Book Appointment Many types of appointments can be booked online by clicking on this button or by using the Hotdoc App.
If you require more than one person to be seen, please book an appointment for each person, even if they are seeing the same doctor.
Appointments may still be available on the day if you are ill or injured. To book please call our friendly reception team from 8.00 am weekdays or 8.30 am Saturdays
Please schedule a standard appointment; if you wish to discuss one issue, you need a repeat prescription or referral, or you need test results or a medical certificate.
Please schedule a long appointment; if you wish to discuss two or more issues, for skin checks, for cervical screenings, Worker’s Compensation, or counselling and assistance with mental health concerns.
We do ask that you phone the practice and speak to one of our friendly reception staff if you require an appointment for one of the below, as they require a scheduled time with our practice nurse;
Childhood immunisations.
Attendance at our flu clinics.
Preventative health checks.
Medicals including; drivers medicals, employment medicals, or requested medical forms to be completed.
Please do not hesitate to telephone our friendly receptions staff on (03) 6428 7720 if you have any queries regarding our services or our billing policy as we are not a bulk billing practice.
When you contact us to schedule an appointment, every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred time or doctor, however this is not always possible. Where we are unable to provide your preferred time or doctor, you will be offered alternative options to make a selection from.
Whilst we do try to ensure our appointments run on time, appointments can be delayed. This may be due to a medical urgent situation, or an appointment going over the scheduled time. For this we apologise, and will endeavor to contact you, with your consent, via SMS if the delay may be longer than 30 minutes, however please feel free to contact us to see how our appointment schedule is running. To assist us in trying to maintain our appointment schedule, we offer long consultations, so please book this option if you need to speak with the doctor regarding more than one issue.
Unless you have been informed differently, please attend your appointment on time. If you do arrive late, it is up to the discretion of the Doctor/Nurse whether you are able to be seen after other scheduled patients or if you will be offered the opportunity to schedule another appointment.
If you are unable to keep a booked appointment, please notify us well in advance so the appointment can be cancelled. Please note that if you do not attend a scheduled appointment, there may be a non-attendance fee payable for the missed appointment, which is not covered by a Medicare rebate. At present this fee is $55 including GST.
Most problems are best dealt with in consultation. If you require information, our friendly reception staff will pass your request on to the relevant person. Due to your privacy and that of others, it is not our practice policy to interrupt your doctor during consultations for routine requests. Instead, we will relay a request detailing relevant information, with a request for them to return your call.
URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION
In the event of a medical emergency, if life threatening, please contact 000 to request an ambulance straight away. Contacting the practice in a life-threatening emergency may delay the appropriate medical care arriving and being given. When your request is not a life-threatening emergency, our reception staff are experienced in assisting you and directing you in the appropriate manner. Practice nurses are made available to assist with your medical concern.
When in attendance, our practice can manage your care in a medical emergency. Medical emergency care is prioritised in our appointment system. Care may relate to management of your clinical needs until an ambulance arrives or alternative arrangements for continued care are in place.
TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS
Following changes introduced by Medicare during the Covid-19 pandemic, telephone and video consultations are available at the practice. Telephone and video consultations are subject to the same privacy policies as face-to-face consultations. Therefore, you will be required to confirm your identity, provide consent, and have these performed in a place which ensures privacy and confidentiality. We are currently able to offer telephone and/or video consultations to patients who meet the following criteria;
The patient has had a face-to-face appointment with the consulting doctor in the previous 12-months.
No patient may have more than two (2) consecutive telephone consultations with any doctor/s.
HOME VISITS
Home visits for acutely ill or infirm are not routinely available. If you require a home visit, please contact reception and a request will be sent to your doctor. A decision can then be made depending on the clinical circumstances surrounding the request, and whether the location for the home visit is within a reasonable distance of the practice. At present a reasonable distance is deemed within a 10 kilometer radius of the practice.
AFTER HOURS
For any life threatening emergencies, please contact 000 and request an ambulance. If you have an urgent medical problem outside of our surgery hours, please contact our After-hours service, GP Assist, on 1800 022 222.
We share weekend surgery with Latrobe Family Medical Practice and Valley Road Practice,Devonport. You can contact us on (03) 6428 7720 to find out which Practice is holding the weekend clinic.
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
Your appointment is confirmed when booked into our system. Our practice utilises Hotdocs to provide reminders via SMS 24 hours prior to your consultation. These reminders serve to compliment appointment cards or notations in your own personal diary. We do not have any control over telecommunication providers regarding undelivered or delayed messages, and these are not accepted reasons for missing your appointment. If you do not wish to receive future SMS appointment reminders, you can do so by clicking the “Opt-out” link in the reminder received, or speaking with our friendly reception staff to assist with your opting out process.
REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Our practice prefers patients to have an appointment for repeat prescriptions to enable your GP to monitor and give patients the appropriate treatment and to ensure regular assessments are given. Whilst this is the preference, we understand that this may be difficult or inconvenient at times. On-line requests for prescriptions can be completed via clicking the below button or via the Hotdoc App.
Patients requesting a repeat prescription without a face to face appointment will be charged a small practice fee for this service, which is not able to be claimed through Medicare as there is no rebate claimable.
Terms &Conditions do apply for this service. Please contact our friendly reception staff for more information regarding the terms and conditions.
TRANSLATING SERVICES
Translators and interpreters, including services for patients with speech or hearing difficulties, can be arranged. Please advise reception at the time of booking if you require these services. If you choose to bring a family member or friend for the purpose of translating, we ask you to consider your privacy, the possibility of miscommunication of information given and received, or the possibility of causing discomfort between yourself and the family member or friend when electing to do this.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR APPOINTMENTS
Please be aware that it is not always possible to attend to everything in one consultation, and you may need to make a further appointment. There are several things you can do to maximise the benefits of your consultation;
Write a list of things you wish to discuss and hand this to your doctor at the start of your appointment. Please remember that if your list contains more than two (2) issues to discuss, then booking a longer consultation appointment would be beneficial.
Check your scripts prior to your appointment to ensure you do not run out of any medications.
Ask your doctor to write down any specific directions about which you may be unsure.
At the end of the consultation, be clear whether a follow-up appointment is required.
The following 10 tips can assist you to become more active in your health care. Some questions that you might want to ask your health care professional are also included. You can make a longer appointment or come back at a more convenient time if there is not enough time for you to ask all your questions.
Be actively involved in your own healthcare.
Speak up if you have any questions or concerns.
Learn about your condition or treatments by asking your doctor or nurse and by using other reliable sources of information,
Keep a list of all medicines you are taking.
Make sure you understand the medicines your are taking.
Make sure you get the results of any tests or procedure.
Talk to your doctor or other health professional about your options if you need to go to hospital.
Make sure you know what will happen if you need surgery or a procedure.
Make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree on exactly what will be done during the operation.
Before you leave hospital, ask your doctor or other healthcare professionals to explain the treatment plan you will use at home.
