Northcote Medical

Hi! My name is Dr Harry Hemly, I was brought up in my early years living in Brunswick street Fitzroy, opposite St Mary’s House of welcome. This was before the Atherton Garden high rise flats were built.

I lived above my Grandfathers book exchange  in a double story terrace with my mum and sister and my grandparents.

My mum later re- married and my sister Glenda, who now lives happily in the US, moved first to Daylesford, then Benalla where I went to school.

As a kid I was very sports minded and played Aussie rules, basketball, cricket, tennis and later tried soccer and hockey.

I either had a ball in my hand or my nose in a book in those days .

There were no computers and TV had only just been invented!

I would come down to Melbourne in the school holidays and work in my grandparents book exchanges. They had one in High street Thornbury and also had one on Sydney road Brunswick where I mostly worked. Book exchanges were like the old video stores.

People read a lot in those days so business was good.

We charged initially a penny to exchange a book for another, “Like for like“.

We also bought and sold books.

Whilst establishing the practice I did night time Locums - this involved housecalls at 2am, just in order to pay the bills.

Anyhow, after I completed year 12 at Benalla High School, I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Medical Course at Melbourne Uni.

That was during the anti-Vietnam war days, and I was a bit of a student radical and dropped out of uni in my 4th year and worked in the building industry as a scaffolder and shop steward in the BLF ( now the CFMEU ) in big building sites in the city and surrounds.

After 3 years of that, I  returned  to my Medical course and topped the year in 4th year and completed my degree in 1980.

After working in the public hospitals, I commenced working in General Medical Practice, initially starting a practice in Spotswood, whilst all the time also working with homeless people with St Vincent’s De Paul and Salvation Army night shelter and in the squats and lanes of inner Melbourne.

I also became active in the Australian Medical Association and was Victorian President for a while.

I was awarded an Order of Australia several years ago for my work with homeless people and my services to General Practice.

I started Northcote Medical in 1984 or 5 because it was close to home, I lived here, I knew the area well from my childhood ( I spent some time at Thornbury High ) and I had family and friends here. It was my home.

I set up in Northcote in particular because it saved wasted time driving to my other practice in Spotswood!

People are down to earth respectful, practical, “stand up for their rights “, and appreciate your efforts to help them.

We are a happy helpful practice.

All of our staff are advised to be sensitive, personable, respectful and try to go the extra yard to help out whatever the situation

Our reception staff , doctors and nurses have on the whole been with us a long time and as a rule we know our patients well so our in house communication skills are without comparison.

We are a family practice run by an amazing practice manager, My wife Denise.

We are also a training practice for young doctors , and our practice is well respected and known within the medical fraternity and as a result, we get the “ pick of the bunch” so have great doctors.

Life is short, so we should all live as healthy, happy, and as fit as we can for as long as long as we can.

Having said that, you never know “ what’s around the corner” life is full of surprises. Some good, some bad .

Your job and my job is to encourage and assist you in gaining the “ best “ outcome in yours’s and your family’s journey through life. “From the cradle to the grave”.

My job is as both your coach and your advisor in the long distance race of your life.

Yes , but where do we start, from childhood and adult immunisation programs with the complexity of our recall systems and health action prompts to programs for the aged and chronically ill.

Family Medical Practice has many layers of complexity with back of house systems , about which the average punter has no idea.

For our staff, we are all equal from the cleaner to the doctor. Different responsibilities but never the less all equal.

The staff are often under considerable stress and pressure in their jobs, everyone, reception, doctors and nurses. As such we do things to “let off steam” from time to time.

For instance, socially we do as a practice, early morning yoga every few weeks. This is very helpful and is a great team building exercise conducted by a very insightful, knowledgeable and local yoga teacher, and followed by staff breakfast and good coffee from a local caterer.

We also have barbecues from time to time, birthday celebrations and great end of year celebrations. (The next one is a BIG secret; I’m even not allowed to know!)

We also have regular practice meetings for the doctors and nurses both involving housekeeping and educational often with an invited specialist.

Our reception staff also have housekeeping and educational meetings.

All staff participate in a hands on CPR educational update every year.

The biggest struggle in my life was to get into Medical School.

I was a country kid going to a country high school which, until I got there, didn’t have year 12 sciences until me and few of my friends decided to “ have a go”.

For me it involved a lot of hard work and discipline as it does for many other kids, even today , with all the advanced technology, you still have to learn it and be comfortable with it to the point where it becomes part of you.

Business wise having been involved in small business from a young age, I was not troubled by the commitment involved in setting up a general practice.

My first practice in Spotswood was thriving within a short time.

However Northcote was different, there were then (40years ago) and are now, many good GP’s in Northcote and surrounds.

It took me 10 years to build up a significant patient following in Northcote. So whilst establishing the practice I did night time Locums - this involved housecalls at 2am, just in order to pay the bills.

Pick a good location.

Be culturally appropriate (you have to keep up with the times). The demographic of Northcote has changed and continues to change hugely. (That’s why the Plaza’s a sick baby)

Know what you’re doing and be good at it. Get your premises right. (We are still working on that one! )

I have been fortunate to be blessed with this life.

Life is short - you should live it as happily and healthily as you can .

Be kind and helpful to your family, friends and those you are able to help.

“It is far better to give than it is to receive “

In our short life’s terms we are not a speck in the existence of the universe which has been going on forever and will continue to do so.

May you live long and prosper.