Appointments Policy

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The Practice prefers to see patients by appointment only. No walk ins are available at this time. 
Urgent appointments can be arranged where necessary in accordance with the practice Triage policy.

 

Pharmacotherapy Program Patients

• Face to Face is required at least once every 3 months to ensure proper care

• Patients with script end dates must book their appointment after each consultation 

We recommend that all patients book appointments at least 1 week ahead of time to ensure you do not miss out.

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Long consultations with the Doctor are available upon request. Please notify the reception staff if you require a long consultation. Your long appointment must be confirmed, otherwise it may be reduced to a standard, and you will be required to rebook another time. 
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Patients will be seen in appointment order to minimize waiting times, although emergencies and urgent matters take precedence.
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We require at least 1 hour notice for any appointment cancellation or reschedule request. 
Your request to change an appointment from Face to Face, to Telehealth, may not always be accepted if the request is made within a hour of the appointment time.

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Did Not Attend/Cancellation Policy

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Mediclinic see a large number of patients, and due to increasing no shows, we are required to review our "Did Not Attend" policy. We are committed to providing quality care, and that involves having appointments available for our clients in need. We understand it can be difficult to book a routine appointment with your doctor, and as such, we need all patients to play their part. 

For some context and transparency, Mediclinic have over 2,800 patients that have visited us since 1st of June 2022. Majority of these are regular patients. Your doctor has a limited number of appointments per day to ensure they are meeting legal and ethical requirements. 

 

When you don't show to your appointment without cancelling, there are a number of flow-on effects. 
The DNA patient takes the appointment slot of another patient who could have attended
Patients on the waiting list for cancellations cannot be contacted in time to fill the spot
The time and personnel required to follow-up and rebook DNA patients diverts Practice staff from other duties and is therefore a waste of resources
New patients that fail to attend their initial appointment may not be offered another

What are the changes?

We will send a reminder message 1 week prior; 24 hours prior, and on the day 45 minutes before your appointment to allow you to cancel if you are not attending. You can respond "No" or call to reschedule. You may also respond "No" and book online via Hotdoc. 

If you fail to attend without cancelling, you will receive a message from our staff and there will be a $50.00 fee payable before your next appointment. 

Why are you doing this?

Simply because almost every day, we have between 5-10 patients on our waiting list for a cancellation. Enforcing this policy is the only way we can accommodate patients that need appointments, but miss out because others do not attend.

FAQ
What if I don't have credit to reply or call? 
All Telstra phone boxes are free, and many are now providing free wifi. Otherwise, come to the clinic to reschedule. 

What if I have a genuine reason I can't attend, or I'm running late? 
Call and let us know what's going on. We need to know what's going on so that other patients can be seen by the Doctor. As we mentioned, we have many patients trying to be seen and you can play your part.

What if I don't have the additional funds to pay the cancellation fee?
If you made your appointment at least one week in advance, you will have had 3 reminders that it's coming up. Or if you made your appointment the day before, you will still have 2 reminders about the time. We value our patients and are committed to having availabilities for those that need it. Please respect our service and the people that provide it, just as much as we respect you and your health needs. 

How are you notifying patients about this policy change?
This review will be posted on the information board at Reception, as well as on our Website. We will also notify patients who have had problematic attendance in the past to ensure everyone who does not seen the signage, or the website, is up to date.

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New Patient Policy

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Welcome to Mediclinic!

If you are a new patient, we kindly request you to please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time to provide ample time to complete the registration form and other documentation. You may also be asked to meet with our Nurses to complete an assessment or take a history.
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New patients must attend Face to Face in line with Medicare Requirements.
 

If you cannot attend your appointment as a new patient, you must call us ahead of time to cancel and reschedule. If you do not attend your initial appointment, you may not be offered another due to the volume of appointment requests we receive. 

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Complete your new patient form here 
https://www.hotdoc.com.au/forms/mediclinic-new-patient-registration-form 

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COVID-19 Policy

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Your safety is paramount to us.
We have updated our safety and infection control policy in adherence to the Department of Health guidelines.
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All patients are required to wear a mask, and social distance whilst in the waiting room.
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Please note that if you’re experiencing any symptoms like COVID-19, upon your arrival to the practice, please remain in your car and call the practice to let them know you have arrived. After a short triage process, the staff will inform you if you can enter the practice.
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For current COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines in Victoria, please visit  https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

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Telephone Policy

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Our practice allows patients to obtain timely advice or information about their clinical care via the telephone. 

Staff members are mindful of confidentiality and respect the patient’s right to privacy. Patient names are not openly stated over the telephone within earshot of other patients or visitors.  This Practice prides itself on the high calibre of customer service we provide, especially in the area of patient security, confidentiality, and right to privacy, dignity and respect.

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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. 

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Patient messages taken for subsequent follow-up by a doctor or other staff member are documented for their attention and action, or in their absence to the designated person who is responsible for that absent team members workload. 
Staff inserts the details of all calls and telephone conversations assessed to be significant where appropriate in the patient file. 

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The doctor needs to determine if advice can be given on the phone or if a face to face consultation is necessary, being mindful of clinical safety and patient confidentiality. Patients are advised if a fee will be incurred for phone advice.  

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Non-medical Staff does not give treatment or advice over the telephone.  The release of test results over the phone by non-clinical staff is discouraged and can only be done under strict doctor instructions. 

Before results are given over the telephone, all patients are identified using 3 approved patient identifiers. 

All practice staff are familiar with each GPs policy for returning telephone calls. A Best Practice message is sent to the GP with the reason for the call and the contact number of the caller.

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Staff do not give out details of patients who have consultations here nor any other identifying or accounts information, except as deemed necessary by government legislation or for health insurance funds.   

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A comprehensive phone answering message is maintained and activated to advise patients of how to access medical care outside normal opening hours. This includes advising patients to call 000 if it is an emergency. The practice ‘on hold’ call message advises patients to call 000 in the event of an emergency.

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Staff are aware of alternative modes of communication that may be used by patients with a disability or special needs including the Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS) and the National Relay Service. 

Important or clinically significant communications with or about patients are noted in the patients’ health record. 
 

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Electronic Communications Policy

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We do not take requests for diagnosis, opinions, scripts, referrals, appointments or any other clinical treatment via email.

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Patients are able to obtain advice or information related to their care or appointment reminders by electronic means, where the doctor determines that a face-to-face consultation is unnecessary. Electronic communication includes:  email, fax, and SMS.

 

Practice staff and doctors determine how they communicate electronically with patients, both receiving and sending messages.  All significant electronic contact with patients is recorded in the patient health records.

 

Patients are advised through the Practice Information Sheet the practice policy on electronic communications including:

•                  Seeking permission or consent from patients

•                  The possibility for electronic communications and information to be compromised

•                  Notification of any costs involved

•                  The frequency of which emails are read by a member of practice staff

 

When an email message is sent or received in the course of a person's duties, that message is a business communication and therefore constitutes an official record.

 

Employees should be aware that electronic communications could, depending on the technology, be forwarded, intercepted, printed and stored by others.  Electronic mail is the equivalent of a post card. In regards to this, health information given in electronic communications should be limited and discussed in more general terms. Patients should be advised that information may be compromised.

 

Wherever possible, the practice should ensure secure encryption of emails is taking place. 

 

The practice uses an email disclaimer notice on outgoing emails that are affiliated with the practice. The following disclaimer is used on all emails sent from this practice:

This email message and any attached files may contain information that is confidential and subject of legal privilege intended only for use by the individual or entity to who they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient be advised that you have received this message in error and that any use, copying, circulation, forwarding, printing or publication of this message or attached files is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the information contained therein.  If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your inbox. 

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