General Practice in George
Full-scope family medicine for infants, adults, and seniors across the Garden Route. Same-week appointments, unhurried consultations, and direct medical aid billing.
Provided by Dr Ethan Chellan and Dr Claudia Lakay, MBChB (Stellenbosch University).
- Two dispensing GPs, both Stellenbosch MBChB
- 40+ medical aid schemes billed directly
- Same-week appointments typically available
- 20-minute standard consultations (extended available)
What general practice means at NeoHealth
General practice is your first point of contact for almost any health concern, and at NeoHealth we take that role seriously. A good GP is not the person you see once when something breaks, it is the doctor who knows your history, understands your family's patterns, and can spot when something small today might matter more in six months.
Every standard consultation is scheduled for 20 minutes. That is deliberate. It gives us time to examine you properly, ask the questions that aren't always on the referral form, and discuss the plan with you rather than at you. Extended consultations are available when you need more time: complex chronic reviews, multiple concerns in one visit, or difficult conversations that shouldn't be rushed.
Continuity of care is the single biggest value we offer. Seeing the same doctor over time means your treatment builds on what came before. It also means fewer repeated tests, better chronic disease control, and real conversations about what matters to your health over years, not just today.
For patients on long-term medication, our chronic medication service handles repeat scripts, structured annual reviews, and Care Programme enrolment alongside your routine care. Where conditions like depression, anxiety, or burnout overlap with general care, we manage them under our mental health service rather than referring out by default. For an example of how we approach a common chronic condition, see our patient guide to managing high blood pressure in a South African context.
Common reasons patients book
Our general practice consultations cover a wide range of health concerns. Common reasons patients book include:
Cross-link hub: our in-depth service pages for women's health, child health, mental health, HIV management, diagnostics and screening, and telehealth. On-site investigations and add-ons include on-site pathology and bloods, 12-lead ECG and spirometry, minor procedures done in the rooms, wound-care tetanus and seasonal Influvac, and occupational medicals and certificates of fitness. If you are unsure whether your concern fits a GP visit, call reception on 044 868 0707, and we will guide you on whether you need to come in, whether telehealth will work, or whether you need a specialist referral.
Chronic disease management
Chronic disease care is one of the most important things we do. Hypertension, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), high cholesterol, thyroid conditions, asthma, and COPD all require ongoing care: regular reviews, monitoring blood work, adjusting treatment when lifestyle or symptoms change, and coordinating specialist input when needed.
HIV is a chronic condition we actively manage. Dr Chellan holds a Diploma in HIV Management (CMSA) and provides ongoing HIV care including initiation, monitoring, viral load review, and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for at-risk patients. See our HIV Management page for scope, confidentiality approach, and how to get started. For privacy reasons, HIV queries are not handled via WhatsApp. Call 044 868 0707 or book directly online.
As dispensing GPs, we can provide acute medication from our practice formulary during the consultation, saving you a separate pharmacy trip. Chronic scripts are issued for ongoing conditions and can be collected or dispensed according to your scheme's rules.
Both doctors work closely with specialists across the Garden Route when advanced care is needed, and we keep the GP relationship active so your care is coordinated rather than fragmented.
Preventive care and annual health checks
Preventive care and screening is one of the highest-value things general practice offers. Catching early hypertension, pre-diabetes, or elevated cholesterol before symptoms appear is cheaper, easier, and more effective than managing the complications later.
The NeoHealth Check package is our in-practice screening option, covering blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, haemoglobin, urine dipstick, and BMI with interpretation. Most medical aids cover this through preventive care benefits.
We also perform scheme-specific preventive programmes at the practice, including Discovery Vitality Health Checks (Personal Health Pathway) and general wellness checks for patients whose schemes offer annual health assessment benefits. These are typically covered by your scheme's preventive care benefit without affecting your day-to-day savings account. Book a screening slot and bring your medical aid card: reception will confirm benefit eligibility with your scheme where possible.
Age-appropriate screening recommendations we follow, aligned with South African and international guidelines:
Medical aid preventive care benefits often cover annual screening bloods, cervical screening, flu vaccinations, and certain childhood immunisations without affecting your day-to-day savings account. We help you use these benefits correctly. For women, see our cervical screening guide for what to expect and how often.
Acute illness care
When you are unwell and need to be seen, same-week appointments are typically available. Call 044 868 0707 or book online. If you need an appointment sooner than our next slot allows, reception can advise on same-day urgency triage.
After-hours consultations are billed at R950. These are for genuine urgency outside our 09:00 to 17:00 weekday (09:00 to 13:00 Saturday) hours. For medical emergencies, NeoHealth is not an emergency service, please contact your nearest emergency room (see Emergency for local hospital contacts).
When you cannot physically come to the practice, telehealth consultations work well for follow-ups, script renewals, and acute concerns that do not need a physical examination. R450 and most medical aids cover it. See our fees page for the full tariff list.
When we refer and why
We refer when specialist input adds genuine value to your care. Our referral network across the Garden Route includes cardiologists, gynaecologists, dermatologists, paediatricians, orthopaedic surgeons, gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, and allied health professionals.
Referrals in the South African system work like this: most medical aids require a GP consultation before seeing a specialist, and your GP sends a referral letter summarising your history and the reason for specialist review. Once you have seen the specialist, they usually send their findings back to us, and we continue to coordinate your overall care.
The GP relationship does not end at the specialist door. We remain the doctor who knows your full picture, which matters when treatments interact, when symptoms return, and when new concerns arise.
Meet the doctors
Serving George, Wilderness, Mossel Bay, Knysna, and the Garden Route.