Foster and Toora Medical Centres

20/05/2026

DIPTHERIA VACCINATIONS

We have had a number of worried phone calls from patients asking if they need a diptheria vaccination.

It concerning to all of us that there has been an outbreak of diptheria - a *vaccine preventable infection* largely not seen in Australia any more - in the NT, WA and Qld.

Vaccinated individuals in our region remain very low risk of catching this nasty infection. Vaccination for diptheria has been a routine part of childhood vaccine schedules in Australia for decades and is highly effective. Many of you will have had a booster when you received a tetanus or whooping cough booster.

Unvaccinated individuals and those travelling to high risk areas should consider reveiwing their vaccination status accordingly.

For others, please, we encourage you to check your own vaccination status by accessing your my gov account and vaccination record. There is no urgent need to call the clinic and ask about your vaccination record and your GP can do this at your next routine appointment if you cannot locate it yourself.

Finally this is a great reminder that vaccines save lives and keep our loved ones out of hospital. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor at your next appointment what you’re due for.

Once a major cause of childhood deaths, diphtheria was largely eliminated through vaccination. Health authorities say falling immunity may now be helping the disease spread again.

24/04/2026

NAIL AND FOOT CARE AT FMC

We are aware of the major gap in available nail cutting services in South Gippsland and Foster in particular. We continue to try to work with CHC and other community groups to build capacity in this area. Having cut toe nails for HUNDREDS of people for many years our beloved nurse Sue Brown has decided to put down the podiatry instruments and we thank her very much for her service in this field.

We are pleased to announce that we have remodelled the service and RN Kisarne - who many will already know from our treatment room - will be picking up the foot clinic at FMC. We thank her very much for responding to the community need in this way.

First clinic will be April 28th 2026. Unfortunately the service no longer meets requirements for Medicare billing and there will be a charge of $50 for the clinic which remains less than other similar private offerings.

Please contact reception if you would like to book in. Appointments are required.

21/04/2026

RSV VACCINES FOR ADULTS

This week the federal government announced from May 15 2026 it will provide the RSV vaccine to eligible adults (those over 75 and ATSI people over 60).

Many of you will be familiar with RSV due to it commonly causing nasty chest infections in infants and young children.

In 2025, RSV was the third most common cause of older adults being hospitalised with a respiratory viral infection, after influenza and Covid.

*Please note that we do not yet know when we will receive vaccines or how many we will receive. We will continue to update the community when we know more and ask that you give us time to receive more information in the coming days before we can offer bookings.

Information about RSV vaccination, who it is recommended for, and how and where to get vaccinated. If you are eligible, you can get the maternal RSV vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program.

08/04/2026

GUARDASIL VACCINATIONS

Did you know that with the introduction of the HPV vaccine countries in some parts of the world are seeing a dramatic reduction in cases of cervical cancer - such that we might eliminate it?! Did you know that HPV can also affect men and that vaccinating boys and men can also help us protect women from HPV?

The vaccine is so effective we now only need to give a single dose to protect most people.

If you or your loved one are under 25 and have not been vaccinated but would like to be, you are eligible for a free vaccine. If you are over 25 you can still access the vaccine via a private a script. Please give FMC a call and chat to our nurses or doctors about getting vaccinated.

22/03/2026

PATHOLOGY COLLECTION 23/3/26

Please note both Dorovitch and Monash Pathology are closed today. We are aware that patients may need tests today for pre-surgery, chemo etc and will try to accommodate people who are in this situation. For non urgent blood tests please wait till later in the week when pathology reopens.

11/03/2026

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/better-and-faster-access

MY HEALTH RECORD - YOUR RESULTS

Did you know that from July it will be mandatory for pathology and radiology providers to upload your test results to your My Health Record within 7 days? This will enable you and those who care for you (including emergency departments) more access to these results if and when you need them.

The process has already started for many results and we encourage patients to activate their My Health Record if they have not previously. While we at FMC are working to improve our communication about results this is a greatl way for patients to have access to their results in full when they might be required outside of appointment times with your doctor.

Please ask at reception next time you are at FMC if you aren't sure how to activate your record.

The Modernising My Health Record (Sharing by Default) Act 2025 introduces new requirements for some healthcare providers to upload specific health information to My Health Record.

26/02/2026

SMS RESULTS AND REMINDERS

As part of our effort to improve communication we will be rolling out further SMS capability so that we can send you a text to let you know about normal results (“no action required”) , to let you know if your doctor would like to see you (“please make an appointment”) or to remind you about recall appointments.

Initially just two doctors will trial the system to ensure we understand how it works best and then a broader roll out will continue. We hope this will improve our ability to reassure people about normal results and free up time for doctors and reception to deal with the things that do require attention. Of course this will not replace appointments and phone calls for results that require more in-depth discussion or urgent attention.

A reminder that it is now a requirement for pathology providers to upload your results to your health record and we encourage patients to use this service when they might also like to have a copy of their results.

06/02/2026

SMS REMINDERS ARE HERE!

You asked, we listened. After some searching we have found a new text messaging system to integrate with our software and replace HotDocs. Commencing next week all standard appointments for doctor and nurse appointments will generate an SMS reminder and confirmation request.

This will not apply to vaccine clinics, (phone) script clinic or Saturdays.

We hope this will help both patients remember their appointments and reduce our no shows and wasted appointments.

In the coming weeks we will trial the same system for notification of results and reminders and hope this will further improve our communication with patients.

18/01/2026

LEONGATHA HEALTH CARE CLOSURE

We are sad and concerned to hear the announcement regarding the closure of Leongatha Health Care. We know that this clinic, like ours, serves a pivotal role in its rural community and we know that there will be many anxious patients, staff and doctors alike in the coming days. We are communicating with remaining medical staff to be abreast of changes and do what we can to support them through whatever transition occurs. We hope that a solution can be found to fill the gap this will leave.

We also acknowledge that our own service is already under significant appointment pressure and our priority remains serving our existing Foster and surrounds community.

At this time we will not be able to accommodate appointments for new patients who do not receive their regular care from FMC. We encourage patients in this situation to utilise the alternative suggested services in Leongatha.

We will await further news and continue to keep everyone updated on any changes that will impact FMC.

31/12/2025

NO CLINIC THIS SATURDAY 3rd JAN.

Please note, due to staff illness we will not be able to open the clinic this Saturday the 3rd of January. We will have a doctor available for emergencies only at the hospital as usual.
Thanks for your understanding.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy 2026.
FMC

28/12/2025

It has come to our attention that community members may be receiving texts or emails claiming to be from HotDocs. Please note we no longer use Hot Docs and this is likely a scam. If you are unsure please call the clinic or whichever health service you otherwise use HotDocs with.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy holiday season. FMC