FAQ
Zero tolerance policy
This medical practice has zero tolerance for abusive and/or threatening behaviour towards our team members. This includes shouting, swearing, aggressive actions, threats, inappropriate gestures and name calling. Please treat us as you would like to be treated yourself. If you are abusive or threatening, you will be required to leave the clinic and transfer your care to another practice. Refusal to leave will result in the police being called.
General Appointments
Our reception staff will ask you at the time of booking which doctor you would prefer to see and discuss the length of appointment you require. Please note a standard appointment is 15 minutes long and allows for the discussion of one to two simple issues. If you require completion of forms, have complex or multiple issues to discuss then please ask for a double appointment. This ensures there is minimal delay for other patients who are waiting. Advising our reception staff will ensure they book the most efficient and cost effective appointment for you. Please note, not all of our doctors undertake all procedures.
After-hour care: For non urgent medical care after hours, phone the after-hours GP helpline on 13SICK. This is a telehealth service. They will provide your doctor with a record of your consult keeping our records up to date and allowing for follow-up care. They will also advise if you need to attend Ballina Hospital.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY PLEASE PHONE 000 FOR AN AMBULANCE.
Special appointments – reports/paperwork
If you require reports or any kind of paperwork completed you will need to make a double appointment with the doctor and attend in person. We will not complete any forms, including driver’s licence forms unless you attend a consultation. These consultations may not be subject to a Medicare rebate – please check with reception.
Medical examinations for your driver’s license and other purposes require special bookings with the Doctor and/or Nurse. Please ensure that you select the appropriate option when booking online (or if booking over the phone, explain the type of medical exam to our receptionist.) Please bring any forms required with all relevant sections completed beforehand. You will also need to bring a form of identification such as your driver’s license and, if you wear them, your glasses. If you wear glasses to drive you will need to attend your Optometrist prior to attending the Doctor, for an eye check.
Procedure Appointments
Several doctors at this practice perform minor procedures. Procedure appointments may be deferred to another time based on the doctor’s assessment. Your doctor will advise if this is necessary, and will advise of any fees that may be incurred.
Waiting times
While the practice is committed to scheduling appointments at realistic intervals, there may be an increased waiting time due to one of the following:
- More complex problems than anticipated, which cannot be dealt with within a standard appointment of 15 minutes. For this reason, we suggest all patients book a longer consultation when they have a list of issues.
- Unplanned appointments: Despite the best planning, the nature of general practice is that sometimes patients require immediate attention and an “unplanned” appointment. We will ask for your patience or, if the wait time would be too long or you prefer, staff will re-schedule the appointment.
- Emergency calls: The GP on stand-by to a nursing home or hospital may be called in case of an emergency. In this event, staff will make every effort to re-schedule your appointment.
Late cancellations/No shows for booked appointments:
If you are running late, please ring to see whether it is possible to fit you in or to arrange another suitable time. Staff will do their best to help you and accommodate your needs. But being late may be unfair to other patients who would be made to wait.
Cancellations: If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, we would appreciate that you give us as much notice as possible (minimum 2 hours). Failure to attend appointments or give a minimum of 2 hours notice causes inconvenience for the doctors and patients who miss out on appointments. A $30 cancellation fee applies. Please note that this fee is not eligible for the Medicare rebate.
Additional fee information
The same charge is applied for phone and video consultations as for in-person consultations because they require the same amount of the doctor’s time. Doctors practising in an Ballina West Medical Centre always aim for patients to get the same level of care and value from all of their appointments, whether they are in-person or by phone.
Vaccines
Childhood and other government funded vaccinations are available at the clinic and provided at no cost. Non government funded vaccinations will require a script to be written by the doctor, this script can then be filled at the pharmacy and administered by one of our nurses when you return.
Treatment fees
Patients who need to visit our treatment room may be charged a fee for the services they receive in addition to their consultation fee. This fee covers the care provided by our nurses, and the cost of the dressings provided. You will be informed of any fee in advance.
Worker compensation, insurance and occupational health
We do not bill WorkCover directly unless you have a letter accepting your claim, with a claim number and billing information. If you do not have such a letter, we will bill you as normal and you will need to seek reimbursement from your employer or WorkCover.
Communicating with doctors
Doctors practising at Ballina West Medical Centre are generally unable to receive or return patient phone calls. As most issues are best dealt with in a consultation, we encourage you to schedule a face-to-face appointment in the clinic where possible. Telehealth consults are available and can be booked if nessesary however some conditions require a face-to-face consult and your doctor will advise you during your telehealth consult if this is the case.
Privacy and your records
We comply with all professional and statutory privacy obligations. All information provided by you to the practice, whether to your GP or staff, is strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third party unless you request it, or sharing it is required by law.
The sharing of your health information with other health professionals will always be discussed with you first.
Your information is stored securely, and all staff are trained in the management of health information and confidentiality.
If you wish to access your health information, please discuss this with your doctor. For more, see our privacy policy.
Referrals, certificates and repeats
Please make an appointment if you require referrals, certificates or repeat prescriptions. Doctors practising at Ballina West Medical Centre have a duty of care to ensure that any repeat medication or referrals remain appropriate, and a short consultation is required to check on this.
Doctors cannot backdate a medical certificate in any circumstances.
Results
We believe that patients share responsibility for ensuring that they carry out the tests requested and follow up on the results of any tests performed.
Results will not be given out over the phone as our reception team are not trained to interpret results. Please talk to reception if this causes any concerns.
We will not give out test results to any third party for privacy reasons unless we have your permission to do so.
We will prompt you, at the time of the investigation or referral, to make further appointments to discuss results as appropriate. You may also be contacted by the practice and asked to make an appointment with your GP to discuss your results.
The time to get your results depends on the type of test: blood results often take 2-5 days; some scans can be provided electronically on the day of the test, while others will take significantly longer. Rest assured you will be notified as soon as possible for seriously abnormal or urgent results.
Feedback and complaints
We welcome your feedback. If you have a comment or complaint, you are welcome to provide this feedback via the Patient Comment Form available at Reception.
If you prefer to provide your feedback outside the practice, you are welcome to email bwmc@bwmc.com.au
Complaints and comments about our practice can also be provided directly to the Health Services Commissioner.
Privacy and your records
We comply with all professional and statutory privacy obligations. All information provided by you to the practice, whether to your GP or staff, is strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third party unless you request it, or sharing it is required by law.
The sharing of your health information with other health professionals will always be discussed with you first.
Your information is stored securely, and all staff are trained in the management of health information and confidentiality.
If you wish to access your health information, please discuss this with your doctor.
This Practice is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal health information 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 members of staff to comply with the Privacy Act. The Privacy Act is available on request from Reception.
Referrals, certificates and repeats
Please make an appointment if you require referrals, certificates or repeat prescriptions. Doctors practising in an Ochre medical centre have a duty of care to ensure that any repeat medication or referrals remain appropriate, and a short consultation is required to check on this.
These appointments can generally be made for the same day if urgent.
Doctors cannot backdate a medical certificate in any circumstances.
Results
We believe that patients share responsibility for ensuring that they carry out the tests requested and follow up on the results of any tests performed.
Generally, results will not be given out over the phone as our reception team are not trained to interpret results. Please talk to reception if this causes any concerns.
We will not give out test results to any third party for privacy reasons.
We will prompt you, at the time of the investigation or referral, to make further appointments to discuss results as appropriate. You may also be contacted by the practice and asked to make an appointment with your GP to discuss your results.
The time to get your results depends on the type of test: blood results often take 3-5 days; some scans can be provided electronically on the day of the test, while others will take significantly longer. Rest assured you will be notified as soon as possible for seriously abnormal or urgent results.
Feedback and complaints
We welcome your feedback. If you have a comment or complaint, you are welcome to provide this feedback via the Patient Comment Form available at Reception.
If you prefer to provide your feedback outside the practice, you are welcome to email bwmc@bwmc.com.au and please include mention of the medical centre to which your comments refer.
Complaints and comments about our practice can also be provided directly to the Health Services Commissioner.
Referrals, certificates and repeats
Please make an appointment if you require referrals, certificates or repeat prescriptions. To maintain quality healthcare, a consultation with the doctor is generally required to determine the appropriateness of each request for a referral or prescription, even if it is an ongoing concern.
It is illegal for doctors to backdate referrals to specialists and medical certificates in any circumstances. Please do not make such a request.
Results
We believe that patients share responsibility for ensuring that they carry out the tests requested and follow up on the results of any tests performed.
Generally, results will not be given out over the phone as our reception team are not trained to interpret results. Please talk to reception if this causes any concerns.
We will not give out test results to any third party for privacy reasons.
We will prompt you, at the time of the investigation or referral, to make further appointments to discuss results as appropriate. You may also be contacted by the practice and asked to make an appointment with your GP to discuss your results.
The time to get your results depends on the type of test: blood results often take 3-5 days; some scans can be provided electronically on the day of the test, while others will take significantly longer. Rest assured you will be notified as soon as possible for seriously abnormal or urgent results.
Feedback and complaints
The practice prides itself on providing high quality healthcare. If you have any questions, concerns or complaints please speak with a team member or you can place a comment in our suggestion box. You can contact the Practice Manager in person, by phone or in writing with the details above. Alternatively, you can contact Health Quality and COmplaints Commission NSW on 1800 043 159
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