Welcome to Our Winter Newsletter

As winter arrives, we are pleased to bring you the latest updates from the team at Your Family Doctors. In this edition, we share important information about this year’s influenza season, including the new FluMist nasal spray vaccine for children, as well as updates on government funded RSV vaccination for those over 75. We also introduce some convenient new routine request options available through HotDoc, reflect on valuable learning from the recent Women’s and Children’s Health Update Conference attended by our team, farewell our wonderful receptionist Cathy and warmly welcome Nikki to YFD. Finally, we congratulate Dr Michael and his family on the arrival of their beautiful baby girl and welcome him back from paternity leave.

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR FLU SHOT YET? 

It’s not too late to get your flu vaccination and with numbers on the rise we strongly recommend you do! Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for those at risk of severe illness from the flu. Those eligible for government funded influenza vaccines under the National Immunisation program includes:

• Children from 6 months to under 5 years
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 6 months
• Pregnant women
• People aged 65 years and over
• People with serious health conditions (including severe asthma, diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, obesity, kidney, heart, lung or liver disease)

This year, the nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist®) was made available for the first time in Australia for children aged between 2 to 17 years. FluMist® is a live attenuated influenza vaccine delivered via nasal spray as a needle-free alternative This vaccine has been used extensively overseas for over a decade and has demonstrated strong acceptability and comparable effectiveness to the injectable influenza vaccine. Free government vaccines were made available for a limited time for children aged 2 to 17 years In NSW but due to low supplies they are no longer available at our practice. The flu vaccine injection remains available and are government funded for children from 6 months to 5 years

Those not eligible for a government flu vaccine can receive a private flu vaccine at Your Family Doctors for $20

Flu vaccine appointments are available for patients of our practice online via HotDoc under our ‘Nurse’ appointments via this link https://www.hotdoc.com.au/medical-centres/erina-NSW-2250/your-family-doctors-at-erina/doctors

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Immunisation

RSV can cause serious respiratory illness in older people and lead to hospitalisation.
Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect against this virus.

From 15 May 2026, the RSV vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program for people aged 75 years and over, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 60 years and over. If you are 60 to 74 years or are aged 50 and over with a medical condition that increases your risk of severe RSV disease, you can consider RSV vaccination at a private fee.

Now is the perfect time to get your vaccination to protect you in the cooler months, when most RSV cases occur.

Patients of the practice can book their RSV vaccine through HotDoc under ‘nurse’ appointment or call reception.For more information on the RSV vaccine for older Australians go to …
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-05/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine-for-older-australians-consumer-fact-sheet.pdf

or go to our blog… https://yourfamilydoctors.com.au/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-immunisation/

UPCOMING CHANGES TO MEDICARE BULK BILLING PROCESSES

From 1 July 2026, Medicare will introduce changes to the way patients provide consent for bulk billed services.

Currently, patients are generally required to sign a paper form to assign their Medicare benefit to the doctor or practice when being bulk billed. The new system is expected to modernise this process and provide more flexible options for both patients and practices.

Some of the planned changes include:

• New electronic consent options
• Updated paper-based processes
• The ability for consent to be provided before or after an appointment where appropriate

These changes are being introduced Australia-wide to help simplify Medicare claiming and reduce paperwork, while making the process more convenient for patients.

At this stage, we are still waiting on further information and guidance around exactly how these changes will work in day-to-day practice. As more details become available closer to the rollout date, we will keep our patients informed.

HOT DOC – ROUTINE REQUESTS

Patients of Your Family Doctors at Erina are able to request a routine repeat prescription or referral online via Hot Doc. Please note this service is only available for existing patients, for routine repeat prescriptions and referrals only, and with the patients’ regular doctor. There is an online fee charged for each request. The practice is still providing ‘script only appointments’ with your regular doctor if you call reception and is usually bulk billed. Please note that ADHD medication repeats require a face to face appointment.

Please read our blog for more information on terms and conditions. https://yourfamilydoctors.com.au/hot-doc-routine-requests/

MY MEDICARE AND GP CHRONIC CONDITION MANAGEMENT PLANS

You may have heard about the new GP Chronic Condition Management (GPCCM) Plans, which replaced the previous GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements in late 2025.

To access a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan through Your Family Doctors, you must be registered with our practice through MyMedicare. This is a Medicare initiative that allows patients to formally nominate their usual general practice and GP.

We have recently found that some patients have been registered with other practices through MyMedicare, often after attending a corporate medical centre, or another general practice. In some cases, patients were unaware that they had been enrolled elsewhere. Unfortunately, if you are registered with another practice, we are unable to provide a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan until your MyMedicare registration is transferred back to Your Family Doctors.

MyMedicare registration also provides a number of additional benefits, including access to longer telehealth consultations with your usual GP, improved continuity of care, and better coordination of your healthcare needs.

If you have a chronic medical condition and think you may benefit from a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, or if you are unsure which practice you are registered with through MyMedicare, please speak with our reception team. We can help check your registration status and assist with transferring your MyMedicare registration if required.

At Your Family Doctors, we believe that continuity of care with your regular GP leads to better health outcomes, and MyMedicare helps us continue providing coordinated, high-quality care for you and your family.

For a copy of the my medicare enrolment form go to https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-05/mymedicare-registration-form_0.pdf

The Annual Women’s and Children’s Health Update

The Annual Women’s and Children’s update in Sydney last month was invaluable for our team. Our YFD doctors were updated with a vast range of topics from contraception to menopause, dry eyes to fatty liver, the dangers of AI chat bots with adolescents, the importance of vaccination during pregnancy, acne and the assessment and management of heavy menstrual bleeding. It was a long and informative day and our doctors walked out with some great evidence based tools from experts in the field to implement with their patients

STAFF NEWS 

CONGRATULATIONS DR MICHAEL LITTLE

A big congratulations to Dr Little on the safe arrival of his beautiful baby girl Sophie! What was even more exciting is that they happened to be at the same hospital as one of our previous GP’s Dr Renee Pope who also welcomed her new baby girl Charlotte! We love watching our YFD family grow bigger!

 RETIREMENTS AND NEW COMINGS

Happy retirement to our gorgeous receptionist Cathy. We will miss her caring nature, funny stories, smiling face and cheerful voice. Enjoy traveling the world Cathy and don’t forget to send us postcards!

We would also love to welcome our new receptionist Nicki Smith who is another breath of sunshine to complement our incredible reception team.

YFD NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

For a limited time, we are pleased to advise that Dr Cherie Castaing, Dr Jill McDowell,Dr Michael Little and Dr Cindy Chen are accepting new patients. Our other doctors are at full capacity and have their books closed.  Please note that Your Family Doctors is a privately billing practice, and a $50 deposit is required when booking a new patient appointment. To arrange your first visit, please call our practice directly, as new patients are unable to book online. All new patients will be welcomed through an initial appointment with one of our nurses before seeing their doctor, helping us ensure a smooth and comprehensive introduction to our practice.

In other news Dr Elly Warren will be taking some well-earned leave and extended time off to spend more time with her family and ride that bike. She continues to work at the hospital, but we don’t yet know when she’ll return to YFD. If you usually see Elly, please book with another member of our team for the time being. Elly is grateful for your support and knows you’ll be in excellent hands with the YFD team

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Thank You for Reading Our Winter Newsletter

We hope you’ve found this edition helpful as you prepare for the colder months ahead. We’ll be back in a few months with more updates, health tips, and practice news. In the meantime, stay connected with us by following Your Family Doctors at Erina on Facebook and Instagram—it’s a great way to keep up with important health information and see what our team has been up to.

Don’t forget to visit our website and blog for trusted, practical advice written by our own GPs.

We value your thoughts—if you have any feedback about our newsletter or your experience with the practice, please let us know by scanning the QR code below.

Stay well, stay warm, and see you next season!

Love Team YFD xx