Dubbo · Western NSW · Telehealth
Telehealth Dietitian for Dubbo & Western NSW
Video appointments with Accredited Practising Dietitians for Dubbo and the Central West — focused dietetics without a trip to Orange, Newcastle or Sydney.
How we see Dubbo clients: by telehealth only. Ausclin’s rooms are in Mount Hutton and we do not run a clinic in Dubbo, so every Dubbo appointment is a video consultation. Medicare and private health rebates apply on the same basis as an in-person visit.
The dietetics gap in Western NSW
Dubbo is a substantial regional centre and a referral hub for an enormous catchment — Western NSW covers close to a third of the state. That size cuts both ways: there is real health infrastructure here, and there is also a long list of sub-specialties that simply are not resident.
Focused dietetic care is one of them. For narrow work — eating disorders in children and adolescents, complex women’s health — the practical options have been a waitlist, a drive to Orange or Sydney, or nothing. None of those is a good answer for something that needs reviewing every few weeks.
Distance is the whole problem, and video removes it
Dubbo to Newcastle is roughly five hours. For a single appointment that is a two-day commitment once you account for the return trip, and for a course of six it is not a realistic proposition for most families.
There is no clinical reason for that trip in standard dietetics. There is no physical examination in a normal appointment — it is history, patterns, planning and review, all of which travel down a video link intact. Removing the drive does not dilute the care; it is the only thing that makes ongoing care possible at this distance.
Working with your local team
We are not trying to replace anyone local. Where you already have a GP, paediatrician, psychologist or a Western NSW service involved, we would rather sit alongside them — with your consent we write to your GP after the first appointment and at review points.
If a good local option exists for what you need, we will say so. Where we are useful is the specific: eating disorders in young people, women’s health including PCOS and endometriosis, and nutrition alongside mental health care.
Where our Central West clients are
Dubbo, Wellington, Narromine, Gilgandra, Dunedoo, Trangie, Peak Hill, Coonamble, Warren and out towards Nyngan and Cobar. We also see clients from Mudgee and Gulgong, which sit between here and the Hunter.
How telehealth works, and what it costs
Do you have anyone based in Dubbo?
No. Ausclin is a Newcastle practice and every Dubbo appointment is by video. We do not travel to the Central West and we do not run outreach clinics there. If in-person care is what you need, a local or Western NSW Local Health District service is the right starting point.
Is a telehealth dietitian covered by Medicare?
Yes, on the same basis as an in-person appointment. If your GP prepares a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, Medicare item 10954 currently rebates $63.40 per session for up to five allied health sessions per calendar year, and the session must run at least 20 minutes. Eating disorder arrangements allow considerably more. You can check the pathways with our Medicare Eligibility Checker.
Does telehealth actually work for dietetics?
It suits dietetics better than most clinical work. There is no physical examination in a standard dietitian appointment — it is conversation, history, food patterns, planning and review. A video call loses very little of that, and it gains something: we can see your kitchen, your pantry, the labels on the products you actually buy, which is often more useful than anything that happens in a consulting room.
Is the connection out here good enough?
Usually. A video consultation uses less data than streaming a film, and where the connection is poor we switch to a phone appointment — which for most dietetics work loses very little. Plans and resources are emailed afterwards either way, so nothing depends on the video holding up.