1. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2. Australian Psychological Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
3. Occupational Therapy Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
4. Australasian Podiatry Council This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
5. Pharmaceutical Society of Australia http://www.psa.org.au/contact-us
6. Australian College of Midwives This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
7. The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
8. The Australian Osteopathy Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
9. Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medical Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
10. Australian Dental Association http://www.ada.org.au/contactus/ContactUs.aspx
11. Chiropractor's Association of Australia http://www.chiropractors.asn.au/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=190
12. Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
13. Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
14. Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society - General Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
15. Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
16. The Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
17. Australian Orthopaedic Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
18. The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
19. Australasian Integrative Medicine Association https://www.aima.net.au/contact/
20. The Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
21. Australian Society of Anaesthetists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
22. Australian Rheumatology Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
23. Sports Medicine Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
24. Australian Chinese Medical Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
25. The Australasian College of Legal Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
26. The Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
27. The Australian Society for Medical Research This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
28. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
29. Australasian Military Medicine Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
30. Doctors for the Environment Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
31. Public Health Association of Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
32. Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists http://www.anzca.edu.au/about-anzca/contact-us
33. Australasian College for Emergency Medicine https://www.acem.org.au/Contact.aspx
34. The Australian College of Dermatologists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
35. Royal Australian College of General Practice This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
36. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
37. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Opthalmologists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
38. The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia http://www.rcpa.edu.au/Contact
39. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
40. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians http://www.racp.edu.au/page/contact-us
41. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
42. Royal Australasian College of Surgeons This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
43. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or http://anmf.org.au/pages/contact-anmf
44. Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
45. Australian College of Nursing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
46. Australian Women's Health Network This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
47. Breast Cancer Network Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
48. Australian Physiotherapy Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
49. The Australian Medical Association https://ama.com.au/contact
50. Australian Hand Therapy Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
51. Australian College of Optometry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
52. Allied Health Professionals Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
53. The Australian College of Pharmacy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
54. The Australian General Practice Network This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
55. Australian Self Medication Industry This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
56. Consumers Health Forum of Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
57. Patient Opinion Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
58. Australian Men's Health Forum This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
59. National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
60. The Continence Foundation of Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
61. Open Forum This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
62. Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
63. Australian Health Promotion Association http://www.healthpromotion.org.au/contact-us
64. Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
65. Health Consumers of Rural and Remote Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
66. ACT Mental Health Consumers Network This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
67. Health Consumers Council of Western Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
68. Heath Consumers Alliance of South Australia This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
69. Health Consumers Queensland This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
70. Health Consumers NSW This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
71. Health Issues Centre This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
72. Australian Medical Students' Association This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
73. University of Melbourne Medical Students Society This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
74. Monash University Medical Undergraduates Society This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
75. Avant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
76. Medical Indemnity Protection Society This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
77. MDA National This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
78. The Medical Insurance Group (MIGA) http://www.miga.com.au/contact/contactus.aspx?p=93

I used to wonder why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realised: I am somebody. After writing open letters to the Medical Board of Australia and to AHPRA regarding the proposed AHPRA Advertising Guidelines, I was contacted by healthcare practitioners and consumers who disagreed with the proposed Guidelines and we have joined our voices in calling on AHPRA to review the Guidelines. This letter that I wrote to AHPRA lists the names of individuals and organisations who opted to sign the original document. This letter has now been converted to a Change.org petition.

Sign the Petition to AHPRA

To remove Section 6.2.3 from the AHPRA Advertising Guidelines we need your signature and we need your help! Please ask Colleges, patient advocacy groups, consumer organisations, professional organisations, businesses, friends, colleagues and family to lend their support. I have contacted the organisations listed on this page as well as many healthcare professionals on Twitter - and you can too! The more messages the better.

Please share this action widely through your preferred social media and other channels.

@AHPRA has started tweeting!

On Wednesday 19 March @AHPRA broadcast its first tweet, finally joining the social media conversation online. AHPRA will now be participating in online conversations, and will also be engaging with practitioners and the public regarding social media. I understand from AHPRA's CEO, Martin Fletcher, that AHPRA will be making recommendations to the National Boards in the near future regarding adjustments that may be required to the new Guidelines. This is excellent progress and it is your action that has made this happen. But we can't let up until our request for the removal of Section 6.2.3 is acted upon. Please sign the petition to AHPRA on Change.org and lend your voice to the collective chorus. Together we are making a difference!

Medical Observer joins #AHPRAaction as a Media Partner

I am very pleased to announce that the Medical Observer has joined the #AHPRAaction as a media partner and will be promoting the #AHPRAaction petition online, on Twitter and in print.

Legal perspective

For a legal perspective on the implications of the AHPRA Advertising Guidelines you may wish to read this article from TressCox Lawyers. Excerpt: "In our view, the very broad wording in paragraph 6.2.3 of the updated advertising guidelines potentially exposes all health practitioners to a risk of breaching section 133(1)(c) of the National Law. This is because when health practitioners become aware of a testimonial ‘associated with their health service’, they must actively seek to have the content removed from a website over which they have no control. Aside from being notoriously difficult to have content removed, this requirement potentially places an onerous burden on all health practitioners."

AHPRA has confirmed the Guidelines don't mean what they say

AHPRA has issued a set of FAQs regarding the new Guidelines. The AHPRA Guidelines say: “A practitioner must take reasonable steps to have any testimonials associated with their health service or business removed when they become aware of them, even if they appear on a website that is not directly associated and/or under the direct control or administration of that health practitioner and/or their business or service. This includes unsolicited testimonials.”

The AHPRA FAQs say: “The guidelines do not require practitioners to try to remove unsolicited testimonials on websites or in social media over which they have no control.” 

A Parliamentary Inquiry found AHPRA had issues with inadequate communication and responsiveness, a lack of transparency and accountability, and inconsistent decision making. However we can and should expect better than this from an organisation that regulates over 600,000 Australian healthcare practitioners. Please add your name to the petition to AHPRA.Healthcare consumers and practitioners are equally affected by AHPRA's actions so every individual and organisation is invited to lend their support to this growing list.

Letter to AHPRA - original

#APHRAaction
PO Box 3132 Victoria Gardens
Richmond VIC 3121

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Melbourne VIC 3001

Dear AHPRA,

RE: “Guidelines for advertising regulated health services”

According to Section 6.2.3 of the AHPRA Advertising Guidelines over 600,000 registered health practitioners now need to ask any individual who writes online about their clinical care, or any website that hosts the online comments, to remove the comments.

Your Guidelines state: “A practitioner must take reasonable steps to have any testimonials associated with their health service or business removed when they become aware of them, even if they appear on a website that is not directly associated and/or under the direct control or administration of that health practitioner and/or their business or service. This includes unsolicited testimonials.”

These Guidelines place an unreasonably onerous burden on all health practitioners. They require that health practitioners take steps to censor patients and consumers who provide unsolicited positive feedback or commentary in a public forum. They demonstrate a lack of understanding of the use of social media in Australia in 2014. They restrict consumers rights to express their positive experiences of healthcare.

We call upon AHPRA to remove Section 6.2.3 from these Guidelines immediately.

Sincerely,
[your name and/or your organisation's name here]

Private health insurance coverage varies considerably from policy to policy, so the out of pocket costs associated with surgery vary for each patient. We endeavour to provide every patient with accurate Informed Financial Consent for their hospital treatment. As part of this we advise each patient to contact their health insurance company and the hospital where they will be treated to discuss the expected out of pocket costs of hospital treatment. For more information on Informed Financial Consent for privately insured patients please visit the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman's website. 

Private Health Insurance Hospital Excess or Co-Payment

Your hospital excess or co-payment is the amount of money that you have to pay if you are admitted to a private hospital. In some instances this is $0, in other instances it is $250 or $500 or more. Your health insurance fund will be able to advise you of the amount. 

Important: Private Health Insurance Exclusions and Restrictions

Does your private health insurance cover you for plastic surgery and accidents? If you have private health insurance it is important to look at the exclusions and fine print in your policy. 

Some private health insurance companies have an exclusion for accidents if you do not seek treatment within 72 hours of the injury. This means that if you have a "minor" accident and you decide to wait and see if your bruising/strain/sprain gets better that your private health insurance may refuse to cover the costs of any subsequent treatment. 

Some private health insurance companies have exclusions for plastic and reconstructive surgery. On first glance this might seem fine, if you think that "plastic surgery" means cosmetic surgery. However, plastic surgery involves skin grafts for burns, microsurgical repairs of hand injuries and breast reconstruction after cancer. 

As the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman's website states: "If your policy excludes or restricts Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, this means there are over 1600 surgical procedures in the Medicare Schedule under the plastic and reconstructive category which your policy either does not cover or covers only to a limited extent. The procedures which you are not covered for can become clinically necessary at any stage of your life." 

For more information on private health insurance exclusions and restrictions please visit the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman website. 

Cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery is not covered by Medicare or private health insurance.

Our "See & Treat Service" allows you to access specialist plastic surgery services in the most convenient way possible. We developed this service because we recognise that your time is important and that it is not easy to take time off work to have a procedure done. Under our 2020 COVIDsafe plan we have adapted the service so that we still provide you with a no obligation free fee estimate, but we are subsequently providing a consultation via telehealth, then performing your procedure face to face (with our clinical staff wearing both face masks and shields) in our Richmond rooms. The steps are detailed in the image below:

How do I access the "See & Treat" Service?

If you have a skin lesion that requires biopsy or removal simply email us your completed registration forms and a photograph of the lesion along with a brief description of what treatment you are seeking to have done (for example: "I'd like to have this lump removed from my arm"). Dr Jill Tomlinson will review your information and we will contact you to provide a cost estimate and to arrange a date for the procedure. If you wish to receive a Medicare rebate for the procedure please also email us your doctor's referral.

Please ensure that you include the following information with your email:

• Intake paperwork (3 page PDF)
• At least one photograph of the area to be treated. It is of great assistance if we can determine what size the treatment area is, so please take the photo in a way that helps us - for example, take one photo from a distance as well as a close-up, or place something next to the treatment area (such as a 5 cent piece or a ruler) to give an idea of the size. 
• A doctor's referral, if you wish to be eligible for a Medicare rebate for the procedure.

Points to be aware of:

• Under our COVIDsafe plan we will conduct your initial consultation via telehealth (usually videoconsultation but this can be via telephone if you prefer) on a separate day from your procedure, to minimise face to face contact.   
• the "See & Treat" service is performed by Dr Jill Tomlinson, who is assisted by a registered nurse. You will not have a general anaesthetic or be administered sedation for a "See & Treat" procedure.
• we strongly advise that you plan to avoid strenuous activities for 48 hours after the procedure. In some cases your activities may be restricted for longer than this. Bruising and swelling are common side effects of surgical procedures and while we do everything we can to minimise this you should not plan to have a procedure performed on your face in the days before an important life event!
• the accuracy of the cost estimate we provide you can be affected by how clear the photographs you send us are. This is because the Medicare rebate varies according to the size of a skin lesion and also according to the type of skin lesion (for example, a Medicare rebate is higher for melanoma treatment than for removal of a non-cancerous lump).
• the "See & Treat" service does not provide a diagnosis or consultation service via email. We cannot advise you via email whether you have a skin cancer. We are only able to provide treatment advice once you have attended our rooms for treatment. 
• we send every specimen off for pathology testing, so that we can be certain of the diagnosis. If the skin lesion turns out to be a skin cancer the pathology results will show whether the skin cancer has been completely removed. If it has not been completely removed you may require further surgery. 
• you will have a follow-up appointment scheduled at 5-14 days after your procedure. At this appointment we will check your wound, remove any stitches that need to be removed, discuss your results and give you a copy of your results, and address any questions or concerns that you have. 
• in some instances when you attend for your "See & Treat" appointment it may become evident that you require more comprehensive surgery than was anticipated. If this is the case your appointment i) may take longer than planned, ii) may need to be rescheduled for another day, or iii) may need to be performed in a hospital setting. This is unlikely but we need you to be aware of this possibility. 
• in some instances we will recommend that you have a biopsy before you have the lump or spot completely removed. This is because the amount of tissue that needs to be removed varies according to what it is. For example, a mole does not need to have a portion of the surrounding tissue removed, but a melanoma does. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will I have an anaesthetic for the procedure? You will have a local anaesthetic, which is given by an injection to the area being treated. The injection does not make you sleepy or sedated. 
• What type of procedures do you do as "See & Treat"? The most common procedures are removal of moles, skin cancers, skin irregularities and ear gauge repair. All the procedures are performed under local anaesthetic and we have a diathermy ("cautery") machine to minimise bleeding and bruising. 
• Can I drive home afterwards? This depends on the treatment site. If the treatment is likely to affect the movement of your hands or your vision you should not plan to drive home. If in doubt, don't drive. Take a taxi, or public transport, or ask someone to drive you. 
• Will there be a scar? If there is an injury to the skin the human body heals this with a scar. We aim to make this scar as unnoticeable as possible. We will advise you on scar prevention treatment and scar management so that you get the best result possible. 
• I'm not sure if I want to go ahead with the procedure. Can I meet Dr Tomlinson first to talk it through? Absolutely, you can schedule a standard appointment to meet Dr Tomlinson and discuss your questions prior to scheduling to have the procedure. This will mean that you have two appointments. If you are uncertain about whether you wish to have the procedure done we recommend that you do not book for a "See & Treat" procedure.
• What if I need to reschedule or cancel? We require 24 hours notice by phone if you will not be able to attend your scheduled appointment. Appointments that are cancelled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours notice will attract the full procedure fee. 
• I live 3 hours drive away. Do I have to come back for a follow-up appointment? If your general practitioner is willing to manage your follow-up please ask him or her to confirm this on your referral. If you are not able to return to see Dr Tomlinson for any follow-up visits we ask that you pre-arrange a medical practitioner who is willing and able to manage your follow-up. We don't want you to be caught short if you have a complication or problem. While we can conduct some follow up appointments via telehealth we cannot remove stitches via videoconsultation. 
• What are the possible complications? Having a skin lesion removed is usually a straightforward procedure. However, the possible complications include bleeding, infection, bruising, swelling, scarring, wound breakdown, discomfort or pain, an allergic reaction to the tapes or dressing, and a need to have another procedure to remove more tissue (if a skin cancer has not been completely removed).

If your question is not answered here please let us know so that we can update the list. 

PLEASE NOTE: All medications can have side effects. Please use only as directed. Incorrect use could be harmful. Consult your health care practitioner if pain or symptoms persist.

Adequate pain control plays an important role in maximising function when you have a painful condition or injury. We strive to manage your pain using combinations of splinting, activity modification, local anaesthetic, oral medications and non-medication techniques. Some surgeries are sufficiently painful that we recommend an overnight stay in hospital as a routine in order to manage your pain optimally. Many plastic surgery procedures are suitable to be performed as day-case operations, using a combination of local anaesthetic (administered at the time of surgery) and oral medications (which you take at home) to manage your pain.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a very valuable and effective pain medication. Some people mistakenly think that because paracetamol is available over the counter that it is not very effective. However, taking regular paracetamol (which means 2 tablets four times a day for most adults) will provide a reduction in your pain, even if you still need to take stronger pain killers. By taking regular paracetamol you will reduce your need to take stronger pain killers, which will reduce the side effects of nausea, constipation and confusion that are common with strong opiate pain killers. 

For more information about paracetamol please follow this link to the National Prescribing Service website.

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a medication from the family of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Aspirin, naproxen and diclofenac are other NSAIDs that you may have heard of. Ibuprofen can be purchased over the counter from supermarkets and pharmacies. The usual adult dose is 200-400mg three times daily.

Ibuprofen can have side effects including irritation of the stomach lining and stomach ulcers. For this reason it is recommended that ibuprofen be taken with food. Ibuprofen can lead to an exacerbation of asthma in some individuals. Ibuprofen should not be taken by pregnant women. For more detailed information please speak with your doctor or pharmacist, and refer to the information available from the National Prescribing Service website.

For post operative pain I commonly recommend taking ibuprofen in addition to paracetamol. The combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen will often be sufficient to manage moderate pain. In many instances if you take regular paracetamol and ibuprofen you will not need to take stronger pain killers like codeine, tramadol and oxycodone – so you will be able to avoid the side effects of nausea, constipation and confusion that are common with strong opiate pain killers.

Ibuprofen is available in a topical gel form. This is not suitable for immediate post operative use but may be suitable in other circumstances – discuss with your doctor or pharmacist if you would like to consider this treatment.

Tramadol

Click here to view information regarding tramadol.

Oxycontin

Click here to view information regarding oxycontin.

Oxycodone

Click here to view information regarding oxycodone.

Additional Pain Management Resources

Pain Management: Frequently Asked Questions

Over The Counter Pain Medications Explained

Chronic Pain: What Can I Do?

My Pain Management Plan - Having structured plan can help chronic pain management

Using Opioid Medications for Chronic Pain

My Pain Diary