The Surgery At Jerra

21/02/2026

When the consult room lights go off, the connection doesn’t.

Last night, practice owners David and Kylie Yates hosted a dinner for our TSAJ doctors. No agenda. No minutes. No clinical updates. Just good food, good conversation and time to breathe.

At The Surgery at Jerra, we know that great patient care starts with a healthy, supported team. Work–life balance isn’t a buzzword for us. It’s protective. It reduces burnout. It keeps us steady for the long haul.

Strong workplace culture doesn’t just happen inside the practice between 8 and 5. It grows when people feel known, valued and connected to each other beyond the daily rush.

We are incredibly proud of the TSAJ family we’ve built. Caring for each other means we can keep caring for our community.

20/02/2026

20/02/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗦𝗔𝗝 - 𝗗𝗿 𝗗𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦

In this instalment of Faces of TSAJ, we get to know practice co-owner Dr David Yates. We all know him as the founding GP of The Surgery at Jerra… but outside the consult room, you’ll usually find him somewhere on a cricket pitch.

David has been playing cricket since he was young and these days turns out for an Over 50s Sri Lankan team as their opening batsman and wicketkeeper. He says people are always quick to point out, “But you’re not Sri Lankan”… when what he’d really like to hear is, “But you’re not over 50!” (he wants people to think he’s younger than he actually is)

Over the years, cricket has taken him all around the world. He’s played in Hong Kong at Kowloon Cricket Club, regarded as one of the most expensive cricket grounds in the world due to the price of land, in England at Hambledon Cricket Club, reputedly where the game of cricket originated, and in India. His team has also played at Lord's Cricket Ground. He has captained the SCG XI several times and even had the chance to play against the Queen’s Household team at Windsor Castle. The Queen drove past to have a look while he played!

While in London, he was presented with his SCG XI Baggy Green cap by former Australian Test cricketer Stuart Clark.

Last weekend, David even retired after 50 runs, took two wickets bowling (slowly), and made a run out to help his team make the semi finals this week.

These days though, he says he knows he’s getting older when a day of cricket feels like 80 mins of rugby. Now it takes about a week to recover from all the deep squats from wicketkeeping… and his wife definitely hears about it. Believe me!

Not bad for someone who still insists he’s just there to make up the numbers… 🏏

20/02/2026

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑫𝒓 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒂 = 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝑫𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓? 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓.

While he has advanced training and a strong interest in skin cancer medicine,
Dr Asanga Bandara is a comprehensive GP first and foremost.

That means:

✔ General health checks
✔ Ongoing care for chronic conditions
✔ Men’s health
✔ Mental health
✔ Preventive screening
✔ The everyday “GP stuff” that really matters

If you’ve been waiting to see him but don’t need a skin check, good news — he has general GP appointments available.

Book online today.
https://www.hotdoc.com.au/medical-centres/jerrabomberra-NSW-2619/the-surgery-at-jerra/doctors/dr-asanga-bandara-4?utm_source=chatgpt.com

20/02/2026

Summer in Australia means beach days, backyard BBQs, and long afternoons in the sun. But it’s hard to fully relax when there’s a spot on your skin that’s been quietly worrying you.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. The good news? When detected early, most skin cancers are highly treatable.

At The Surgery at Jerra, we offer comprehensive skin checks with our experienced GPs. From routine annual reviews to assessing new or changing moles, we’re here to help you stay on top of your skin health.

If you’ve noticed:
• A new or changing mole
• A spot that bleeds, itches, or won’t heal
• A lesion that looks different from the rest

Don’t ignore it. Peace of mind is part of enjoying summer properly.

📞 Book your skin check online today and head back to the beach worry-free >> https://tsaj.com.au/book-online/

19/02/2026

🇦🇺 𝑫𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

As part of TSAJ's ongoing commitment to Veterans’ health, Dr Robarts is accepting a small number of new patients who:

• Are medically discharging from the DVA
• Have DVA claims that require processing and medical reports

We understand how complex and overwhelming this stage can feel. Our team is committed to supporting veterans through the medical and reporting process with care, clarity and respect.

If you or someone you know meets the above criteria, please contact our reception team for more information.

𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅. 🇦🇺

18/02/2026

💙 Yesterday, our team wore teal ribbons to show support for ovarian cancer awareness.

It’s a small gesture with a big message, raising awareness, starting conversations, and standing with those affected by ovarian cancer.

Early recognition matters. Support matters. Community matters.

18/02/2026

𝑻𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔? 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆.

Lots of Australians experience gut issues like bloating, irregular bowel habits or discomfort — but many of us still feel a bit embarrassed to talk about it. That’s understandable, but it also means people miss out on good help.

Surveys show that a significant number of people have tried changing their diet to manage digestion — things like eating more fibre, adding probiotic foods, or cutting back on sugar and fast food. Many others have turned to social media trends like lemon water or apple cider vinegar, especially when looking for quick fixes.

While small tweaks like more fibre or regular meals can help some people, not all gut changes are normal or harmless. If digestive issues are frequent, uncomfortable, impacting your day, or you’re unsure what’s normal, a quick chat with your GP can make all the difference.

Talking about gut health isn’t gross — it’s a smart step toward feeling better.

17/02/2026

𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒆 🤢
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈?

• Germs from faecal matter can end up on your hands and then in your mouth without you realising. (gross)

• Unwashed hands easily spread viruses and bacteria to other people, especially via shared surfaces, food, and handshakes.

• Good hand hygiene reduces the spread of respiratory infections like colds and flu.

• It also helps prevent some stomach bugs and infections such as gastroenteritis and illnesses caused by bacteria like E. coli.

17/02/2026

Teal Ribbon Day is a reminder that ovarian cancer symptoms can be subtle and easy to overlook.

Persistent bloating, pelvic discomfort, feeling full quickly, or changes in urinary habits shouldn’t be ignored, especially if they don’t feel normal for you.

At The Surgery at Jerra, we provide compassionate, personalised women’s health care at every stage of life, from routine screening and breast checks to menopause management and reproductive health support. Female GPs are also available for those who prefer one.

If something feels off, trust your instinct and book a check.

📞 Book your appointment today - https://tsaj.com.au/book-online/

17/02/2026

🫁𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓

Today, our GPs and nurses spent time with visiting allied health professional Timothy Daley from Capital Respiratory Physiotherapy.

Timothy shared practical insights into respiratory physiotherapy, including:

✔️ Airway clearance techniques to help people clear mucus and reduce chest infections
✔️ Understanding dysfunctional breathing, when breathlessness doesn’t quite match what’s happening in the lungs
✔️ Inspiratory muscle training, strengthening the breathing muscles to make breathing more efficient

Why do we invite specialists like this to visit?

Because medicine doesn’t stand still, and neither do we.

At The Surgery at Jerra, our team regularly learns from allied health professionals and specialists so we can:

• better understand the treatments available for our patients
• work collaboratively with local experts
• give you practical, evidence-based advice when breathing issues arise

Sometimes the best care comes from teamwork behind the scenes. Today was a great reminder that when health professionals learn together, patients benefit.

16/02/2026

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗧𝗼𝗸?

There’s a lot of ADHD content on TikTok, and while some of it is relatable or reassuring, research suggests many symptom claims don’t line up with clinical diagnostic criteria.

Studies looking at popular videos have found that fewer than half of the symptom claims match what clinicians use to diagnose ADHD. Much of the content reflects personal experience, humour, or broad traits that many people experience from time to time.

Social media can be great for awareness and community, but it can also oversimplify complex conditions and sometimes leave people feeling more worried about their symptoms.

If you’re wondering whether ADHD might be part of your story, the most helpful next step isn’t an algorithm — it’s a proper conversation with a health professional who can look at the full picture.