Trans and Gender Diverse Health

Located at 200 Hoddle Street in Abbotsford, Equinox is Australia’s first and only peer-led TGD health service. We engage with our Trans and Gender Diverse Advisory Group to identify service provision gaps and to understand community requirements so that we can provide the highest standard of care possible. We employ members of the TGD community where possible and we understand that there is a need for a safe, friendly, trans-affirmative space where all aspects of your general health care can be attended to. Our service provision is based upon respecting all members of the TGD community and providing quality General Practice services in a friendly, trans-affirmative environment.

Manager, Clinical Services: Peter Locke

Reception / Admin Team: Gabe, Felix, Rowen, Ron, Gareth

General Practitioner: Dr Satu Simpson, Dr Ling Li

Nurse Practitioner: Daniel Sankar

• We are a not-for-profit service
• We consult with the TGD Community to find out what the community needs to plan our service provision
• Our staff all have a strong commitment to social justice and reducing access barriers to quality medical care and support for TGD people
• We understand that the TGD community is diverse and unique and strive to provide a service that recognises this
• We offer trans affirmative care and use the Informed Consent Model

All General Practice Services including:

• General health
• Sexual health
• Mental health support
• Hormone management (Informed Consent Model)
• Vaccinations
• Sex Worker Certificates
• Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

T he service operates as a bulk-billing clinic. This means that all current Medicare Card holders will be bulk-billed for all consultations. Patients without Medicare Cards (or expired cards) will be charged the Medicare Rebate Fee and payment will be expected on the day of service. Any pathology service fees are set and billed by the pathology lab companies. Most pathology services will be bulk-billed, however some may incur a fee. We will always advise you if this is the case and we encourage you to ask if you have any concerns.

Your medical record is confidential. Equinox maintains the security of your personal information at all times. Equinox is bound by the Commonwealth Privacy Act – Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 and also complies with the Victorian Health Records Act 2001. Thorne Harbour Health has a Privacy Policy that controls the handling of all personal information.

Reception Service Hours:

Monday to Thursday: 9am–8pm

Friday: 9am–4pm

Saturday: 10.30am – 2.30pm

Please note, we are closed on public holidays, head to our contact page for more info.

Appointments:

Bookings for GP services can be made by calling 03) 9416 2889 or book online here.

Bookings for counselling services at Equinox can be made by calling THH counselling intake on 03 9865 6700.

Phone Calls

If you wish to discuss a matter with one of our practitioners, our reception staff will either refer your call directly to them or will send them a brief message to them if they are unavailable. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Protocols for the Initiation of Hormone Therapy for Trans and Gender Diverse Patients

Policy and Practice Recommendations for Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Service Providers supporting the Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) Community

You can find additional resources on the Equinox website.

If you would like to provide feedback about services at Equinox you can complete a written feedback form in the waiting room or contact the Program Manager via phone or email. If you would prefer, you can contact the Office of the Health Services Commissioner.

Being accredited means that our general practice is committed to a comprehensive program which involves:

• Engaging our whole practice team to review our practice’s systems and processes
• Opening our practice doors to allow a team of independent surveyors to assess how our practice operates
• Assessment of our practice, and achievement of the nationally recognised Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for general practices, that focus on health care quality and patient safety.

As a member of the community you may be surprised to learn that general practice accreditation is a voluntary process – which means not all practices undergo an independent on-site assessment on a regular basis.

Achievement of AGPAL accreditation reassures you that our doctors and practice team are committed to providing you with high quality health care in a safe environment.