Telehealth CTP doctor consultations for people hurt on Kempsey Shire roads, from Hat Head to Willawarrin, including your Certificate of Fitness.
Mid North Coast
Car accident doctor for the Kempsey Shire: CTP injury care
Last updated , 9 min read
Our CTP doctors consult by telehealth, so whether home is Gladstone, Aldavilla or a property out past Bellbrook, you can be seen without a sore drive into Kempsey. At that first session the doctor works through each injury in turn, links it to what happened on the road, and can write up your Certificate of Fitness. Our doctors then build a treatment plan that may bring in physio, psychology or exercise physiology. Where a face-to-face visit makes more sense, we'll talk through in-person options with you.
The shire reaches from the Macleay River mouth and the beaches at Hat Head and Arakoon, back across river flats and farmland to the hill country around Willawarrin. Kempsey itself sits on the floodplain, with the North Coast railway and the highway bypass carrying people north and south. Local trips run along the Macleay Valley Way between Kempsey and Frederickton or out on the coast roads, which fill with visitors in the holidays. Weekly trips into town from Kundabung or Collombatti soon add up, so most of our reviews for people out there happen by video, with exercises to work on at home in between.
On this page8 sections
Local road safety
Where people are hurt on the roads in the Kempsey Shire
In Transport for NSW's crash records for 2020 to 2024, the Pacific Highway carries more of the shire's injury crashes than any other road, ahead of Armidale Road and Crescent Head Road, and the town's west, central and south localities hold the largest share. Motorcyclists stand out, involved in roughly one in five crashes. About a quarter happened at intersections, where side-on and rear-end impacts often bring neck and back injuries, and more than a third were in high-speed zones. Pedestrians and cyclists were involved in a smaller number. At speed, or for a rider, a single crash can injure several parts of the body, which is why a thorough record from the first visit matters on these roads.
| Year | Crashes where someone was hurt | Killed | Seriously injured | All casualties | All recorded crashes (including tow-away crashes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 57 | 1 | 26 | 74 | 88 |
| 2021 | 61 | 4 | 18 | 74 | 88 |
| 2022 | 57 | 0 | 32 | 77 | 82 |
| 2023 | 48 | 4 | 22 | 73 | 76 |
| 2024 | 56 | 0 | 29 | 75 | 74 |
| 2020 to 2024 | 279 | 9 | 127 | 373 | 408 |
Roads and streets with the most crashes where someone was hurt
- 1.Pacific Highway27 crashes
- 2.Armidale Road20 crashes
- 3.Crescent Head Road15 crashes
- 4.Macleay Valley Way14 crashes
- 5.South West Rocks Road9 crashes
Localities where people were hurt most often
Localities as recorded by Transport for NSW. A crash near the council boundary can carry the name of a locality next door.
- 1.West Kempsey29 crashes
- 2.Kempsey28 crashes
- 3.South Kempsey27 crashes
- 4.Crescent Head22 crashes
- 5.Collombatti13 crashes
Road-user mix. Of the 279 crashes where someone was hurt in 2020 to 2024, 19% involved a motorcycle, 6% a pedestrian, 3% a bicycle and 5% a heavy vehicle (a crash can involve more than one). Crashes in speed zones of 90 km/h or more made up 36% of the total.
Main roads through the Kempsey Shire
- Pacific Highway
- Macleay Valley Way
- Armidale Road
- South West Rocks Road
- Crescent Head Road
Source: Transport for NSW, NSW Road Crash Data 2020 to 2024 (open data). Casualty crashes by LGA of crash. View the dataset (opens in a new tab)
First steps
After a crash in the Kempsey Shire: getting checked and recorded
Once everyone is safe, call 000 if someone is injured. Police don't always come out to a crash on a back road near Yarravel or Kundabung, so if they didn't, report it to them so there's a record. Get the other driver's name, rego and insurer, and take photos of both cars and the scene. Then have a doctor assess and write up your injuries, even if they seem minor at first, because neck and back pain can build after the crash. The CTP insurer of whichever vehicle caused it, local ute or bypass semi, generally handles your claim.
Get safe, then get help
Call 000 if anyone is seriously hurt or in danger. For police attendance when it isn't an emergency, the Police Assistance Line is 131 444.
Report it and keep the event number
Report the crash to police if anyone was hurt, a driver left the scene or a car was towed. Keep the event number: the claim form asks for it.
Swap details and take photos
Get names, phone numbers, licence details and registration plates from every driver, and witnesses' details before they leave. Photograph the scene when it's safe.
See a doctor early
Ideally within a day or two, even if you feel fine. Pain often builds over the following days. An early appointment records your injuries and starts your Certificate of Fitness.
Which CTP insurer handles your claim
You claim with the CTP (green slip) insurer of the vehicle most at fault, worked out from its registration. If that vehicle can't be identified, the claim may go to the Nominal Defendant.
Lodge the claim form
The form is the Application for Personal Injury Benefits, backed by your Certificate of Fitness. Our step-by-step lodging guide walks through it.
Time limits
A claim served within 28 days of the accident can have benefits backdated to the accident date. A common reference point for lodging is three months from the accident. Your circumstances can change the dates, so confirm yours with SIRA or a solicitor.
CTP injury care
Car accident injury care for the Kempsey Shire: your first appointment
Riders and high-speed crashes feature strongly in the shire's crash figures, so injuries from these roads can go well beyond a stiff neck. Some, like concussion, a strained shoulder or a knee injury, are easy to overlook on the day. Seeing a doctor early gives the insurer a clear record linking each injury to the crash. From one first appointment you come away with every injury examined, a signed Certificate of Fitness, a plan for treatment and the written records an insurer relies on. Telehealth follow-ups spare you the drive in from Stuarts Point or Willawarrin. Motorcycle crashes on the valley roads tend to injure limbs, joints and skin, while a rear-end bump on the Macleay Valley Way can still cause whiplash. The CTP insurer generally pays for treatment that is reasonable and necessary for your accident injuries; it decides what's approved, and its decisions can be reviewed.
Our CTP doctors see people injured in motor vehicle accidents across NSW. The first appointment does four jobs, and each one feeds the claim:
A proper assessment
The doctor takes a history of the crash, examines you and records a diagnosis for each injured area, including the ones that seem minor today.
Your Certificate of Fitness
The main medical document in a NSW CTP claim. It records your injuries, your capacity for work and what you can and can't do. The first one must come from a medical practitioner, and each one generally covers up to 28 days, so it's renewed as you recover. See what a Certificate of Fitness should include.
A treatment plan
What you need next, such as physiotherapy, psychology or exercise physiology, with clear reasons the insurer can act on.
The records the insurer asks for
Dated notes, referrals and reports that link your symptoms to the crash. Insurer decisions lean on them, so they need to be specific.
More detail: the CTP medical assessment, and physiotherapy, psychology and exercise physiology under CTP.
CTP injury care
Common injuries after crashes in the Kempsey Shire
Every crash is different, but some injuries come up again and again after car crashes. Many don't show their full extent on the day:
- Whiplash and other neck injuries, common after rear-end collisions.
- Back injuries and other soft-tissue injuries: sprains and strains that stiffen over the following days.
- Fractures: most are obvious, but some in the wrist, foot or ribs are subtle and need imaging to confirm.
- Concussion and headaches, which can happen without a direct blow to the head.
- Psychological injury, such as anxiety about driving, poor sleep or flashbacks.
Our guide to car accident injuries and their symptoms covers the warning signs.
The road-user mix above shows who else gets hurt on the roads in the Kempsey Shire. Each of these groups has its own injury pattern:
Motorcycles
Riders have little protection, so fractures and wrist, knee and ankle injuries are more common. See motorcycle accidents in NSW.
Pedestrians
A person struck by a vehicle can have leg, pelvic and head injuries, often more than one at once. See pedestrian hit by a car.
Heavy vehicles
Crashes with trucks involve more force, so injuries tend to be more serious, and the shock can linger. See psychological injury.
Been in an accident?
Book an appointment with one of our CTP doctors. We coordinate your care and handle the paperwork.
CTP-experienced doctorsCoordinated allied healthOne team
Book an AppointmentCTP benefits
What CTP pays for, and weekly payments
Approved treatment is generally arranged through the CTP scheme rather than paid by you directly. Depending on your injuries, it can include:
- Appointments with our CTP doctors, and specialist care where it's needed.
- Physiotherapy, psychology and exercise physiology with our allied health team.
- X-rays, scans and other imaging when they're clinically justified.
- Medication prescribed for your accident injuries.
- Reasonable travel to approved treatment, where the insurer agrees. Check its process first.
If your injuries stop you working, or cut your hours, weekly payments may be paid where the scheme rules allow. The amount is based on your pre-accident earnings, it steps down at set points, and there's a cap. Your Certificate of Fitness records your capacity for work, so keep it current. Being mostly at fault, or having an injury classified as minor, shortens how long some benefits run. See CTP weekly payments, minor vs non-minor injury and CTP benefits in NSW.
Booking
Telehealth or in person: how to book
Telehealth makes it simpler to see a CTP doctor from the Kempsey Shire without a long drive while you're sore. Where an in-person examination is needed, we'll talk through the options when you book.
Book online or call
Use the booking form or call (02) 7238 7379.
We confirm by phone
We call to confirm the time, whether it's telehealth or in person, and what to bring.
Bring what you have
Photo ID, the police event number, a claim number if you already have one, any scans or hospital letters, and a list of your medications.
New to telehealth? Here's what to expect from a telehealth CTP appointment.
Around the area
Suburbs and towns across the Kempsey Shire
These are some of the suburbs and towns in the Kempsey Shire. We see people from all of them. Where we have a local page, the name is linked.
- Kempsey
- West Kempsey
- South West Rocks
- South Kempsey
- Crescent Head
- Frederickton
- Aldavilla
- East Kempsey
- Yarravel
- Stuarts Point
- Greenhill
- Collombatti
- Smithtown
- Kundabung
- Arakoon
- Gladstone
- Hat Head
- Bellbrook
- Kinchela
- Willawarrin
- Jerseyville
Neighbouring council areas: Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Armidale Regional, Walcha.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Telehealth suits the coastal villages, where a trip into Kempsey is hard to manage if you haven't driven since the crash. On the video call the doctor goes through how the crash happened and how each injury has changed since, watches a few simple movements, and can sign off your Certificate of Fitness along with any referrals you need. If you need to be examined in person or have a scan, we'll tell you and point you towards options in Kempsey or the nearest larger town.
All of it, not just the part that hurts most. Rider injuries often affect several areas at once, so the doctor checks your neck, back, shoulders, wrists, knees and skin, and asks about headaches, dizziness or changes in memory. Each injury is recorded against the crash. Your Certificate of Fitness can be done at that visit, and the doctor plans what comes next, perhaps physio for sore joints or psychology if getting back on the bike feels daunting. If your claim runs into a dispute, we can point you to independent legal help.
Pedestrians can generally claim under CTP against the insurer of the vehicle that hit them, even if they don't own a car. Treatment that's reasonable and necessary for your crash injuries is generally paid by that insurer, which decides what it approves, and those decisions can be reviewed. Our doctors assess your injuries, record how they relate to the crash, complete your Certificate of Fitness and plan treatment such as physio. If police weren't called to that South Kempsey street, you can still report it to them now.
No. You can book before you've lodged a claim. The Certificate of Fitness from your first appointment is one of the documents your claim needs, so the appointment often comes first.
Sources
- Transport for NSW: NSW Road Crash Data (open data) (opens in a new tab)
- SIRA: Motor accidents and CTP (green slip) information (opens in a new tab)
- SIRA: Certificates of fitness for motor crash injuries (opens in a new tab)
- SIRA: What you can claim, medical expenses (opens in a new tab)
- NSW Legislation: Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 (opens in a new tab)
Last checked:
General information, not legal advice. CTP Doctor is a medical clinic, not a law firm or an insurer, and this page isn't medical advice for your situation. For the scheme rules, see SIRA.
Keep reading
Guides for every stage of a CTP claim
CTP claims
Who can claim, how to lodge, and what happens after — in plain English.
Read the guide
CTP treatment
Our doctors assess you, write the Certificate of Fitness and plan the rest of your care.
Read the guide
Car accident injuries
What's common, what can show up days later, and when to get checked.
Read the guide
CTP benefits
The kinds of support the scheme provides, and what they depend on.
Read the guide
Legal help & disputes
When the claim gets difficult — and how to get independent legal advice.
Read the guide
Next step
See a CTP doctor after a crash in the Kempsey Shire
Often seen within the week. Telehealth across NSW, or in person where appropriate. No claim number needed to start.