In the event of an emergency call Triple Zero (000) or go to the Emergency Department at RPA Hospital (Missenden Road, Camperdown).
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General Practice Casualty
Balmain General Practice Casualty (GPC) is open every day of the year (including public holidays) from 8am to 10pm.
Our Services
- Urgent Care
- Wound Clinic – Monday to Friday, 9.30am-12pm and 1.30pm-4pm
- Hospital in The Home
- Fracture Clinic – Tuesdays, 1.30 – 4pm (Closed public holidays)
- Xray – Daily, 9am-4.30pm (please note, we do not accept walk-in Xray referrals)
Urgent Care
GPC is an urgent care centre staffed by specialist doctors and highly skilled nursing staff. GPC provides care for patients of all ages for acute and non-life-threatening conditions. We are a triage-based service and provide care based on patient acuity. This means we don't offer appointments, and patients are seen in order of medical urgency.
Common presentations to our service include:
- Suspected fractures, sprains and cuts (please note our Xray times)
- Acute wound and skin infections
- Minor head injuries and lacerations
- Acute illnesses such as respiratory infections, mild chest or abdominal pain in usually well patients
- Minor eye emergencies such as conjunctivitis or a suspected foreign body
GPC does not have the capacity to act in the place of a regular primary health General Practitioner, provide chronic disease management, nor provide non-emergency referrals or treatment plans. It is not an Emergency Department, so does not have capacity for the management of major trauma or serious illness, such as heart attacks or strokes.
Patients presenting with psychiatric and behavioural emergencies or presentations outside of capacity may be assessed and referred to the appropriate facilities.
The department closes at 10pm every day. Patients are triaged and assessed by a nurse up until 10pm. If the department is busy, patients who arrive shortly before closing time may be asked to attend RPA Emergency Department if they wish to see a doctor.
Wound Clinic
The Wound Clinic is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am-12pm and 1.30pm-4pm with highly skilled nurses that specialise in wound care and management.
Eligibility criteria:
- Acute wounds that can be healed within six weeks
- Minor wounds, cuts, abrasions or burns requiring regular dressings
- Patients with wounds who are unable to see their regular General Practitioner or Nurse
Exclusion criteria:
- Chronic wounds
- Wounds requiring ongoing outpatient investigations (for example neuropathy)
- Unable to regularly attend the Clinic as required (for example mobility issues)
All patients must initially present to GPC as walk-in patients and see a physician. This includes previous patients with new wounds. They will then be assessed and accepted to the nurse managed wound clinic if required. Wounds that may require more than 4-6 weeks of management are referred to appropriate community services.
Hospital in The Home (HITH)
Some patients require regular intravenous antibiotics to treat more severe infection. Our Hospital in The Home (HiTH) Clinic is run by skilled physicians and nurses giving patients the opportunity to receive necessary antibiotic treatment without need for admission to hospital. Patients will usually require a minimum of three consecutive days of attendance. Occasionally your General Practitioner may refer you to our service. In this case appointments are not necessary, you attend GPC as a patient and discuss your referral with the triage nurse.
Fracture Clinic
We run a weekly Fracture Clinic for the ongoing management of certain types of fractures diagnosed in GPC or referred from local GPs. Not all fractures are suitable for our Clinic (for example complex fractures possibly requiring surgery).
The Clinic is open on Tuesdays from 1.30-4pm (closed public holidays).
Patients are seen by a General Practitioner or Emergency specialist with additional orthopaedic training, in close partnership with RPA Hospital Orthopaedic Department, with onward referral as required.
Patients attending our Fracture Clinic will be referred and given an appointment date and time. Please let staff know if you need to reschedule.