Appointments
Consultation is by appointment. Urgent cases will be seen on the day. If you require a longer consultation please let our receptionist know.
After Hours
For after hours medical attention please call the NATIONAL HOME DOCTOR SERVICE on 13SICK(137245) or 9429 5677
Home Visits
If you wish your doctor to make a home visit, please call the surgery first thing in the morning.
Telephone Consultations
This practice offers telephone consultations for routine matters. Complex or multiple issues are best dealt with face to face. Telehealth consultations are billed at the same fee scale as surgery consultations & are provided at the doctors discretion. Patients are encouraged to discuss which appointment type is best suited to their needs with Reception staff when booking.
Missed Appointments or late cancellations
If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel less than 2 hours before an appointment a “non attendance fee” of $55 may apply. This fee is not rebatable.
Please let us know ASAP if you are unable to attend so we may offer the time slot to another patient.
Communication
A doctor is available during normal surgery hours for emergency advice. Our staff are experienced in determining the appropriate response to any phone request. For security and privacy reasons no medical advice or results will ever be given by email or SMS.
Billing Arrangements
|
Fees and Billing |
|||
| Visit Type | Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out of pocket cost |
|
Standard consultation Up to 15 minutes |
$95 | $41.20 | $53.80 |
|
Long Consultation Up to 30 minutes |
$160 | $79.70 | $80.30 |
|
Prolonged Consultation Up to 50 minutes |
$210 | $117.40 | $92.60 |
The Caulfield Family Medical Practice is a private billing clinic. We ask the fees are paid at the time of consultation by credit card or EFTPOS.
Fees not paid on the day will incur additional accounting charges.
Referrals to a consultant/specialist.
Doctors in this practice are competent at handling common health problems. When necessary, they can use opinions from Specialists. You can discuss this openly with your doctor, including potential out of pocket expenses.
Test Results
Patients are responsible for following up their results.
All test results are reviewed by the Doctor and acted on in a timely manner. Patients are encouraged to make a review appointment with their doctor to follow up on all results. In the event of a clinically significant result, you will be contacted as soon as possible to make a follow up appointment to discuss the results with your doctor.
Privacy
Your medical record is a confidential document.
It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised staff members. See our Caulfield Family Medical Practice Privacy A summary of our Privacy Policy is displayed in the Waiting Room. Please ask staff if you would like to obtain the detailed Privacy Policy or to access information from your health record
Complaints/Suggestions
We welcome patient feedback or suggestions for improvement to the practice. Please call, write or use our suggestion box.
Complaints should initially be directed to the privacy officer Ms Carmel Pierias. If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, the doctor’s involvement is sought. If you need to discuss the matter externally contact: Health Complaints Commissioner 1300 582 113
Regular Reminders
We have a Recall & Reminder system to ensure that our patients receive relevant preventative care. Our reminders are sent out regularly via text message (or letter). If you do not wish to participate in this service please inform your doctor. However, you are unable to opt out of being recalled by your doctor eg. To follow up on abnormal test results
Ongoing Scripts & Referrals
It is the policy of this practice that an appointment must be made for repeat prescriptions & referrals.
Patients who have consulted with their Caulfield Family Medical Practice doctor in the last three months and cannot attend the clinic for an appointment should call our reception staff to discuss.
A non-rebatable fee of $30 for prescriptions and/or referrals may be applied.
AGPAL accredited
Caulfield Family Medical Practice is accredited by Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL). AGPAL assesses individual practices to ensure their performance meets or exceed standards set by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
