Practice Information

All patients of the practice have access to ongoing repeat prescriptions at the discretion of their usual doctor.

It is essential to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient when repeat prescriptions are requested. To do that, regular reviews are conducted for the monitoring of underlying health conditions and ensure safe use of medications.

Three options are available for patients to obtain their repeat prescription as detailed below.

1. Book a standard face to face appointment with your doctor. It is preferred patients make an appointment 2 weeks before the prescription runs out for good medical care Standard practice fees apply
2. Book a brief script only phone consultation with your doctor. Please note that not all doctors offer this service. Standard practice fees apply at the discretion of the doctor.
3. Request your prescriptions to be provided without consultation by contacting reception staff, we do request at least 48 hours’ notice, and a fee of $25 is to be paid. The following conditions must also be met:

• The patient must have been seen face to face at surgery in the last 12 months
• The patient must have previously been prescribed the requested medication by a doctor at this surgery.

Please note, the decision to provide a repeat script without an appointment is at the sole discretion of the doctor.

Referral to a specialist requires an appointment with your doctor so that relevant information can be obtained. No referral will be given out without a consultation, nor will it be back dated. This is a medico-legal requirement.

Your doctor may ask you to make a follow up appointment to discuss your test results. This will allow a treatment program to be planned, review of any medical condition, further examination and tests (if required) to be arranged if diagnosis is unclear.

Patients may also enquire about test results by phoning the surgery 2-3 days after tests are performed or by making a follow up appointment.

Follow-up of test results remains the responsibility of the patient.

Most problems are best dealt with in a consultation.  However, our doctors may be available to answer phone enquiries in certain circumstances.

Our staff are experienced in helping decide whether the matter requires an appointment, a return phone call or urgent advice.

Home Visits are provided where medically necessary, and usually performed at start of day, end of day, midday or more promptly when more urgent.

Home visit appointments can be made outside these times by prior arrangement with the receptionist at the discretion of the doctor.

The National Home Doctor Service provides our after hours care Mon- Fri before 8am and after 6pm, weekends and public holidays. They can be contacted on 13 74 25.

Patients who do not speak the primary language of our clinical staff or who have a communication impairment, are offered the choice of using an interpreter service to assist with clinical consultations.

Our practice aims to provide the highest level of medical care possible. Other than helping you to maintain and improve your health, we also encourage preventative medical care.

You are invited to be part of our PATIENT RECALL SYSTEMS, including childhood immunisations, pap smears, flu and other adult vaccinations, health assessments and care plans.

You will now be  contacted via SMS for appointment reminders, recall, and other test reminders or other medical services we offer. Speak with our reception team if you would like to opt-out of the SMS service.

Doctors and staff are very aware of the importance of patient confidentiality and abide by the Privacy Act 2000. Your medical record is a confidential document, all information collected is treated as ‘sensitive information’. Medical information will only be released with consent from the patient.

The physical medical records & related information created & maintained for the continuing management of each patient are the property of this Practice. A patient may access their medical records by signing a request for information form.

Doctors and staff at this Practice are committed to providing you with a high standard of patient care. Your input will help us to improve our service.

If you feel we have not met your expectations, please contact the Practice Manager by phone or via the below feedback form. If you feel your matter has not been resolved, you can contact the Health Ombudsman on 133 646.

Keeping your personal information private in our practice

Purpose
This pamphlet explains how personal information about you and your health is recorded and managed in our practice. We also have a written privacy policy describing how we manage personal information. You can receive a copy of our policy free of charge upon request.

Personal information
The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact details, Medicare number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information may include medical history and any care you may need. GPs need information about your past and present health in order to provide you with high-quality care.

Our practice follows the guidelines of the RACGP’s Handbook for the management of health information in general practice, 3rd edition (the Handbook). The Handbook incorporates federal and state privacy legislation, and the Australian Privacy Principles, which requires that your personal information is kept private and secure.

Your medical records
This practice takes steps to ensure that your medical records:
• are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible
• are up-to-date
• contain enough information to allow another GP to care for you
• contain a summary of your care
• can be used to remind you, with your permission, to return for follow up, check-ups and reviews.

If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask your GP or the practice staff.

If you wish to remain anonymous while accessing healthcare services, please talk to the practice staff.

Providing your information to other GPs
In this practice, it is normal for all GPs to have access to your medical records. If you have any concerns about this please discuss them with your GP or practice staff.

It is important that other people involved in your care, such as medical specialists and other healthcare professionals, are informed of the relevant parts of your medical history, so they can provide the best care for you. Your GP will let you know when this is necessary.

Providing your information to others
GPs respect your right to decide how your personal information is used or shared. For example, this may be sharing your health information with specialist doctors. Personal information that identifies you will only be sent to other people with your consent, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle used by this practice in using and sharing your information.

Our practice will not share your personal health information with anyone else or another organisation unless:
• you have consented to this sharing, or
• they are legally obliged to disclose the information, in which case your GP will first discuss with you the information that she or he is legally obliged to disclose, or
• the information is necessary for you to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates, or
• there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information.

In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided. Your health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:
• you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and
• the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

Using health information for quality improvement and research
This practice may use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the practice.

Your information held by the practice may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the community; however, this information will not include data that can identify you.

The information used for research, including the publication of research results, will not be in a form that would allow you to be identified, unless the research serves an important public interest. In such cases, identifiable medical records can be used for medical research without your consent under guidelines issued by the Australian Government. Before providing such identified information, your GP will discuss with you the information that she or he is obliged to disclose.

Security of information in the practice
Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorised access. This practice complies with these requirements to protect your information.

Access to your health information

You may ask practice staff about any aspect of your healthcare, including information contained in your record. You can request access to your medical record and any other information the practice records about you.

If you request access to your medical record, your GP will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information. Your GP may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.

Sharing information is important for good communication between you and practice staff. Your GP is able to provide a full explanation of the health summary or medical record you are provided access to.

Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing the information.

Direct marketing

This practice does not engage in direct marketing.

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of your health information

If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the accuracy of the information held by the practice, you should discuss these with practice staff. Inaccurate information can be corrected or your concerns noted in your record. For legal reasons, the original notes will be retained.

Contacts

If you have questions or a complaint about the privacy of your personal information, please ask to speak to the privacy contact officer at the practice.

Further information on privacy legislation is available from:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner   1300 363 992  www.oaic.gov.au

ACT Health Services Commissioner  02 6205 2222  www.hrc.act.gov.au/health

Health and Disability Services Complaints Office   Western Australia – 1800 813 583  www.hadsco.wa.gov.au/home/index.cfm

Information and Privacy Commission   New South Wales – 1800 472 679  www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/privacy/ipc_index.html

Office of the Health Services Commissioner  Victoria – 1300 582 113  www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc/index.htm

Office of the Information Commissioner   Northern Territory – 1800 005 610  https://infocomm.nt.gov.au

Office of the Information Commissioner   Queensland – 07 3234 7373  www.oic.qld.gov.au

Ombudsman Tasmania  1800 001 170  www.ombudsman.tas.gov.au

Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC)  South Australia – 08 8226 8666  www.hcscc.sa.gov.au