Wounds are assessed and dressed here by the doctors and the practice nursing team, in hours and after hours, seven days a week. You do not need to have had the injury or the operation here.
What we can help with
- Assessment of a new wound, cut, graze or burn
- Suturing of cuts, and suture or staple removal
- Regular dressing changes
- Slow-healing and chronic wounds, including leg ulcers and diabetic foot wounds
- Post-operative wound checks after surgery elsewhere
- Infected wounds and abscesses
- Wound care as part of a WorkCover claim
How it works
A doctor assesses the wound first and sets the dressing plan and the interval. After that, most dressing changes are done by the practice nursing team, and a doctor reviews the wound at the points set out in the plan or sooner if it is not going the right way. Appointments are booked through reception on (03) 6351 5610, including evenings and weekends.
For a chronic or complex wound, your doctor may add wound care to a chronic disease management plan, which can bring in podiatry or other allied health with a Medicare rebate.
When to come in sooner
Come in – or use the walk-in clinic – if the wound becomes more painful, spreads redness, smells, opens up, or you develop a fever. For heavy bleeding that will not stop, a deep wound, or a wound to the face, hand or joint, call 000 or go to the Emergency Department.
The doctors
Wound care is provided by the practice nursing team and the doctors who work from Health Nexus, including:
- Dr Nadia Khan – wound care, procedural skills
- Dr Asim Razak – wound care, occupational health
- Dr Arsalan (Sam) Mahmud – acute care and emergency medicine
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
Why would I go to a wound clinic rather than a chemist?
A pharmacy can sell you a dressing; it cannot assess why a wound is not healing. A wound that is slow, painful, infected or related to diabetes or circulation needs a doctor to look at the cause, not just the covering.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes for a dressing change, so the right time and materials are set aside. Phone (03) 6351 5610. For a new injury today, use the walk-in clinic or send an urgent appointment request.
Can you take out stitches put in somewhere else?
Yes. Bring any paperwork from the hospital or clinic that put them in, if you have it.
What does wound care cost?
The consultation is billed as usual – see the fees page. Some dressings and consumables carry a charge, which you will be told about at the time.
