FEES
Plenty Road Medical Centre is a private billing practice. We ask that accounts are paid on the day and can be sent by our receptionist to Medicare on your behalf. An administration fee may be applicable for accounts not paid on the day (non-rebatable). We accept payment via cash, EFT, credit card, and cheque. Bulk billing is available Monday to Friday between 10am-3.45pm for current PCC card holders, Veteran Affairs and children under 16 years old. All other times will incur out of pocket charges. Saturday appointments are billed privately for all patients at a higher rate.
All procedures and dressings incur out of pocket charges.
The current rates are displayed at reception. For further information, please contact reception on 9467 5433.
APPOINTMENTS
Plenty Road Medical Clinic runs an appointment system. Appointments can be made in person or by telephone (not by email or fax). Whilst we endeavour to run on time, the nature of health care is that delays sometimes happen. We appreciate your patience during these times.
Emergency cases are given priority and we trust you will understand if an emergency is scheduled before you. A standard consultation is 15 minutes however, if you feel you require a longer consultation, please indicate at the time of booking your appointment.
If you are unable to keep your appointment, please ring and cancel so this time can be offered to another patient. Failure to keep your appointment may result in a non-attendance fee. This fee is non-rebatable.
HOME VISITS
Home visits are available to regular patients who are unable to attend the clinic at the discretion of the doctor. Please speak to our reception staff to request a home visit. Some home visits may incur a practice fee of $50 (non-rebatable).
AFTER HOURS CARE
After hours care is provided by National Home Doctor Service on 9429 5677 or 137 425. A doctor will visit you at home and a report detailing the visit will be forwarded to the clinic. This is a bulk billed service.
RESULTS
In general, any tests ordered by the practice require a follow-up appointment to discuss the results and plan further treatment. Occasionally, results will be given to patient over the phone. This will be determined by the doctor upon reviewing the results. Should a patient require an appointment to discuss their results, they will be contacted via phone by reception staff. Up to three (3) phone calls/SMS will be made. If no response, the doctor may request one (1) written reminder to be sent via registered post to the patient’s mailing address requesting they contact the practice to make an appointment.
RECALLS AND REMINDERS
Preventative care is important to our practice. 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. If you wish to opt out of this service please advise reception staff or your doctor.
PROCEDURES
All procedures and some dressings will incur an out of pocket fee. Please discuss this with the receptionist or doctor when booking your procedure appointment.
Our doctors practice quality prescribing of medications. We prefer to see all patients who need prescriptions but we understand that this may not be possible in all situations. In these circumstances the doctors may, at their discretion, issue a script. All scripts requested by phone will incur a cost.
REFERRALS
A consultation with the doctor is required for referrals to medical specialists. This is to enable your doctor to provide appropriate and up to date medical information to the specialist. Please note that it is not best practice for your doctor to issue back dated referrals, so please ensure you have a referral prior to your specialist appointment.
COMMUNICATION POLICY
The practice accepts telephone enquiries from patients. Should patients need to speak with a doctor or nurse at the practice, the urgency of their request will be assessed by the receptionist using standardised phone triage protocols. Patients will then either be transferred directly to an available doctor, or be asked to leave their contact details, which will then be passed on to a doctor with a request for a call back.
FEEDBACK
We encourage you to let us know how you feel about any aspect of care received at this practice. Please speak to the doctors or receptionist about any issues related to the service provided by any member of our team. We ask that you provide your feedback in writing, or you can speak directly to the Practice Manager or your doctor.
Patients wishing to make a complaint about any health service in Victoria can contact Health Services Commissioner.
Complaints and Information
Telephone: (61 3) 8601 5200
Toll Free: 1800 136 066
E-mail: hsc@health.vic.gov.au
Or write to: Health Services Commissioner
30th Floor
570 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Our doctors practice quality prescribing of medications. We prefer to see all patients who need prescriptions however, we understand that this may not always be possible. In these circumstances the doctors may, at their discretion, issue a script with a $10 ($5.00 for Health Care card and Pension Card holders) fee. This fee is non-rebatable.
REFERRALS TO OTHER PROVIDERS
Medicare rules stipulate that you must have an up to date referral before visiting a specialist.
General Practitioners are unable to backdate referrals so please ensure you have a valid referral before seeing a specialist by visiting your doctor in advance. At the discretion of your doctor, it may be possible to issue a repeat referral without a consultation. This may incur a fee.
UPDATING YOUR DETAILS
You can update your details such as name, telephone number and address by calling and speaking with our receptionist on 03 9467 5433. Please ensure your contact details are up to date at all times. We may need to contact you about results or to change or confirm an appointment.
MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH INFORMATION
All information received in the course of a consultation between a Doctor and the patient is considered personal and private health information.
Doctors, staff and contractors are expected to maintain the privacy of personal information.
Medical records are the property of the practice. A patient has the right to access their medical record under the Privacy Act and Health Records Act.
Please ask reception for further information.