Medicare Bulk Billing for all eligible patients· Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm· Muswellbrook Fair, Tenancy 16–17, Rutherford Road· (02) 6530 7404

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.

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Mental health care.You don't need the right words.

“I have not been sleeping” is a perfectly good opening sentence. So is “I have been drinking more than I used to”. Book a long appointment and say it first, not last.

Book a long appointment → (02) 6530 7404 All services

Before you book

Ask for a long appointmentYou do not have to say why. “A long appointment, personal matter” is enough for reception.

Say it in the first minuteNot on the way out. It is the most common thing people leave too late in the visit.

Male and female GPsSay who you would prefer when you book, and ask for the same doctor next time.

Nothing is too smallYou do not have to be in crisis to be worth an appointment

Subsidised psychologyA treatment plan gives access to Medicare-subsidised sessions

Bulk billedStandard and long consultations, with a valid Medicare card

Standard GP consultations are bulk billed for everyone with a valid Medicare card.

Signs worth acting onIn yourself or someone else Treatment plansHow the subsidy works What happensStep by step QuestionsThe things people ask BookLong appointment RelatedOther services

The things people talkthemselves out of.

If you need help nowLifeline 13 11 14, any hour of any day. 13YARN 13 92 76 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander callers. Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 for anyone aged 5 to 25. MensLine 1300 78 99 78. In an emergency, or if someone's life is at risk, call 000.

Most people wait far longer than they needed to. Not because the difficulty was small, but because it arrived gradually and they adjusted around it. These are the signs worth bringing in — in yourself, or in someone you are worried about.

Book a long appointment →

Do I have to be in crisis?

No, and most people are not. Coming in earlier means more options and an easier path than waiting until things are severe.

What if I cannot explain it?

That is extremely common and it is not a problem. “Something is not right and I do not know what” is a completely workable place to start.

Can I come about someone else?

Yes. You can book to talk about how to help a family member, and to look after yourself while you do it.

Mood

Flat rather than sad

MoodFlat rather than sad

Many people expect tears. Far more common is a greyness — nothing is terrible, nothing is enjoyable either.

Mood

Irritable with the people closest to you

MoodIrritable with the people closest to you

Short fuse at home while holding it together everywhere else is a very common early pattern.

Mood

Worry that will not switch off

MoodWorry that will not switch off

A mind that keeps running the same loop, especially at night, and cannot be reasoned out of it.

Mood

Feeling like a burden

MoodFeeling like a burden

Believing others would be better off without you is a sign to be seen soon, not something to sit with.

Sleep & energy

Waking at 3am

Sleep & energyWaking at 3am

Falling asleep fine and waking in the early hours, unable to get back, is a classic pattern worth reporting.

Sleep & energy

Tired regardless of sleep

Sleep & energyTired regardless of sleep

Exhaustion that a good night does not touch. Worth checking physically as well — thyroid, iron and sleep apnoea look similar.

Sleep & energy

Sleeping far more than usual

Sleep & energySleeping far more than usual

Withdrawal into sleep can be as significant as not sleeping at all.

In your body

Chest tightness or racing heart

In your bodyChest tightness or racing heart

Anxiety is physical. It is still worth having the physical causes checked, which we can do here.

In your body

Appetite has changed

In your bodyAppetite has changed

Eating noticeably more or less, or losing interest in food, often shifts before mood does.

In your body

Headaches, gut trouble, aches

In your bodyHeadaches, gut trouble, aches

Persistent physical symptoms with no clear cause are a common way that stress presents.

What you have stopped doing

Cancelling things you used to enjoy

What you have stopped doingCancelling things you used to enjoy

Quietly dropping sport, friends or hobbies is often the first outward sign.

What you have stopped doing

Drinking more than you used to

What you have stopped doingDrinking more than you used to

Especially if it has become the way you get to sleep or wind down. Worth raising early.

What you have stopped doing

Avoiding people

What you have stopped doingAvoiding people

Screening calls, leaving messages unanswered, finding reasons not to go.

What you have stopped doing

Struggling at work

What you have stopped doingStruggling at work

Missing deadlines, mistakes that are not like you, or dreading Monday from Friday.

In someone else

They have gone quiet

In someone elseThey have gone quiet

Withdrawal from the people who usually hear from them is worth a direct question.

In someone else

Giving things away

In someone elseGiving things away

Settling affairs, giving away possessions or saying goodbye-shaped things needs acting on immediately.

In someone else

A change everyone has noticed

In someone elseA change everyone has noticed

If several people have independently said the same thing, that is meaningful.

Ask directly if you are worried about someone. Asking about suicide does not plant the idea — it usually comes as a relief.

Asking for help is the hardest appointment to book.It is also the one people most often say they wish they had made sooner.

A plan is how thesubsidy works.

A Mental Health Treatment Plan is a longer appointment where we go through what has been happening and write a plan together. It gives access to a set number of Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist or other mental health professional in a calendar year, and it is reviewed after a few sessions to see whether it is helping.

Worth knowing before you bookA treatment plan appointment is long by design. If you book a standard consultation you will likely be asked to come back, which wastes a visit. Say what it is for and reception will allocate the time.

Ask about a treatment plan →

How many sessions do I get?

A set number per calendar year, with a review partway through. Reception can tell you the current number when you book.

Will it cost me anything?

The planning appointment is bulk billed here with a valid Medicare card. Psychologists set their own fees and many charge a gap above the Medicare rebate — ask when you book with them.

Do I have to see a psychologist?

No. A plan is one option. Some people do better with medication, some with both, and some with neither — we talk it through rather than assume.

Is it on my record?

Yes, in your confidential medical record like anything else. It is not shared with employers or insurers without your consent.

In the plan

What has been happening

In the planWhat has been happening

In your words. There is no test to pass and nothing you have to prove.

In the plan

What you want to change

In the planWhat you want to change

Sleeping through the night, getting back to sport, being less short with the kids. Specific beats general.

In the plan

Who is involved

In the planWho is involved

Your GP, a psychologist if that suits, and anyone else you want included.

In the plan

What to do if it worsens

In the planWhat to do if it worsens

Written down while you are well enough to think clearly, which is exactly when it should be decided.

In the plan

A review

In the planA review

Booked in from the start, to check whether it is actually working.

In the plan

Your copy

In the planYour copy

You take it with you. So does the psychologist, so you do not start from scratch.

From bookingto being seen.

Four steps, and the first one is the hardest.

Book a long appointment →

What if I change my mind in the room?

That is fine. Plenty of people come in for something else and raise this at the end. We would rather you said it at all than said it on time.

Can I bring someone?

Yes. Many people find it easier with a partner, parent or friend in the room, at least at the start.

How soon can I be seen?

Ring reception and say it is urgent if it is. Same-day slots are held each morning.

1Ring and bookAsk for a long appointment. You do not have to explain why to reception — “a personal matter” is enough.No explanation needed

2Say it earlyIn the first minute rather than the last. It changes how the whole appointment is spent.The hard part

3Make a plan togetherWhat is going on, what would help, and what happens next. Sometimes that is a treatment plan, sometimes it is something simpler.Long appointment

4Come backFollow-up is where most of the work happens. It is booked before you leave rather than left to you.Booked in

Mental Health Treatment Plans

Subsidised psychology sessions

Anxiety & low mood

Sleep problems

Alcohol & other drugs

Grief & loss

Stress at work

Longer appointments available

Referral to psychology & psychiatry

Mental Health Treatment Plans

Subsidised psychology sessions

Anxiety & low mood

Sleep problems

Alcohol & other drugs

Grief & loss

Stress at work

Longer appointments available

Referral to psychology & psychiatry

Mental Health Treatment Plans

Subsidised psychology sessions

Anxiety & low mood

Sleep problems

Alcohol & other drugs

Grief & loss

Stress at work

Longer appointments available

Referral to psychology & psychiatry

Mental healthquestions, answered.

How do I bring it up?

Say it plainly and say it first. “I want to talk about how I have been feeling” is all it takes.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell your doctor stays in your medical record. It is not shared with your employer, and work medicals are entirely separate.

Is it bulk billed?

Standard and long consultations, including treatment plan appointments, are bulk billed with a valid Medicare card.

Do I need a referral?

No. Book directly with us. We write the referral if you go on to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Will I be put on medication?

Not automatically. Medication is one option among several, and it is discussed rather than assumed.

Can I see the same GP each time?

Yes, and it is worth asking for. Not having to retell the story every visit matters here more than almost anywhere.

What about my teenager?

Older teenagers can be seen alone and confidentiality is taken seriously within the usual limits around safety.

What if I need help tonight?

Lifeline 13 11 14, any hour. In an emergency call 000 or go to Muswellbrook Hospital.

General information onlyThis page is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call (02) 6530 7404. In an emergency, call 000.

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Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card · Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm · Muswellbrook Fair, Rutherford Road.

Book online → Call (02) 6530 7404

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Everyday care

Family health

Procedures & tests

Ongoing & preventive

Mental health care.You don't need the right words.

The things people talkthemselves out of.

Flat rather than sad

Irritable with the people closest to you

Worry that will not switch off

Feeling like a burden

Waking at 3am

Tired regardless of sleep

Sleeping far more than usual

Chest tightness or racing heart

Appetite has changed

Headaches, gut trouble, aches

Cancelling things you used to enjoy

Drinking more than you used to

Avoiding people

Struggling at work

They have gone quiet

Giving things away

A change everyone has noticed

A plan is how thesubsidy works.

What has been happening

What you want to change

Who is involved

What to do if it worsens

A review

Your copy

From bookingto being seen.

Mental healthquestions, answered.

Relatedservices.

Know the costbefore you come in.