ABOUT US
AFTER HOURS SERVICE
If you require medical care outside our usual opening hours our surgery’s telephone number (07 3879 6230) will automatically divert you to one of our afterhour’s service. If you would prefer to call the National Home Doctor Service directly their number is 13 74 25 or Hello Home Doctor Service on 13 41 00. If there is an emergency please call “000” for immediate assistance. Alternatively, patients can call the Queensland Health 24-hour Advice Line on 13 432 584 for confidential health advice from qualified practitioners.
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APPOINTMENTS
Please call our friendly staff for an appointment. We offer in person and/or telephone consults (you must meet Medicare requirements to be eligible for a telephone consult – please ask reception if you qualify at the time of booking). If you are unsure how long you will need, feel free to discuss with our staff and they can assist you.
Standard appointments are booked in 15 minutes intervals. These are suitable for most acute medical problems or if you only have one subject to discuss with your doctor.
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Long appointments are booked in 30 minutes intervals. We suggest a longer appointment if you feel you require more time, have multiple health issues to discuss, or have complex issues.
You are welcome to phone the practice prior to your appointment to check whether your doctor is running on time at that point. We do not accept walk-ins. If there is an emergency please call"000" for immediate assistance.
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HOME VISITS
Home visits may be available if required at the discretion of the treating doctor by prior arrangement. A cost may be involved.
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REFERRALS AND REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Please make appointment to see your doctor for referrals and repeat prescriptions. Back dated referrals will not be provided. This is done at the discretion of the treating doctor who may prefer for you to be seen in a consultation for the request. There is a minimum of 24/48 business hours required for this request to be processed.
TRIAGE
In all cases if you feel you require urgent assistance please see our receptionist on arrival. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms please inform our staff immediately:
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Chest pain
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Difficulty breathing
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Bleeding
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Convulsions
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Severe vomiting
CANCELLATIONS
We understand that sometimes a patient is unable to make a scheduled appointment due to unforeseen circumstances however we do request that you allow at least two hours for changes or cancellations (for Monday appointments, please call us on Saturday). If you miss an appointment without suitable reason/notice (at least 2 hours) a cancellation fee or the doctor discontinuing care may apply. Consideration will be given depending on the circumstances.
Cancellation fees:
Standard appointment: $85
Long appointment: $140
HCC/ child standard appointment: $50
HCC/ child long appointment: $90
*These fees are not rebatable through Medicare
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DISCONTINUING CARE
The doctors at this practice have the right to discontinue care at their discretion. Any inappropriate behaviour which jeopardizes the safety and/or security of patients, staff or visitors will result in prohibition from the practice. If you do not attend more than two pre booked appointments without an explanation deemed appropriate, the General Practitioner has the right to discontinue care.
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COMMUNICATION POLICY
Richland’s Medical Centre welcomes 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 or nurse with a request for a call back. The Practice is happy to receive email enquiries from patients however replies from the Practice will generally be via phone, particularly when dealing with personal medical matters, to ensure we are speaking with the correct person.
EXTRA ASSISTANCE
If extra assistance is required with communication, we can arrange an Interpreter Service for you. This needs to be arranged and booked prior to your appointment so please inform reception ahead of your appointment time. The National Relay Service can be utilised for phone calls if you are hearing impaired.
TESTS AND TEST RESULTS
If a doctor refers you to another doctor, or for tests or investigations, it is your responsibility to ensure these are done and the results followed up as advised. For tests and investigation results, a consultation with your doctor is the preferred means to receive your test results. This provides you with the time to discuss your results and any questions you may have arising from them. The appointment is also an opportunity for related preventive health care. Otherwise you may call for your results and the reception staff can relay a message left for you by your doctor about your results. If further discussion is required please call to make an appointment to discuss these. If your contact details change (for example your address or phone number) it is your responsibility to inform us of these changes.
RECALLS AND REMINDERS
Richlands Medical Centre uses both an online (HotDoc) and manual recall system to remind you when clinical issues are due for review. We consider this an excellent opportunity to manage your health while you are well. Recall and reminder systems are used for chronic conditions such as Diabetes and Ischaemic Heart Disease, as well as in preventive health care such as for when Cervical Screening, Immunisations and cholesterol checks are due. We may contact you via text, mail or telephone. If you do not wish to be included in this service, please advise your doctor.
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FEE POLICY
Richlands Medical Centre is a mixed billing Practice. This means that some of our doctors will be charging a fee on top of Medicare for consultations, both face to face and telehealth. For further billing enquiries, please discuss with your GP at your next visit.
We welcome any of your comments and/or suggestions to help improve our service to you. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you receive, please feel free to raise this with one of our receptionists or our doctors, in person or in writing. We will review all complaints and endeavor to respond promptly and thoroughly. If you feel your complaint has not been managed adequately, you can contact the Office of the Health Ombudsman (133 646).
As per the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017, all information obtained by Richlands Medical Centre is treated as sensitive information. All patient records and information are handled and stored to protect the privacy of our patients. Your information can be shared with other health care professionals/members of your health care team. You have a right to access the information held about you. If you would like a full copy of our Privacy Policy please ask our Receptionists or you can find an electronic copy on our website.
PATI ENT HEALTH INFORM ATI ON
The Practice maintains a password-protected electronic database of patient health records. Results from pathology and radiology tests are transmitted to the Practice via secure electronic messaging and integrated into a patient’s health record automatically. Personal demographic and health information about patients will only be provided to other practices and health professionals upon receipt of a written request which includes patient authorisation. The requested details will then be forwarded to the other practice/health professional, preferably electronically via Medical Objects.
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Your treating GP will provide an up to date and accurate summary of your health information on request where appropriate. The treating GP will consider all requests made by a patient for access to their medical record. In doing so the GP will need to consider the risk of any physical or mental harm resulting from the disclosure of health information. If the GP is satisfied that the patient may safely obtain the record then he/she will either show the patient the record, or arrange for a copy, and explain the contents to the patient. Any information that is provided by others (such as information provided by a referring medical practitioner or another medical specialist) is part of the health record and can be accessed by the patient. Occasionally the patient may be referred to the treating specialist for access to their letters.