Protecting Rural Australia ... one spot at a time.

You can book an appointment via our website by filling in your details and selecting a location and time on a clinic day. On the locations page, click on your preferred location then click on the Book Now button under the Clinic Times heading. Appointments can also be booked over the phone (1300 584 648). We do not operate full time so if your call is unanswered, please leave a message and we will return your call when next available to book your appointment. If there are no spots available, please send a message via email or our contact form to get put on a waiting list. We will endeavour to visit more frequently if there is increased demand.

No. You can book directly with us through our website.

Even though you may have had a skin check before, the Rural Skin Cancer Service has a standardised process to ensure a comprehensive review. Our skin checks run for 20-30 minutes. After calling you in, the doctor or nurse will ask for verbal consent to document your history and any relevant lesion photos. Then you’ll be asked a number of questions that will help outline your risk of skin cancer. Examination involves undressing to underwear and lying on a bed with a sheet for modesty if required. We will use a special magnifying glass with polarised light called a dermatoscope to look over your skin and focus on suspicious lesions. They will cover all over your body including under feet, between toes and through your scalp. At the end a plan for any suspicious lesions will be discussed. This might be some freezing of early sun damage spots, biopsy or excision with your usual doctor, or education. This means chatting about the ways to reduce your risk of skin cancer, what different lesions can look like and how often you need a skin check. If your appointment has been with a nurse, all images of skin spots taken by the nurse will be reviewed remotely by one of our doctors and you will be contacted by phone should there be a need for further review.

The full cost of an appointment will depend on whether you are seeing us for a skin check or for something longer, like a biopsy or excision. Irrespective of your appointment type, full payment is required on the day of service. For skin checks with a nurse: The full cost of an appointment with a nurse is $150 and there is no Medicare rebate. All images captured by the nurse in your consult will be reviewed remotely by one of our doctors and a report sent to your usual GP clinic. For skin checks with a doctor: The full cost of a skin check with a doctor is $150. From this amount, Medicare will return a rebate of $42.85 to your nominated account and there is a $107.15 gap. If your consult also includes cryotherapy, the full cost of the appointment is $195.00. From this amount, Medicare will return a rebate of $84.90 to your nominated account and there is a $107.15 gap. ​ For biopsies and excisions: The out-of-pocket (gap) cost to the patient for any biopsy or excision will depend on the length and complexity of the procedure. The gap payment will be $100 - $200 and this fee must be paid on the day of your appointment. You will be notified of the amount at the time of booking. This fee covers equipment and set up required for the procedure. Medicare funds the rest of the cost, and the full cost of an appointment will depend of the number of biopsies or excisions as well as the type of lesion excised. You will receive a Medicare cheque to be forwarded to Rural Skin Cancer Service which will be accepted as full payment of the remaining balance.

A biopsy is a small procedure where the doctor will remove a piece of skin tissue to accurately diagnose the lesion. Sometimes even if we are certain of what sort of skin cancer it is (like a melanoma or basal cell carcinoma) then the biopsy result will give us information about how deep or aggressive the lesion is and therefore how wide the final excision needs to be. An excision is a larger procedure where a lesion is removed with the intent of getting rid of it for good. This depends on clear margins all around the lesion which the lab will determine. The nastier the lesion, the larger the margins needed. Usually, an excision will leave an ellipse shaped defect of skin that is stitched together directly. For larger lesions and those in tricky areas like the face, there may need to be a skin flap or graft performed.

If there is one or more lesions that the skin cancer doctor is concerned about, they will send an electronic letter to your usual GP clinic. This will outline the lesions of concern, what the diagnoses are and what management is suggested. If your usual doctor is unable to perform the biopsy or excision, then this can be done by the visiting skin cancer doctor on the day or at a future visit.

The pathology lab receives the specimen in a jar and then processes it to be put onto glass slides in small shaves. The pathologist can then determine what sort of lesion it is and if it has been completely excised. There is no out-of-pocket cost from the lab for this service

This depends on the amount of sun exposure over the years, your age, type of skin, and personal or family history of skin cancers. Some patients with lots of risk factors may need a skin check every year whereas some may only need one every 3-4 years. At your appointment, the doctor will give you advice about this and set a reminder for a follow up check when required.

Yes, but to provide a comprehensive assessment we recommend a full check where possible. There are no discounts for single spot checks. Every appointment will involve the other education topics listed above.

Yes. We are able to travel to a worksite to complete skin checks for employees as part of any employee benefits program or WHS risk mitigation for those with a number of employees whose work exposes them to the sun. Some conditions apply such as being able to have access to a private room. Please submit an online form here if you would like us to get in touch with you to discuss worksite skin checks.

You can book a skin check at any of our locations: Balaklava, Berri, Bordertown, Cleve, Elliston, Kimba, Pinnaroo, Port Pirie, Naracoorte, Wudinna and Yorketown. Click Here for more details on each location, including clinic days and booking availability.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Skin cancer is more common as patients age given the adding up of sun exposure and therefore UV radiation over the years. With some exceptions, benign skin lesions shouldn’t change after a patient has become an adult. It is a good idea to get a skin check sometime in your 20's and then let the doctor give you an idea about how frequent follow up checks should be. The skin check will also be an opportunity for the doctor to show you what skin cancers can look like and some tips to reduce your risk.

The Cancer Council of SA has a great website for resources relating to skin cancer types and prevention. Click here for a step-by-step way of checking your skin every few months.