APPOINTMENTS

  • GPs have the right not to prescribe S8 or S4 prescriptions.
  • No S8 Medication will be prescribed over the phone, you must attend the practice if you require this medication
  • Patient is to complete a transfer of records from previous practice.
  • A treatment contract for S8 or S4 will be agreed between GP and Patient.
  • New Patient appointments 15mins with Nurse for social, family & history then 30 mins with GP. If you have 2-3 health concerns please request a longer appointment
  • If you are making an appointment for an insurance or employment medical, procedure or complex/ multiple medical problems, please book a longer appointment.
  • Please ensure a separate appointment is made for each family member.
  • Appointments are made at 15-minute intervals.
  • Appointment slots are held aside each day for same day urgent reviews, walk-ins, or sick children.

 BILLING ARRANGEMENTS

  • We are a bulk billing clinic.
  • Workers’ compensation accounts will be billed to WorkCover or your employer, however, should liability not be accepted for the injury then the account will be your responsibility. Please ensure that you have your claim number available.
  • Certain procedures may have an out of pocket expense. Your doctor will advise you if there is any out of pocket expense.

 SAME DAY POLICY

  • If you or someone you know is unwell enough to call us, we know you’ll want to see a doctor right away. That’s why we have a same day policy (or next available appointment *note below). The appointment may not be with your usual doctor, and a wider variety of available times will be disclosed dependent on the time of day we are first notified of your desire to book an appointment, but we always do our best to accommodate your unique needs. *Please note from time to time there are emergencies, and on rare occasions this policy may not apply.

 REMINDER SYSTEM and NO-SHOW POLICY

  • If two appointments are missed without notice a $40 cancellation fee will be issued via HotDoc.  No further appointments can be made until this fee is paid. If you believe there were exceptional circumstances and would like the fee reviewed, please contact our Practice Manager and we will be happy to discuss with you.

WAITING TIMES        

  • No one likes to be kept waiting. Our staff respect this and try to adhere to appointment times. The unpredictable nature of a medical practice means that consultations sometimes last longer than anticipated. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to patients when we are behind schedule.
  • Please feel free to phone our surgery to check whether your appointment will be on time
  • Reception will also try to phone you advising of any delay.
  • If you require any assistance, please consult our friendly staff.

RECEIVING RESULTS

  • It is the policy of this practice to have all patients return for a consultation for their results. In certain circumstances the nurse will be authorized to give results over the phone.

SECURITY CAMERAS

  • Please be mindful Gunyah of Wellness is under surveillance 24/7, therefore any behaviours of concern can be reported to local authorities.

VACCINES

  • Patients are encouraged to take advantage of free vaccines made available by the Federal and State Governments. Please ask our nursing staff or your doctor for further details.
  • For those planning travel overseas, we require you to visit your GP.

AFTER HOURS CARE

  • Please remember: – If you have a medical emergency telephone ‘000’ for immediate care.
  • Gunyah of Wellness Gympie contract a medical deputising service for after-hours medical care: Hello Home Doctor 134 100
  • Gunyah of WellnessNambour contract a medical deputising service for after-hours medical care: Hello Home Doctor 134 100
  • The afterhours deputising service offers home visits after hours which are classified as: Mon – Fri: From 6.00pm to 8am | Saturday and Sunday: 8am- 12pm

INTERPRETER SERVICE

  • We can arrange assistance for our hearing impaired patients through NRS National Relay Service www.accesshub.gov.au
  • Gunyah of Wellness uses the Telephone Interpreter Service 1300 131 450 when required. We can organize an “over the phone” service or with 48 hours’ notice an “on-site” service. Telephone Interpreting Services website. www.tisnational.gov.au

SECURITY & PRIVACY RECORDS

The maintenance of privacy requires that any information regarding individual patients, including staff members who may be patients, must not be disclosed in any form (verbally, in writing, electronic forms inside/outside our practice) except for strictly authorised use within the patient care context at our practice or as legally directed.

Health records must be kept where constant staff supervision is easily provided. Personal health information must be kept out of view and must not be accessible by the public.

All patient health information must be considered private and confidential, and therefore must not be disclosed to family, friends, staff or others without the patient’s consent. This information includes medical details, family information, address, employment and other demographic and accounts data obtained via reception.

Patients of our practice have the right to access their personal health information under privacy information. Our practice informs patients that they are able to access their health information. This is done via the practice information sheet, notice in the waiting area and on the practice website (if applicable).

On request for access to personal health information, our practice documents each request and endeavours to assist patients in granting access where possible and according to the privacy legislation. Exemptions to access must be noted and each patient or legally nominated representative must have their identification checked prior to access being granted.

To ensure effective management of each patient’s health, each of the providers require access to relevant information. This information is primarily stored on the practice management software.

HOME VISITS

  • Home visits are offered through Gunyah of Wellness. Please contact reception to assess if you are eligible.
  • Gunyah of Wellness Gympie after-hours medical care: Hello Home Doctor 134 100
  • Gunyah of WellnessNambour after-hours medical care: Hello Home Doctor 134 100

SICKNESS CERTIFICATES

  • A certificate may only be issued after an examination by a doctor, so please make an appointment for this

REPEAT SCRIPTS

For regular medications, patients are encouraged to ensure that they have a sufficient number of repeat prescriptions before leaving the surgery, to ensure continuity of medication until their next scheduled visit.

PRESCRIPTION OF S8 MEDICATIONS

Schedule 8 medications are defined by the Poisons Act 1964 as: “Substances which should be available for use but require restriction of manufacture, supply, distribution, possession and use to reduce abuse, misuse and physical or psychological dependence”.

It is the policy of this surgery to not supply drugs of addiction to any patient requesting scripts unless medical evidence can be supplied to substantiate the need for these drugs. General Practitioners are also required to utilise the QScript system to check patients monitored medicine prescription history.

Drugs of dependence must not be prescribed to family members except in an emergency.

The GPs at Gunyah of Wellness reserve the right to apply this policy to certain Schedule 4 medications such as temazepam and diazepam, or to any other medication they deem suitable.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY OF RECORDS

The maintenance of privacy requires that any information regarding individual patients, including staff members who may be patients, must not be disclosed in any form (verbally, in writing, electronic forms inside/outside our practice) except for strictly authorised use within the patient care context at our practice or as legally directed.

Health records must be kept where constant staff supervision is easily provided. Personal health information must be kept out of view and must not be accessible by the public.

All patient health information must be considered private and confidential, and therefore must not be disclosed to family, friends, staff or others without the patient’s consent. This information includes medical details, family information, address, employment and other demographic and accounts data obtained via reception.

Patients of our practice have the right to access their personal health information under privacy information. Our practice informs patients that they are able to access their health information. This is done via the practice information sheet, notice in the waiting area and on the practice website (if applicable).

On request for access to personal health information, our practice documents each request and endeavours to assist patients in granting access where possible and according to the privacy legislation. Exemptions to access must be noted and each patient or legally nominated representative must have their identification checked prior to access being granted.

To ensure effective management of each patient’s health, each of the providers require access to relevant information. This information is primarily stored on the practice management software.

PATIENT FEEDBACK

  • We genuinely wish to hear from you. From time to time this practice invites patients to complete questionnaires on their views of the practice and how it could be improved. These surveys are completely confidential and help us to improve our services. We believe that problems are best dealt with through the practice. Indeed, we want to know if you are concerned about any aspect of our service. However, if you feel there is a problem you may wish to take outside, you may prefer to contact the Chief Operating Officer Ula.Cavanagh@refocus.org.au or Office of the Health Ombudsman 133 OHO (133 646) or you can make an online enquiry via the website on www.oho.qld.gov