Long-term conditions are managed here the way they were managed on a hospital ward: a written plan, the right tests on schedule, and a review that actually happens. Care plans and their reviews are bulk billed, pathology is on site, and two of the doctors here worked as medical registrars in multiple specialties across the hospitals of northern and north-west Tasmania before general practice.
Conditions we manage
- Diabetes and pre-diabetes – the full annual cycle of care, not a yearly blood test
- High blood pressure and cholesterol – with absolute cardiovascular risk calculated properly
- Chronic heart failure – monitoring, medication review and early intervention when fluid builds
- Chronic kidney disease – eGFR and urine ACR on schedule, and medicines checked against function
- Asthma and COPD – written action plans, technique checks and flare-up care seven days a week
- Coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation and care after a heart attack or stroke
- Thyroid conditions, osteoporosis (see bone health) and inflammatory arthritis
- Obesity and metabolic health (see weight management), and obstructive sleep apnoea
- Chronic pain, and mental health conditions running alongside a physical illness
- Several conditions at once, which is the usual situation and the one that most needs a plan
Why this practice takes it seriously
Dr Arsalan (Sam) Mahmud and Dr John Esho both worked as medical registrars in multiple specialties across the hospitals of northern and north-west Tasmania before moving into general practice, and Dr Mahmud still works in acute care. Several of the other doctors here came the same way.
That background matters for long-term conditions. It is the difference between recognising that something needs a specialist and knowing what the specialist will want to have been done first, where the referral thresholds actually sit, and what can safely be managed here rather than through an outpatient waiting list.
It also shows in the ordinary things. Pathology is on site, so bloods can be taken here and the results are in front of your doctor rather than chased later. ECG, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, Holter monitoring and spirometry are done here as well, which takes a referral and a wait out of the middle of an assessment. The practice is open 8am to 8pm on weekdays and every weekend, so a flare-up is usually seen here rather than at an emergency department. And the nursing team runs the recall system, so the review is booked before you forget it.
Care plans: what changed in 2025, and what it means for you
The way Medicare funds this changed on 1 July 2025. The old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement were replaced by a single GP Chronic Condition Management Plan. If you already had a plan under the old system it still counts; it simply moves across at your next review.
What that means in practice:
- You are eligible if you have at least one condition that has lasted, or is likely to last, six months or more. There is no official list of qualifying conditions – it is your doctor’s clinical judgement.
- One plan now covers both the management plan and the referrals to other health professionals.
- The plan needs to be written or reviewed within the last 18 months for you to keep access to the rebated allied health visits.
- With a current plan you can claim up to five individual allied health visits per calendar year (ten for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients) – for example a dietitian, podiatrist, diabetes educator, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist.
- You can also have up to five services from a practice nurse on your doctor’s behalf.
- If you are registered with us through MyMedicare, your plan is written here, at the practice you are registered with. If you are not registered, your usual GP can still write it.
Care plans and their reviews are bulk billed at Health Nexus. There is no out-of-pocket cost for writing the plan or for reviewing it.
What to expect
Book a long appointment for a first assessment or an annual review, and say what it is about so reception books the right length. Bring every medicine and supplement you take, including anything bought over the counter, and any results or letters from elsewhere.
The first visit works out the whole picture: what conditions you have, what is controlled and what is not, what is being monitored and what has been missed. The plan follows from that, and is then reviewed on a set interval – for most people every three to six months, sooner when something has changed.
Much of the monitoring and recall work is done by the practice nursing team alongside your doctor. The nurses run the checks that are due, keep the recalls on schedule and prepare the review so that your appointment with the doctor is spent on decisions rather than data entry. It is also why the reviews actually happen – the most common reason chronic disease care fails is that the review is never booked.
The doctors
All of the doctors who work from Health Nexus manage long-term conditions. Several have substantial hospital experience behind them:
- Dr John Esho – medical registrar in multiple specialties across northern and north-west Tasmanian hospitals, including cardiology and nephrology; internal and general medicine
- Dr Arsalan (Sam) Mahmud – medical registrar in multiple specialties across northern and north-west Tasmanian hospitals; general and emergency medicine, and continues to work in acute care
- Dr Asim Razak – chronic disease, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions
- Dr Sai Tip – chronic disease, respiratory medicine
- Dr Miyulasi Attanayake – chronic disease, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and COPD
- Dr Nadia Khan – chronic disease, diabetes and hypertension
- Dr Nalika Hendawitharana – chronic disease, preventive health
Fees and Medicare
Health Nexus Launceston is a mixed-billing practice. Children aged 12 and under are bulk billed whenever the practice is open, including evenings and weekends. Pension card holders over 65 and DVA Gold Card holders are bulk billed on weekdays between 8am and 5pm. Everyone else pays the consultation fee with the Medicare rebate claimed on the spot. The current fees are on the fees and bulk billing page.
The practice is open 8am–8pm Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm Saturday and 9am–5pm Sunday, every day of the year, and on every public holiday at the standard hours for that day.
Common questions
What is a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan?
It is the Medicare-funded plan that replaced the old GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement on 1 July 2025. One plan now sets out your conditions, your goals, what will be monitored and when, and the referrals to other health professionals. You get a copy.
Does a care plan cost anything?
No. Care plans and their reviews are bulk billed at Health Nexus, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for writing the plan or reviewing it.
I already had a GP Management Plan and a Team Care Arrangement. Do I lose them?
No. Existing plans carry over and convert at your next review. What matters is that your plan has been written or reviewed within the last 18 months, otherwise access to the rebated allied health visits lapses.
How many allied health visits do I get?
Up to five individual visits per calendar year with a current plan and a referral – ten for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. If you have type 2 diabetes you can also be assessed for group services and attend up to eight group sessions on top of that.
Do I need to be registered with MyMedicare?
Not necessarily. If you are registered, the plan is written at the practice you are registered with. If you are not, your usual GP can still write it. Registering makes the continuity easier, and reception can explain it.
Do I see the nurse or the doctor?
Both. The nursing team does much of the monitoring, recall and review preparation; your doctor sets and adjusts the plan. It is what keeps the reviews on schedule.
How often should I be reviewed?
It depends on the condition and how stable it is. Your doctor sets the interval in your plan — for most people it is every three to six months, and sooner after a hospital admission or a change in treatment.
Do I need a referral?
No. Book a long GP appointment directly, online or by phone.
