First, you need to be within the PFAS investigation area, or have lived there – that’s most of Katherine.

You will need to complete a statutory declaration to say you are in the investigation area, or once was.

This stat dec is already filled in online or will be provided when you visit the GP, your doctor can witness and sign it.

There are two visits to the GP, in our case it will be Gorge Health, so you will need to make an appointment, as is normal.

The first visit is to discuss the upcoming test, your GP will tell you what it will tell you and what it won’t.

Then they will take your blood on behalf of the pathology lab contracted for the work, Sonic Healthcare.

They will send it to the lab and will contact you, probably after a few weeks, to tell you the results are back.

Then you will need to make another appointment at Gorge Health for the GP to take you through the results, again what they say and what they don’t.

You make be asked to provide those results to a wider health study of the region but don’t have to agree.

You have 13 months to organise this, and follow the steps, and it is free.

If you are outside the investigation area and still want a blood test, it will cost about $500.

It is expected the Health Department will conduct community walk in sessions in Katherine soon to further explain the process.