Practice Information For Patients
Booking and Appointments
Bookings can be made in person at our clinics or by calling the clinic reception. We also offer online booking for existing patient at several of our clinics. To learn more and find contact information, refer to the clinic pages.
A standard appointment is 15 minutes and is required if you have a single non-urgent condition or routine problem to consult with your doctor.
We request that you book a longer appointment of 30 minutes if you have a complex problem or multiple issues to attend to or require detailed forms to complete. This assists the doctors to appropriately attend to your needs and helps prevent lengthy waiting times for other patients.
For other appointment types, please refer to the clinic pages or contact reception.
Fees and Billing
We are a private billing practice, and consultation fees will be charged at the discretion of the treating doctor.
All privately billed patients are required to pay the full fee on the day of their consultation. We accept payment for our fees via Cash, Cheque, EFTPOS, Credit Card and Direct Deposit.
We have installed the latest software technology, which allows us to send your claim for rebates through to Medicare Online or to provide on the spot reimbursement of Medicare rebates at specific clinics. This rebate is not for the full fee and there will be out of pocket costs for consultations.
Fees can vary, based on the length of time taken for each consultation, the complexity, and the determination of the individual doctor.
For standard consultations, patients with a Concession or Health Care Card or children aged under 16 years old, may be charged a discounted fee.
At the doctor’s discretion, some consultations may be bulk billed. Some services such as Care Plans and Health Assessments are always bulk billed.
All procedures, consumables, non-routine consultations, travel vaccines and skin cancer clinics will incur an additional fee.
To learn more about our consultation fees, refer to your clinic’s website or ask our receptionists.
New Patients
We gladly welcome new patients to the practice.
New patients will need to ring our reception team to organise an initial consultation. Your appointment will be a longer consultation to allow time to discuss your medical history and background. A deposit will be taken at the time of booking and will be used for payment of the consultation.
Prior to your first appointment, you will be required to complete our New Patient Registration Form. This can be downloaded from the link below.
Campaspe Medical Centre is currently not accepting new patients.
Prescriptions and referrals
Patients may request repeat prescriptions and on-going referrals outside of a consultation. These requests will be assessed by the doctor, and it is their discretion as to whether they will approve or decline the request.
If the request is approved, there will be an out-of-pocket fee to be paid before the script or referral will be written.
If the request is unable to be completed, you will be contacted to make an appointment.
Results
In the interest of good care, you will need to make an appointment to discuss any results. If your doctor requires a follow up appointment, you will be contacted by our receptionists to book a consultation.
Our receptionists cannot give you the results of any tests or investigations.
Telehealth and Phone Consultations
Telehealth or Phone Consultation allows you to consult a healthcare provider by video/phone call. Our practice offers phone and video consultations if you cannot physically see the doctor. To organise a telehealth consultation, please contact your clinic to arrange your appointment.
To access a Medicare rebate for phone and video consults, you must have been seen face to face in the clinic during the past 12 months. If not, there will be a private out of pocket fee. If you are unsure if you are eligible, please contact your clinic, as your doctor may need to see you in person.
Late cancellations and no-shows
Please provide as much notice as possible if you are unable to attend your appointment. Failure to attend appointments causes inconvenience for the doctors and other patients who could not an appointment.
We reserve the right to charge a Did Not Attend fee for missed appointments or for appointments cancelled after 5:00pm one business day prior. Repeat failures to attend or cancellations without appropriate notice, may result in the termination of the doctor patient relationship and the discharge from the practice.
After hours care
Our practice has doctors on call to provide an after-hours and weekend service. To access this service please call the practice and follow the prompt. This service is only for existing patients and private fees do apply.
For non-emergency medical advice, you can also access the Nurse-On-Call helpline on 1300 60 60 24
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/nurse-on-call
For mental health support, Lifeline offer 24/7 crisis support by phone on 13 11 14
For all medical emergencies, please call the emergency services on 000.
Communication
As a courtesy to the patient with them, and for privacy, our doctors will not accept calls during consultations. Please leave a message with our reception staff and they will pass it on to the doctor for you.
Although email is not our preferred method for contacting our clinics, all requests, queries and feedback sent via email will be followed up appropriately, either by your doctor, or our receptionists and practice managers. Any communication by electronic means will be added to your health record.
Health promotion and preventative care
We operate a patient reminder system and preventative medicine program for important, ongoing medical issues. Please notify staff if you do not wish to be contacted via SMS or email.
Translation services
Please notify our receptionists before your consultation if you require translation or National Relay Services for the hearing or speech impaired. Some of our doctors speak languages other than English, so please inform us when you book if you have special needs.
To learn more about these services see the links below.
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)
Privacy and release of health information
We require your personal details and a full medical history, so that our doctors can properly assist, diagnose and treat you and manage your health care needs proactively. This information will also be used for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes.
We do not share this information without your consent, in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1988 (Australia) and the Australian Privacy Principles
Information regarding your medical records will only be released following a request in writing and with permission from the treating doctor.
Our full privacy policy can be accessed by asking our receptionists or at the bottom of our website “Privacy Policy”.
Civility
We have zero tolerance of abuse to any of our staff either in person or by telephone. Staff have the right to end a call if any unnecessary language is used upon. Abusers will also be asked to leave the property.
Feedback
We pride ourselves on excellent healthcare. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints we would be happy to hear from you. Please use our suggestion box, or contact the Practice Manager in person, by telephone, or in writing. Alternatively, contact the Health Service Commission at www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc or telephone 1300 582 113
Social Media
Our practice uses social media to communicate practice and clinic information with our patients. The practice has appointed staff members across the clinics to manage and monitor the practice’s social media accounts. Our complete social media policy can be found at the bottom of our website “Social Media Policy” or by asking at reception.
MyMedicare
When you register in MyMedicare, it will notify your general practice that you have chosen them as your regular care team. Additional funding will be available from the government to help them provide the care you need.
MyMedicare patients will have access to:
Greater continuity of care with your registered practice, improving health outcomes
Longer Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS) funded telehealth consultations with your GP
Triple bulk billing incentive for longer MBS telehealth consultations for children under 16, pensioners, and concession card holders, from 1 November 2023
More regular visits from your GP and better care planning for people living in a residential aged care home, from August 2024
Connections to more appropriate care in general practice for people who visit hospital frequently, from mid-2024.
If you choose not to register in MyMedicare, you will still be able to access the same quality of care from your healthcare providers.