Dr Jeanne Carpenter - General Practitioner

02/11/2025

With all the coverage over the Labor Government saying visits to the GP are now bulk billed as of 1st November 2025. We need to be very clear about something, as your GP I did not choose to not bulk bill, I simply couldn’t sustain a viable business from it.
The government chose to not index Medicare with inflation. The govenment also chose to not increase the rebates. The govenment is trying to blame hard working healthcare providers for the consequences of their decision making.
General Practice represents 8% of the total Medicare expenditure, rebates are worth HALF the AMA recommended amount. The touted changes are NOT an increase in rebates, they are incentives proportional to the core rebate which means they will NOT index with inflation.
The universal bulk billing incentive works out to be a 9% increase with no indexation, so inflation will cancel it out in 3 years.
Once again this govenment is holding healthcare hostage as a means of manipulating voters. It is also attempting to coerce General Practitioners into unrealistic financial constraints.

02/11/2025

Some really good news for women with endometriosis

From 1 November 2025, a new Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item number has been introduced for specialist ultrasounds for people with severe endometriosis.
This scan, once often unaffordable and only available privately, is a vital tool in understanding the impacts of endometriosis on surrounding organs, and in planning and managing complex cases. It’s especially important where deep infiltrating endometriosis affects the bowel, bladder, ovaries, or other pelvic organs.

QENDO has long advocated for this critical change, alongside sector partners and lived experience voices. Improved access to high-quality imaging can help reduce diagnostic delays, guide effective treatment, and improve quality of life for those living with endometriosis and pelvic pain.

But this is just one piece of the puzzle. We continue to call for appropriate credentialing and training standards for all sonographers and clinicians performing these specialist scans, ensuring that every patient receives accurate, compassionate, and expert care.

⚠️ Remember: These scans do not rule endometriosis out, they can only confirm its presence.

We encourage patients to:
✔️ Ask questions before booking a scan
✔️ Confirm that their sonographer or radiologist is experienced in endometriosis-specific imaging
✔️ Choose trusted, evidence-based providers

Every step forward counts and this is a big one.

02/11/2025

Doctors Explain What Prostate Cancer Screenings Involve

02/11/2025

Are you the person in your home remembering all the important dates, when the last load of washing went on and planning what's for dinner? 😅

There's usually one person in the house who shoulders most of life's daily tasks—and it can be a heavy burden to carry. We call this 'mental load'.

'Mental load' refers to the invisible work that comes with having a home and a family. It's not about the physical task itself, but keeping track of the never-ending to-do list, mentally. 😮‍💨

Anyone can find themselves carrying the mental load, and it can take its toll. Constantly managing a household can decrease energy levels, cause insomnia, affect your mental wellbeing, and lead to poor food choices or substance dependence.

Talking to your partner or family members about lightening the load is important. Don't assume they know how you're feeling. 💕

When you have the chat, try to:
👉 be clear, honest and respectful about how you're feeling
👉 work out which tasks suit each person's individual strengths
👉 work out how you're going to divide household tasks (make a list and check in weekly)
👉 be realistic about what you all can achieve.

If you are having trouble coping, see your healthcare provider or call Lifeline on 13 11 44. ☎️

ℹ️ Source:
Healthline | Jean Hailes

02/11/2025

IIt’s Stress Awareness Week, a great reminder to pause and check in with yourself 🧡

Many believe reducing stress automatically improves mental health, but research shows the connection is far more complex and interlinked.

We all experience stress, but it affects each of us differently and can change over time.

Awareness is the first step. Try these 4 simple steps below to start managing stress 👇

For a full guide to understanding and managing stress, click here 👉 https://bit.ly/3Xg4tBg

31/10/2025

New screening guidelines are now in place

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with most cases due to smoking.

Symptoms of lung cancer may include:
👉 shortness of breath
👉 changes to the voice such as hoarseness
👉 chest pain
👉 coughing or spitting up blood
👉 a new cough that does not go away
👉 chest infection that lasts more than three weeks or keeps coming back
👉 enlarged fingertips
👉 loss of appetite
👉 unexplained weight loss
👉 tiredness.

If you have any of these symptoms, whether you smoke or not, please see your doctor.

The best thing you can do to reduce your risk of lung cancer is quitting smoking. 🚭

As soon as you quit, your body starts to heal. Then, after 10 years of quitting, your risk of lung cancer is halved. 🙌

If you or someone you know would like help to quit, call Quitline on 13 7848 for free support, or visit https://www.quithq.initiatives.qld.gov.au/

ℹ️ Source: Cancer Council

31/10/2025

From November 1 you might see media stories about GPs “returning to bulk billing”. Many of you will have all seen Anthony Albanese’s promises to date since the Federal Election in May.

I want to be open and honest that this will not apply to my practice.

I will remain private billing so I can continue to:
💙 Take time to listen and explain
💙 Offer continuity of care from a GP who knows you & your history
💙 Provide safe, comprehensive medicine — not rushed care
💙remain a small business, employing locals who live and love the local area (lord knows I tried the corporate way and failed the 6 minute consult program)

I know the cost of living pressures are real, and will continue to offer options around your needs for referrals and scripts and oppourtunities such as telehealth so you can call on days you are working.

The government rebate does not cover the true cost of providing quality medical care. I would encourage you to talk to your local federal member if you find that the Medicare rebate does not meet your needs. After all the Medicare rebate is what we all contribute to as tax payers, and I am struggling to comprehend the Government’s tiering of it with their new policies.

Thank you for valuing the difference that time, care and experience make. Your support keeps independent general practice alive in our communities

31/10/2025

Dr Carpenter is now accepting new patients at Sutton Street Medical 🩺👩‍⚕️
Phone 34871017 to make an appointment

31/10/2025

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31/10/2025

Don't rob yourself of being the healthiest version of you - many important health hacks take less than seven minutes.

Whether you are due for one of your important health checks like a review of a sketchy mole, or you want to simply feel the picture of health, your wellbeing is as precious as the treasures from the Louvre.

Prioritise it today at www.health.qld.gov.au and www.metronorth.health.qld.gov.au:
🩷 Breast cancer screening and prevention
🌞 Skin cancer
💩 The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program in Queensland
😃 Oral health
🫶 About cervical screening
💉 Immunisation in Metro North

31/10/2025

13/10/2025

Roald Dahl on Measles: Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.

'Are you feeling all right?' I asked her.

'I feel all sleepy,' she said.

In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.

The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was...in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her. On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunised against measles.
..I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the first was ‘James and the Giant Peach’. That was when she was still alive. The second was ‘The BFG’, dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles. You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children.

Roald Dahl, 1986

Protect your child’s future—vaccinate today. A simple decision can save a life:

Roald Dahl’s Heartbreaking Loss and the Importance of Vaccination Characters Duyen Elaine Tháng Mười 12, 2025 In 1962, the world-renowned author Roald Dahl faced a personal tragedy that would shape not only his own life but also the lives of countless others. His beloved seven-year-old daughte...