Pitt Town Family Practice

29/12/2025

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT | We are advising people who have been in Sydney CBD in the Clarence Street and Wynyard area since 9 December 2025 to be on the lookout for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.

Four people, who are not known to each other, have developed Legionnaires’ disease after spending time in Clarence Street near Wynyard in Sydney CBD between 9 and 18 December 2025. People who have been in the area and develop these symptoms should visit their GP or emergency department:
- cough
- chills
- fever
- severe pneumonia
- shortness of breath.

For more information on Legionnaires’ disease visit:
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/legionnaires_disease.aspx

25/12/2025

Boxing Day, also known as Offering Day, is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide. Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities. ie Boxing Day test cricket, Sydney to Hobart yacht race and the good old Boxing Day sales.

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas to all our wonderful patients.

May today be filled with love, kindness and full bellies.

From all of us at Pitt Town Family Practice. 🎄🎅🏻💝

23/12/2025

NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles following the notification of three confirmed cases of measles who were unknowingly infectious while visiting many locations across Sydney.

The new cases are known close contacts of a person who had measles recently in Sydney.

NSW Health is advising people who attended the Gran Torino Restaurant (24 Bay St, Double Bay) on the following dates to watch for the development of symptoms:

- Tuesday, 16 December, 1:55pm to 11:20pm
- Wednesday, 17 December, 1:55pm to 10:55pm
- Thursday, 18 December, 7:55am to 11:45pm (including Bar Torino)
- Friday, 19 December, 9:55am to 11:30pm (including Bar Torino)
- Saturday 20 December, 9:55am to 12am
- Sunday 21 December, 10am to 1pm.

Additionally, people who attended the following locations should watch for the development of symptoms. These locations do not pose an ongoing risk.

- Allianz Stadium on Saturday 20 December, 8pm to 11pm
- The Golden Sheaf (429 New South Head Rd, Double Bay) on Saturday 20 December, 4.55pm to 6:30pm
- Royal Oak Hotel (28 Bay St, Double Bay) on Saturday 20 December, 7:30pm to 8:30pm and 11pm to 12:30am
- Light rail and train at various locations in Inner West, Marrickville and Sydney CBD on Tuesday 16 December and Friday 19 December
- Various other locations in Double Bay, Mascot, Kirrawee, and Sydney CBD between Thursday 18 and Monday 22 December.

The list of exposure locations and times is being regularly updated. The full list of exposure locations is available here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/measles/Pages/public-exposure-locations.aspx

Dr Jeremy McAnulty, Executive Director Health Protection NSW, said anyone who visited the above locations at those times should monitor for symptoms.

“Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes,” Dr McAnulty said.

“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body. It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it's important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until Friday 9 January 2026.”

For more information on measles, visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/measles/Pages/public-exposure-locations.aspx

If you, or a loved one, is experiencing measles symptoms, or have questions about measles, please call your GP or healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

23/12/2025

⚠️Medicine shortage update – Substitutions approved for shortage of Catapres (clonidine) 150 mcg tablets⚠️

Pharmaceutical company Clinect has told us that Catapres (clonidine) 150 microgram (mcg) tablets will be in shortage from December 2025 to April 2026 due to manufacturing issues.

Clonidine tablets are used for essential hypertension and renal hypertension. The 100 mcg tablets are also used for menopausal flushing and migraine prophylaxis. Clonidine is also used off-label for various conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic pain and cancer pain.

Catapres is the only brand of clonidine 150 mcg tablets supplied in Australia.

However, we expect the following 3 brands of 100 mcg clonidine tablets to remain available during the shortage of Catapres 150 mcg tablets:
• Catapres 100 mcg
• APO Clonidine 100 mcg
• Clonidine Lupin 100 mcg

To help patients have continuous access to their medicine, especially considering the holiday season, we have made a Serious Scarcity Substitution Instrument (SSSI) that starts on 22 December 2025 and ends on 28 April 2026.

The SSSI allows a pharmacist to dispense an equivalent quantity of clonidine 100 mcg tablets, if appropriate, without a new prescription.

Read more: https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/shortages-and-supply-disruptions/medicine-shortages/medicine-shortage-alerts/substitutions-approved-shortage-catapres-clonidine-150-mcg-tablets

21/12/2025

Do you need a medical attention whilst we are closed.

Dial 000 for an ambulance

Attend your local hospital for urgent care. Hawkesbury Hospital is the closest to our practice at Pitt Town

Call 137425 for an after hours appointment with 13SICK our deputising service attached to our surgery.

For an after hours chemist head to Penrith 24 Hour Pharmacy healthsave, High Street at Penrith they are open 24hours.

18/12/2025

17/12/2025

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all our followers and patients of our surgery from your Wednesday/Thursday afternoon girl. 🎄🎅🏻🎉

Once again another successful year of bringing you important medical dates and information to improve your health and wellbeing.

Looking forward to seeing you all again next year.

Here’s to 2026 🥂🥳

15/12/2025

Following the tragic incident at Bondi Beach, Lifeblood has issued urgent calls for O negative blood across NSW. Fewer than 7% of Australians have this blood type, and it’s critical in emergencies when a patient’s blood type is unknown.

To donate blood or plasma, visit www.lifeblood.com.au/donor-centre, call 13 14 95 or download the free Lifeblood app.

For more information on the Bondi Beach attack, including mental health support and victim support services, visit nsw.gov.au/go/bondi-beach-tragedy

14/12/2025

This is the last week we will be open, before we close for Christmas. 🎄 🎅🏻

So, do you need scripts?

12/12/2025

NSW Health is advising people to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after being notified of a confirmed case who was infectious while visiting several locations in Sydney.

The case recently returned from South-East Asia, where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles in several countries including Indonesia.

People who attended the following locations should watch for the development of symptoms. These locations do not pose an ongoing risk:
- Sydney Metro and T4 Train Lines – Macquarie University Station to Edgecliff Station via Martin Place Station at various dates and times between Wednesday 3 and Saturday 8 December
- Gran Torino Restaurant, 24 Bay St, Double Bay at various dates and times between Wednesday 3 and Saturday 6 December
- Macquarie Centre Food Court, Waterloo Rd Macquarie Park, between 3:30PM and 5:30PM on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 December.

The full list of locations and times is available here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/measles/Pages/public-exposure-locations.aspx

Northern Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit Director, Dr Michael Staff, said anyone who visited the above locations at those times should monitor for symptoms. “Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes,” Dr Staff said.

“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body. It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it's important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until 27 December.”

For more information on measles, visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Measles_Factsheet.aspx

If you, or a loved one, is experiencing measles symptoms, or have questions about measles, please call your GP or healthdirect on 1800 022 222.