Patient Information

Outside of normal hours the practice has a comprehensive message on the answering machine, call diversion or paging system via our main telephone number. This message includes recommending patients call 000 if the matter is an emergency. This is maintained for all incoming calls when the practice is closed.

The Locum Service will respond to phone calls and will provide visits after 6pm weekdays and call from 12.00 Saturday or Sundays.

Locum Service Direct number: 13 74 25

Level A (Brief Appointment)
Fee $60
Medicare Rebate $17.90

Level B (Less than 29 min Appointment)
Fee $80
Medicare Rebate $39.10

Level C (At least 20 min Appointment)
Fee $145
Medicare Rebate $75.75

Level D (Long Appointment)
Fee $195
Medicare Rebate $110.50

Full payment is expected on the day of consultation
Fees may be varied at Doctor’s discretion
Health Care Card holders will receive a reduced fee
Pension Card holders may be bulk billed.

If you have any questions regarding the fees, please do not hesitate to ask one of our staff.

We prefer patients to make appointments wherever possible. As we are a large clinic we can offer a choice of either male or female Doctors at most times. Patients with appointments will naturally be given priority over casual callers. In cases of emergency or urgent medical care, patients will be seen immediately without an appointment. Should you require more time with your Doctor please inform the receptionist to make a long appointment. In the case of an acute illness, particularly a child, please let the receptionist know.

During normal practice hours at least one staff member, who is trained to take telephone calls and make appointments, assess the urgency of requests for appointments and assist with medical emergencies and CPR, must be present in addition to the GP(s)

NOTE: Appointments made for a periodic review (e.g. blood pressure check) or medical recall (e.g. abnormal pathology result) are denoted in Best Practice recalls and reminders due as such so follow up procedures can be instigated if the patient does not attend.

Cancellations and no-shows are monitored and marked accordingly in the appointments book/diary and these patients are followed up as appropriate. Attempts to contact the patients that fail to attend appointments are documented in the patient file.

Long consultations are available on request, please see Reception Staff to arrange this.

Appointments for home visits can be made by either the patient or doctor. Any request for home visits outside these scheduled times are referred to the doctor.

At NWMC we have a process when managing new patient requests. If you would like to be a patient at NWMC we ask that you, please undertake the following:

(Please note that we do not accept new patients that have current TAC or Work Cover Claims)

Phone our reception staff to provide us with your current personal details
This will be overseen by the Practice Manager and then we will phone you regarding an appointment time to suit your needs.
For new patients we ask that you print out the New Patient Form and the New Patient Medical History Form, please complete these forms prior to your first consultation to ensure waiting time is minimised.
New patients will be seen by the nurse prior to the doctor on your first appointment. This nurse time is to ensure a basic medical examination is undertaken prior to your medical assessment with the Doctor to go through general medical related information.
At NWMC new patients are charged a higher fee, which only applies to their first appointment. Please discuss our fees and out of pocket expenses associated with this consultation when booking your appointment.

• All staff members receive information at induction and on an ongoing basis about our triage guidelines and protocols for medical emergencies and possible communicable disease e.g. pandemic influenza
• It is important for patients telephoning our practice to have the urgency of their needs determined promptly. Staff should try to obtain adequate information from the patient to assess whether the call is an emergency before placing the call on hold. Staff members have been trained initially, and on an ongoing basis, to recognise urgent medical matters and the procedures for obtaining urgent medical attention. Reception staff members have been informed of when to put telephone calls through to the nursing and medical staff for clarification

A patient can arrange for a home visit or the doctor may request home visits if the criteria below are met:

• Regular patient of this practice
• Live within a 5 km radius of the practice
• Where it is safe and reasonable
• Has provided a phone number that you have call them back on
• Patient has the type of problem that necessitates a home visit such as:
• Acutely ill
• Immobile
• Elderly
• Have no means of transport
• Unable to access the practice facilities due to disability
• Incapacitated in any way, inclusive of mental and health and wellbeing.

Appointments for home visits can be made by either the patient or doctor after 6pm. Any request for home visits outside these scheduled times are referred to the doctor.

Our practice advises the following options:

Patients are advised to phone the clinic to obtain test results, depending on the type of result or the urgency of a result this can be from 12hrs to 4 days after testing. Sometimes reception staff are unable to pass on the results but they will have access to a message from the doctor, advising what the patient is to do.

The practice policy is for patients to return to the clinic to discuss results with the GPs.

The nature and extent of the practices responsibility for following up test results, diagnostic imaging and investigation reports, and clinical correspondence/referrals depends on what is reasonable in the circumstance and the clinical significance of the test, referral or result. Whether something requires follow up is determined by:

• The probability that the patient will be harmed if follow up does not occur
• The likely seriousness of the harm
• The burden of taking steps to avoid the risk of harm

Important referrals for consultations or tests ordered are followed up, but the patient’s doctor or delegated authority, in a timely manner. This may include checking the patient has attended the referred consultation or the expected investigation. That correspondence or test results have been received and reviewed. A record of any follow up and subsequent actions or recall process is incorporated into the patient health record.

Doctors do take phone calls (in emergencies) or will return calls at first opportunity. The admin email provided, can also be used as a substitute to calling our practice. These emails will be received by a Registered Nurse and followed up accordingly.

Our email address cannot be used to make doctors’ appointments and we cannot receive or send any medical information through this e-mail as it has no encryption.

For the continuing management of our patient’s health we utilise a systematic reminder system to provide health promotion, preventative care and early detection of disease.

Our reminder systems and notifications are mindful of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patient information and we consider the needs of patients with a physical or intellectual disability.

Majority of reminders are sent to patients using their email address, this is part of our goal in minimising the usage of paper at our practice. If patients do not have an email address, we are more than happy to work out a suitable alternative.

Where possible patients are encouraged to raise any concerns directly with the practice team and attempts are made for a timely resolution of such concerns within the practice in accordance with our complaints resolution process.

At any time, patients may provide feedback or make a complaint.

• A notice is displayed in the waiting room and in the practice information sheet advising how to make a complaint to our practice. We also advise the contact information for the State/Territory health complaints agency and the commonwealth agency
• The suggestion box is located at reception and reception staff ensure there is an attached pen and the below form available.
• You may also print off the following suggestions form here and hand this into the practice

Staff are trained to ensure patients of the practice feel confident that any feedback or complaints made at the practice will be handled appropriately.

We have a complaints resolution process which all staff can describe, and we also make the contact details for the state or territory health complaints agencies readily available to patients if we are unable to resolve their concerns ourselves.

Patients have a ‘right to complain’ and where possible patients and others are encouraged to raise any concerns directly with the practice team who are trained to make sure patients of the practice feel confident that any feedback or complaints made at the practice will be handled appropriately.

We believe most complaints can be responded to and resolved at the time the patient or other people such as carers (relative, friend, other consumer) makes them known to us.

This practice complies with the requirements of the Privacy Act (1998),

• You may view this clinics privacy policy here

Script Renewals require an appointment with a doctor at our clinic. Please call our reception on 03 9704 6812 to make a booking.