The Elms Family Medical Centre

01/09/2026

Happy Spring! Here's the weblink to our quarterly newsletter for updates on what's happening at The Elms

30/07/2026

Home blood pressure monitors. These are a useful tool to bring results to your GP. These home readings may be more representative of your usual BP than the one off readings we get in the clinic.
Aldi have a once a year sale of them and they are quite good. $34.99 This Saturday 1st August

15/07/2026

Access to our clinic will be from the back door from tomorrow. Due to the ongoing construction by the shopping centre our usual front entry is closed from tomorrow for an unknown period of time (possibly a month or two!).
We are sending SMS messages with instructions on access. People will need to use a doorbell as we cannot leave the door open. Staff will be available to open the door from inside. If you need assistance or clarification please call the clinic.

12/07/2026

At Russo’s winery today we celebrated our 32nd year as The Elms Family Medical Centre. Great company and food. It’s so nice to relax as an informal group away from the pressure of the clinic.

07/07/2026

New Pneumococcal vaccine. This vaccine protects against 21 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. This bacteria is responsible for much pneumonia and other respiratory disease as well as septicaemia. Vaccination is provided to children and has been available to vulnerable older people for some time. However, the vaccine has been updated to a newer and more effective vaccine and the eligibility criteria have changed.
21vPCV (21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Capvaxive) is now funded under the National Immunisation Program for adults 65 yrs and older, people aged 18 years and over with risk conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander adults 25 years and older.
If you have had a pneumococcal vaccine over 12 months ago, you can have the updated vaccine.
Please contact our clinic for an appointment with our nurses if you think you might be eligible.

20/06/2026

This week has been Men’s Health week (15-21st June). On average Men die 4 years younger than women. Men are often not great at dealing with their health (physical and emotional). Consider booking an appointment for a check up with your GP. If it’s been a while, and you have a few things to cover, book a long appointment. GPs are your first port of call.

101 real reasons Australian men should book a GP appointment. From mental health to preventative care, find your reason and take action during Men's Health Week.

17/06/2026

From 1st July there is a new pneumococcal vaccine. This protects against pneumonia, septicaemia and other conditions caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. This vaccine replaces previous versions and can administered if it is more than a year since your previous pneumococcal vaccine.

The new pneumococcal vaccine, Capvaxive®, is
recommended for:
• Adults aged 65 years and over.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults
aged 25 years and over.
• Adults aged 18 years and over with
specified medical conditions that increase
their risk of severe disease.

Please note there has also been a great response to RSV vaccination for over 75 year olds. Many older people are now protected against the Respiratory syncytial virus.

It’s also not too late to get vaccinated against influenza (the season is late this year).

29/05/2026

The Village Bacchus Marsh will commence construction of an extension to the shopping centre in early June. This was slated to start in early May but has been delayed. This additional building will occupy much of the car parking quadrangle in front of our clinic. As a result of this development, public vehicle access to the front of The Elms will be lost. Exit through to Main Street via the building underpass next to The Elms will also be permanently closed. Disabled parking spots will be re-located to behind the clinic, as well as a temporary ambulance bay.

Pedestrian access will continue to be available from the western car park via the building underpass, or through the UFS Pharmacy from within the main shopping centre. Construction will take around 9 months to complete, and we thank our patients for their tolerance of the inconvenience, noise, and disruption that this will cause. We ask that patients please allow extra time, taking into consideration the expected permanent increased traffic congestion, and loss of car parking spaces

24/05/2026

Diphtheria outbreak.
Australia is currently experiencing an outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious disease that had almost been eradicated in Australia. The current outbreak is mainly in remote aboriginal communities in NT, SA,WA and QLD.
Earlier epidemics (around the 1920s) killed many people in Australia (unfortunately there are many graves in the Bacchus Marsh Cemetery of children who succumbed at that time).
This is a bacterial (not viral) infection that is preventable by vaccination. It is also treatable with antibiotics if caught early. Symptoms may be a mild fever, sore throat (that can be severe) and loss of appetite and feeling generally unwell. It can progress rapidly to a membrane over inside of the throat which can result in difficulty swallowing and breathing. It can also cause skin sores that can spread it and it can be carried by people with no symptoms.

Please check your vaccination status (go to My Health Record via MyGov website or the 1800Medicare App on your phone). If you have been vaccinated against tetanus or whooping cough within the last 10 years you are up to date as you will also have been vaccinated against diphtheria (it is a combined vaccine). All children should have been vaccinated against this under the National Immunisation Program.

If you are travelling into remote Australia and you need a booster discuss this with your doctor or our nurses.
See below for more details.

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. It most often spreads through respiratory droplets, or direct contact with the wound. Getting vaccinated is the best protection. We monitor and report on national case numbers and trends. We provide guidelines to minimise the risk.

01/05/2026

Access to The Elms restricted during and after construction in the quadrangle car park.
Please note the Village Shopping Centre is constructing new buildings in what was our previous car park. This is expected to commence around Monday 11th May. Access during construction will be for pedestrians only via the underpass between us and Dan Murphy's. The shopping centre management is shifting our reserved car parks around to the entry road off Main St behind our clinic. We are also discussing ambulance access.

The picture below will be the result AFTER the construction has been completed. There will be limited access for vehicles after construction via the underpass but this will be two way (via a narrow road- so one vehicle only at a time).