with you, that instinct is worth acting on. Waiting to see rarely helps, and assessment costs nothing but a conversation.
Your GP will take a history, examine your child, check hearing and vision, and use standard developmental milestones as a guide rather than a verdict. Where a referral is needed we'll explain the options and the likely wait.
Referrals may include paediatrics, speech pathology, occupational therapy, audiology, or the local child and family health service. A GP chronic condition management plan can make allied health more affordable.
Behaviour & attention
Where to start If school is reporting problems, or home feels like a daily battle, start with your GP. A proper assessment looks at sleep, hearing, vision, learning, anxiety and family circumstances before it looks at anything else.
Attention difficulties have many possible causes, and several of them are treatable in ways that have nothing to do with ADHD. Getting that sorted first is not a delaying tactic — it's the assessment.
Bulk billed ADHD assessments are available at the clinic. Your GP will explain how the process works and what's involved before anything begins.
Mental health
Worth knowing In children, worry often shows up in the body — stomach aches on school mornings, headaches, trouble sleeping, or a child who suddenly won't leave your side. It's real, and it responds well to help.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan gives your child Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions, and there's a psychologist on site. For younger children the work is often as much with the parents as with the child, and that's a good sign rather than a criticism.
Teenagers can be seen on their own and their confidentiality respected, which often makes the difference between a conversation happening and not.
Injuries
What we can do here Cuts, sprains, splinters, burns and the things children put in their ears can generally be dealt with here rather than in an emergency department, and usually faster.
We'll clean and dress wounds, close cuts where appropriate, assess sprains and possible fractures, and arrange X-rays. If it needs a hospital, we'll tell you clearly and help you get there.
Head knocks and possible concussion are worth a proper assessment, particularly around junior sport, along with clear advice about returning to play.
Teen health
How it works From around 14, a young person able to make their own decisions about their care can see a GP alone, and what they say stays confidential in almost every situation. Your GP will explain the rare exceptions first.
It helps enormously to let a teenager have some of the appointment without a parent in the room. It isn't about keeping secrets from you — it's about them learning to manage their own health, and being willing to come back.
Everything from acne to contraception to mood can be dealt with here, bulk billed, without needing to explain themselves to anyone.
Routine childhood vaccines cost nothing under the National Immunisation Program, and every dose is recorded to the Australian Immunisation Register so you can print a history whenever childcare or school asks. Tap a card.
Seven visits cover the whole routine childhood schedule. We'll remind you what's next at each one.
Missed doses, an overseas move or a lost record are all completely fixable, and you won't be judged for any of them.
Reflects the National Immunisation Program schedule. Some vaccines outside the program are purchased privately — reception will tell you the cost before you book.
Nothing here is frightening and nothing happens without your say-so. Here's the whole visit, in order.
Bring the blue book, your Medicare card and your child's. We're inside the shopping centre with free parking and a pram-friendly entrance.
Flip backYour GP asks what's been happening, how they're feeding, sleeping and playing, and what's worrying you. Bring a list — most parents forget half of it otherwise.
Flip backPlotted in the blue book and on the growth charts. The trend over time matters far more than any single measurement, so don't panic about one dot.
Flip backHeart, chest, tummy, hips, eyes, ears and skin. Done at your child's pace, often on your lap, and stopped the moment it needs to be.
Flip backRather than a test, it's questions about what your child is doing now — words, steps, play, interaction — compared with what's usual for their age.
Flip backGiven by our nurses or your GP, recorded to the Australian Immunisation Register, with clear advice on what's normal afterwards.
Flip backSleep, fussy eating, tantrums, screen time, that rash. Nothing here is too trivial — these are the things that actually make family life hard.
Flip backWhat was found, what happens next, and when to come back. If anything needs following up, reception will help you book it before you go.
Flip backMost parents remember the important question in the car park. Tap whatever applies — your list builds as you go, and you can print it to bring with you.
Every GP here looks after children. The doctors below have told us it's an area they particularly enjoy — and Dr Somaya holds a Diploma of Paediatrics.
Our GPs hold general registration with AHPRA. Areas listed are special interests within general practice rather than recognised specialist registration. If your child needs a paediatrician, speech pathologist or another specialist, your GP will refer you.
Pick your situation and what you're coming in for. We'll show you what to expect before you book.
What are you coming in for?
Figures shown are what you pay at the clinic for the appointment itself. Medicines, devices, imaging and specialist fees are set elsewhere. Reception will always confirm the cost with you before anything goes ahead.
Medicare-eligible consultations are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card, so the appointment, the examination and any referral cost you nothing. Routine childhood vaccines are free under the National Immunisation Program. Some items such as privately purchased travel vaccines attract a fee, and reception will always tell you before anything goes ahead.
At birth, then 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months, and again at 4 years. Influenza vaccination is free each year for children aged 6 months to under 5 years. Bring the blue book and we'll check exactly what's due.
No. Catch-up schedules exist for every age and there's no judgement attached. We can look up exactly what your child has had on the Australian Immunisation Register and plan the rest from there.
Yes. We can print one from the Australian Immunisation Register during any appointment, or you can download it yourself through myGov.
How they look matters more than the number. Come and see us if you're worried, if they're not drinking, or if the fever has lasted more than a couple of days. Go straight to hospital or call 000 if they're struggling to breathe, unusually drowsy or floppy, or have a rash that doesn't fade when you press on it.
Yes, on the standard forms, during a normal appointment. Bring any form your school or childcare has given you. We'll also check inhaler or autoinjector technique while you're here, which is worth doing more often than most families think.
Book a long appointment. Your GP will take a history, check hearing and vision, look at the broader picture of their development, and refer to speech pathology or paediatrics where that's the right step. Coming in early is better than waiting to see — early intervention works best early.
Yes. From around 14, a young person who can make their own decisions about their care can be seen alone, and what they discuss is confidential in almost every situation. Your GP will explain the rare exceptions first. It's often worth letting them have part of the appointment on their own even if you came in together.
We prioritise unwell children wherever we can, seven days a week. Book online through HotDoc or call when the phones open. Walk-ins are seen subject to doctor availability, though booking usually means less time in the waiting room with an unhappy child.
Where you can, yes. Continuity means someone who knows your child's history, notices what's changed, and follows things up. Choose your GP when you book online, or ask reception who has availability.
“I think it's probably nothing but I wanted it checked” is a complete sentence and a perfectly good appointment.
From newborn checks and immunisations to asthma plans, development questions and teen health, our GPs see children of every age. Same-day appointments are available for children who are unwell.
The clinic is inside Salamander Bay Shopping Centre at Shop 5, 2 Town Centre Circuit, with free parking, and is a short drive from Nelson Bay, Corlette, Soldiers Point, Anna Bay, Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay and Medowie.
Book online with HotDoc at any hour, or call (02) 4008 4400.
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