Published Manly Daily 2018

"Tax agent Annette McGough isn't ill, only she goes to her GP surgery at least once a calendar week, if not twice.

Sometimes she might even popular in for a loving cup of tea.

That'southward because she is a guinea hog, along with 450 other northern beaches patients, who have signed up to a revolutionary new doctor'due south surgery, Osana Narrabeen, where doctors get paid bonuses for keeping people well.

Here patients can go on group trips to the supermarket to learn good for you shopping habits, attend free weekly cookery lessons with in-firm dietician Lisa Mesiti, enjoy embankment walks and fifty-fifty go to meditation classes.

Patient Annette McGough says the GP surgery has changed her life. Picture: Julian Andrews.
Patient Annette McGough says the GP surgery has changed her life. Moving picture: Julian Andrews.

Ms McGough, 47, of Avalon, tin can't praise it enough — information technology's changed her life.

In four months she has lost 30 kilos.

She is even so on her journey and has another twoscore kilos to shed, but said she feels like a different person. For an annual membership fee of $150 she tin meet her GP for as long as she wants, as ofttimes as she wants.

She also gets free access to in-house specialists including a psychologist and physiotherapist.

Ms McGough even has her ain health assistant, whose chore information technology is to arrange all her health appointments both at the clinic and elsewhere if needed.

Dr Caroline Rogers used the wheel if does home visits near the Narrabeen clinic on Pittwater Rd. Picture: Julian Andrews.

Her first consultation with Dr Caroline Rogers was an 60 minutes and a one-half long.

During that appointment Dr Rogers suspected Ms McGough might exist suffering from sleep apnoea, a serious disorder where people stop animate repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times.

She was right. After years of going to GPs and feeling frustrated considering they merely asked her, 'What do you demand?', she said it was amazing to take a GP who was bully to listen to her.

"It took a caring doctor to drill deeper and find out why I had a weight problem," Ms McGough said.

GP clinic Osana Narrabeen takes clients on outings to the supermarket to teach them healthy shopping habits and on walks to Narrabeen Beach, above. Picture: Supplied.
GP clinic Osana Narrabeen takes clients on outings to the supermarket to teach them healthy shopping habits and on walks to Narrabeen Embankment, above. Movie: Supplied.

"It'due south been a long battle and I've been to lots of GPs who didn't really mind to me and assumed I must be rampage eating in secret."

Ms McGough had been told previously she had small nasal passages which may be affecting her sleep, simply she was never told the consequences of what might happen if left untreated.

In fact sleep apnoea tin can cause havoc with hormones and atomic number 82 to weight gain because the patient only does not have plenty energy to function properly, let lone exercise.

Inside a week of seeing Dr Rogers, a slumber machine test confirmed she had sleep apnoea and revealed she was waking up 34 times an 60 minutes and getting iv and a half hours sleep a nighttime.

She now has a machine that pumps oxygen into her body while she sleeps.

"After three days of using this machine at night I felt similar a million dollars," she said.

"I now sleep seven and a half hours a dark."

With a few minor changes to her diet and exercising every day, she has lost 30 kilos.

The Osana dietitian is also trying to get her to increment her calories, which are around 1100 at the moment.

Each patient is assgined a team of health workers to help them reach their health goals. Patient Annette McGough surrounded by the medical team which cares for her. (L-R) are: Dietician Lisa Mesiti. Physio Kierre Williams Dr Caroline Rogers, Psychotherapist Dr Jennifer Rathjen and Health Assistant Lina Wallberg. Picture: Julian Andrews.
Each patient is assgined a team of wellness workers to help them reach their health goals. Patient Annette McGough surrounded by the medical team which cares for her. (50-R) are: Dietician Lisa Mesiti. Physio Kierre Williams Dr Caroline Rogers, Psychotherapist Dr Jennifer Rathjen and Health Assistant Lina Wallberg. Motion picture: Julian Andrews.

Afterward a lifetime battle with her weight, Ms McGough hopes she's at present on the correct track.

"The weight began piling on when I was seven or 8," Ms McGough said.

"When I was most 30 I went on a drastic diet, exercising for three hours a 24-hour interval. I lost 112 kilos to get to my goal weight and I started to train to exist a personal trainer.

"But then I started to put on weight once more and I did not know why."

Ms McGough, who has two children, said throughout the years she had been driveling by people in the street because of her weight. She has been spat at, called fatso and on one occasion someone rolled down their automobile window and threw a McDonald's thick milk shake at her.

"Not everybody who is overweight is over-eating or lazy," Ms McGough said.

Dr Jennifer Rathjen taking a meditation session. Picture: Julian Andrews.
Dr Jennifer Rathjen taking a meditation session. Picture: Julian Andrews.

Her weight gain has besides affected her confidence.

A psychologist at the surgery is working on her self-esteem and supporting her in her efforts to reach her wellness goals.

Other members of the team are helping her with other issues.

"I was seeing the dietitian one time a week, simply now I'm pretty happy with how I'm going, then now I'thousand seeing her once a calendar month," she said.

"I also see the surgery's physiotherapist considering I have a bung genu and the psychologist who helps with cocky-esteem.

"I also go to meditation and core strength classes."

Dr Jennifer Rathjen taking a meditation session. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Andrews
Dr Jennifer Rathjen taking a meditation session. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Andrews

In five years' time, Ms McGough's wellness statistics will be analysed to meet how she has fared in that time.

The health center on Pittwater Rd is one of 5 involved in the social experiment, which aims to prove that this primary intendance model reduces the number of hospital admissions, saving the Government money.

The hope is to convince the Authorities and health insurers that keeping people well is cheaper, than treating people when they get sick.

Already 450 patients have signed upwards to the Narrabeen clinic with upwards to 700 spaces bachelor. More than GPs can exist brought in if in that location'south the need.

Dr Rogers said the Narrabeen center which opened in October was seeing early success stories, including Ms McGough's, and they weren't agape of taking on difficult cases, but welcomed anybody from the cradle to the grave.

Ms McGough has already persuaded many of her friends and family to sign up.

"It's a really caring identify," she said. "I am and then grateful, it's changed my life."