Top End Medical

Clinic Profile

Category
PGPPP, GPR

Location
Top End Medical Centre is located in the Casuarina Health Precinct at 11 Vanderlin Drive, Casuarina, Darwin.

Outstations Serviced
NA

Health Centre Information
Facilities and rooms: Top End Medical Centre is a modern, bulk billing General Practice which opened to the Darwin public in December 2011. Top End Medical Centre expanded in November 2012 to include four new consulting rooms and a pathology collection centre.
Staff: The Top End Medical Centre is currently staffed by 17 doctors.

Programs

• Acute disease management
• Chronic disease management and care plans
• Fitness to work assessments / pre-employment and occupational health checks
• Fitness to drive assessments
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health management and care plans
• Antenatal management
• Vaccinations
• Minor surgical procedures – suturing of lacerations, removal of cysts
• Wart treatments
• Asthma management
• Workers Compensation medical management
• 4 year old child health checks
• 45 – 49 year old health checks
• Diabetes risk assessment and medical management in conjunction with a diabetes educator
• Pap smears
• Implanon insertion and removals

Open Times
Mon – Fri: 0830hrs – 2100hrs
Saturday: 0900hrs – 1800hrs
Sunday: 1000hrs – 1800hrs
Public Holidays: Closed

Contact Details
Top End Medical Centre
Casuarina Health Precinct
2/11 Vanderlin Drive, Casuarina. NT 0810.
P: (08) 8927 1033, 1300 4 DOCTORS F: (08) 8927 3011
E: [email protected]
W: www.topendmedicalcentre.com.au

Additional Information
In 2012 the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) accredited Top End Medical Centre as a teaching facility for Medical General Practitioners.

Community Profile

Background
Darwin is the Northern Territory’s capital city situated on the Timor Sea, on the shores of Darwin Harbour which is seven times the area of Sydney Harbour. It is the smallest and most Northerly of the Australian capital cities and acts as the Top End’s regional centre. It is the home of Northern Territory commerce and business and with its world-class natural and cultural attractions it is also a thriving hub of activity in terms of tourism, nightlife and retail. Boasting a unique, laid-back lifestyle, Darwin enjoys warm weather all-year round and is a vibrant tropical harbor city. Today, more than 50 nationalities make up its population, including the traditional landowners, the Larrakia people.

Population
Darwin has a cosmopolitan population in excess of 130,000 people with an Indigenous population of around 12,600.

Major Language Groups
English

Access via Road
Darwin can be accessed via the Stuart Highway, which runs the length of the Northern Territory from Darwin through to Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and onto Adelaide.

Access via Air
The Darwin International Airport has domestic flights available between all major Australian cities and international flights to some overseas destinations. Many remote communities can be accessed via smaller operators from Darwin Airport.

Seasonal Access
The climate of Darwin is heavily affected by the monsoon season from November to March. The majority of the yearly rainfall occurs during this time, a period in which tropical cyclones can occur. The Darwin International Airport may close in the event of a cyclone warning.

History
The Larrakia people are the first inhabitants of the greater Darwin area. They had trading routes with Southeast Asia and imported goods from as far afield as South and Western Australia. Darwin Harbour was discovered in 1839 by the Captain of the Beagle, John Lort Stokes, who named it after a former shipmate, British naturalist Charles Darwin. It was first settled as the capital of the Northern Territory in the 1860s. Originally the settlement was named Palmerston, with its port being named Port Darwin. The town’s growth was accelerated when gold was discovered 200kms South at the town of Pine Creek in 1871. The town name of Darwin over Palmerston came to be widely used by the inhabitants, and in 1911 the town name of Palmerston was officially changed to Darwin. Darwin has a tragic history. In 1942 during WWII Darwin was bombed by the Japanese and suffered loss of life and property. In 1974 the city was almost completely levelled by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve. A pioneering spirit has overcome these events and the twice-rebuilt city has thrived.

Art and Culture
The East Point Military Museum is Darwin’s first museum and features war memorabilia, equipment and vehicles. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory holds collections of Aboriginal art and material culture, visual arts, craft, South East Asian and Oceanic art and material culture, maritime archaeology, Northern Territory history and natural sciences, as well as a display on Cyclone Tracy. The Darwin Festival staged in August showcases local, national and international talent through music, art, dance and theatre.

City/Shire Council
Darwin City Council (www.darwin.nt.gov.au)

Facilities and Services
Darwin has all the facilities of a modern city – shady parks, a pedestrian mall, shopping precincts, sports grounds, motor race complex, horse racing track, a great range of restaurants, three cinema complexes (including the open air Deckchair Cinema), trendy pubs and clubs, and nightlife strip.

Darwin has over 35 primary and preschools, 12 secondary schools (including both government and non-government and a small number of Christian, Catholic and Lutheran institutions), Charles Darwin University, two libraries, several police stations and the public Royal Darwin Hospital.

Attractions
There is an array of rich and interesting historical World War II artifacts and preserved sites, a multicultural mix of alfresco restaurants and diverse outdoor markets (Mindil Beach, Parap, Rapid Creek and Nightcliff), wildlife parks and prized fishing grounds popular for fishing trips and charters. There are many local venues that host live music and other entertainment and Darwin is a hub for Top End tours to surrounding spectacular natural attractions including Kakadu National Park (140kms East), Adelaide River (112kms West) and Litchfield National Park (170kms South).
For more attractions and activities around Darwin, please visit Tourism Top End.

Telecommunications reception and internet access

• Phone access
• ADSL Internet / Email access
• Satellite

Coverage available from three major carriers: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Permits required ie camping, alcohol, beach etc
Northern Territory law requires all visitors to obtain a permit to enter Aboriginal land. The exceptions are designated public roads, which pass through Aboriginal land. There is no permit required to enter the Darwin city and a number of jointly managed National Parks. A permit / park pass may be required for the Kakadu National Park.

Liquor is not prohibited in Darwin; however there are a number of public areas within Darwin and the NT where drinking is restricted. For more information visit the Department of Business (http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/licenreg/liquor/restrictions.shtml) website.

Swimming in the sea is not recommended due to deadly box jellyfish and crocodiles, especially from October to May.

Useful Links
The Territory (www.theterritory.com.au)
Tourism Top End (www.tourismtopend.com.au)
Travelmate.com.au (maps.travelmate.com.au)