frequently asked questions

BCG vaccine protects you from Tuberculosis, and is often given if travelling to countries where Tuberculosis is known to be an issue.  If you have not had a BCG vaccine before, and have not had Tuberculosis, or had contact with someone with Tuberculosis, it is OK to have the BCG vaccine.  If you suspect you may have been in contact with Tuberculosis, or if you have travelled before to an area where Tuberculosis is an issue, a Mantoux test can be performed to make sure you can have the BCG vaccine at a subsequent visit

The BCG vaccine is only needed once.  Please check your medical records or child's immunisation record before booking to ensure the BCG has not been given previously.  

If you know you need a Mantoux test first, please let us know when booking.  You will need to book for the test, then a review to have the test result read within 48-96 hours of the test, and then book a third appointment for your BCG vaccine, if the result is negative.

All Mantoux tests are included in the $150 vaccine fee.

If you do not attend for the reading of your Mantoux result as scheduled, both the test and the reading will need to be re-booked before you can have the vaccine.  It is not possible to delay the reading, or have the vaccine without your Mantoux result being assessed at the right interval.

BCG vaccine can be given to people of all ages, especially to infants and children who may be travelling overseas for the first time.  

For the 12 month and 18 month scheduled (usual) childhood vaccinations, there must be 4 weeks between these, and the BCG vaccine, or they can be given together on the same day.

For all other childhood vaccinations, and most travel vaccinations, there is no need to delay the BCG.

Please see your GP about other travel vaccines that may be needed or recommended.

Answers to more questions about BCG vaccines can be found here:

 Kids Health Information : BCG vaccine for TB (rch.org.au) 

Hepatitis B and C are now manageable and treatable.  In fact, Hepatitis C can even be cured in the majority of people!  These conditions can both lead to serious liver disease, and even liver cancer.  

Even if you do not have any symptoms, it is still very important to have monitoring and  treatment.  Many people with Hepatitis do not even realise they had symptoms until they have treatment, after which they feel a lot better.

Treatment of Hepatitis B can only be provided by an approved provider who has completed required training, and this is usually a long term treatment (tablets).  Treatment of Hepatitis C can be completed in 12 weeks or less, by taking tablets every day.  Both treatments are available at Craigieburn Specialists.

Many treatments used in the past have been difficult to manage for patients due to side effects, these newer treatments are usually very well tolerated, easy to take in tablet form, and improve your quality of life.

Many people do not even know they are living with hepatitis B or C.   If you are concerned you may be at risk, you can book in to get more information, and arrange testing.  

Importantly, Hepatitis is nothing to be ashamed of, it is a medical condition that requires treatment just like any other.

No.  The most reliable form of allergy test is a Skin Prick Test, which needs to be conducted by a specialist.  Very commonly, people are referred unnecessarily for testing, so at Craigieburn Specialists, our focus is on proper assessment of the need for testing, and referral to the highest quality and most reliable testing available.  Dr Hamna Sahi can see adult patients with allergy and hayfever.  Leanne Boase can see children with suspected allergies.

All practitioners at Craigieburn Specialists set their own fees, so it is important to check the 'Contact Us' tab on this website, or ask us directly.  

Please note that for some of our practitioners, there are different contact details listed, and you should enquire about fees via those specific contact details.

Each of our practitioners have their own policy on cancellation fees.  If you do not attend without letting us know, or do not give enough notice that you are not attending, we may charge a cancellation fee, at the discretion of each health professional.  Cancellation fees, where applicable, are charged to compensate for the time that could have been allocated to another patient.

You may have noticed that we have a few Nurse Practitioners (NPs) here!  This clinic is owned and run by Nurse Practitioner Leanne Boase.  NPs are our most experienced, educated and independent nurses, who are authorised to provide advanced assessment, diagnosis and treatment, as well as referrals.  Usually, NPs offer longer consultations, and offer person and family centred care.

About NP's 

Australian nurse practitioners have extensive post-graduate clinical experience and have completed mandatory prescribed education at a Master’s level. They provide complete episodes of health care, using an  advanced nursing model of care. 

Nurse practitioners possess the legal authority to practice both independently and autonomously at a level of practice that is beyond that of a registered nurse. It is within a nurse practitioner’s ability to assess and diagnose health problems, order and interpret diagnostic investigations, formulate and assess response to treatment plans, prescribe medicines and refer to other health professionals within their individual areas of competence. Nurse practitioners may also admit and discharge consumers from health services, including hospital settings.

Nurse practitioners practice collaboratively with other health professionals to improve access to healthcare for Australian communities through health promotion, disease prevention, and health management strategies. They improve health outcomes for specific patient populations or communities. 

Although nurse practitioners can practice as part of a larger healthcare team, nurse practitioners may also form partnerships with health consumers and their families to act as their primary health provider. Nurse practitioners combine advanced nursing knowledge and skills with advanced diagnostic reasoning and therapeutic knowledge to provide person-centred care. They can diagnose and manage health consumers with common and complex health conditions. As clinical leaders, they practice across healthcare settings to influence health service delivery and the wider profession.

Background
Nurse practitioners have been providing healthcare in Australia since 2000, and practice across all States and Territories1. The initial focus of the nurse practitioner role was to increase access to care for marginalised and/or vulnerable populations, such as those living in rural and remote areas, persons experiencing homelessness and the aged2. Nurse practitioners practice in a wide variety of clinical settings, ranging from hospital to community and primary care settings3. Since 2010, nurse practitioners have been eligible providers of care that is subsidised through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). 

Nurse practitioner: 

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse endorsed as a nurse practitioner by the NMBA (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia). The nurse practitioner practices at an advanced level, meets and complies with the Nurse practitioner standards for practice, has direct clinical contact and practices within their scope under the legislatively protected title ‘nurse practitioner’ under the National Law. 

More information:

www.acnp.org.au - Australian College of Nurse Practitioners

www.nursingandmidwiferyboard.gov.au Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

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