If you have COVID-19, cold and flu-like symptoms, we require you to wear a mask on-site. This is to protect our staff and other patients in the practice. We do not want to have to close our practice due to COVID-19 contamination and need you to cooperate with our requirements. You may be asked to wait in your car, for the doctor to call you to come into the practice, or you may have a telehealth consultation.

If you do not feel able to wear a mask or have a mask exemption, we can arrange a telehealth consultation first and discuss options for a face-to-face consultation, if needed. If you believe you have a lawful reason not to wear a mask, you must show evidence of this.

We do not provide certificates to allow people exempt from wearing a face mask.

Border General Practice welcomes new patients who will require a new patient appointment. This appointment type will allow us to take a detailed medical history and attend to your needs at the time of this appointment.

We do not offer the following during a new patient consultation:

• WorkCover consultations

• GP Mental Health Treatment Plans

• General Practitioner Management Plans (GPMPs) or Team Care Arrangements (TCAs)

• Procedures

• Urgent or acute care

• Prescriptions for drugs of dependence

We operate on a pre-booked appointment system and reserve appointments for emergencies each day. Walk-in patients are offered an appointment where possible and within a time frame for their individual needs.

You can simply phone our practice on (02) 6062-3166 to make an appointment. Alternatively, you can book online via HotDoc. You will receive confirmation of your appointment by a reminder text.

Please advise our staff should you need a longer appointment to discuss multiple issues. To ensure you get the most out of your appointment, please check your scripts and a list of health concerns prior to coming.

Due to the unpredictable nature of general practice, the doctors may occasionally run behind schedule. We suggest you phone the practice 15 minutes before your appointment to see if your doctor is on time.

If you have respiratory symptoms on the day of your appointment, you will be asked to perform a RAT test on the same day and prior to your appointment.

If you are RAT negative, you can attend your face-to-face appointment but will be asked to wait in your car for the doctor to call you to come into the practice. Please bring your latest RAT test with you. Please note that masks must be worn to enter the practice, if you have cold and flu-like symptoms.

If you are RAT positive, your GP will provide a telehealth consultation for you. Please ensure you have your mobile phone ready for the telephone call.

We understand that sometimes it is not possible for you to attend your appointment. We ask that you please cancel a booked appointment at least 3 hours in advance so that we can accommodate someone else who needs medical care.

Appointments not attended or those cancelled within 3 hours of the booked appointment time will incur a fee of $40.

We try our best to book you in with your preferred doctor at every appointment. However, unfortunately, the same doctor may not always be available on the day of your visit. You can choose to wait for an appointment with your preferred doctor, or we can offer an appointment with another doctor or the nurse practitioner who can access your medical history and treatment notes.

We understand that you may wish to speak with your doctor outside of an appointment. As they are usually consulting with other patients and/or conducting procedures, it is not always possible for you to speak to your doctor at the time. Our receptionists will offer alternatives and will take a message from you to pass on to your doctor, who will call you back at the soonest available time.

In cases of an emergency, please always dial 000.

Due to the risk of a data breach, we do not communicate confidential patient information via email.

Your results will be reviewed by your doctor. If your doctor determines your results as urgent, we will phone you to make an appointment.

If your doctor determines your results to be normal and no further action is required, you may not hear from us. If the test results require follow-up, you will receive a secure SMS to make an appointment with your doctor.

Please remember, reception staff are unable to give out results over the phone. Should you wish to discuss your test results regardless, you will be required to make an appointment with your doctor.

All patients must make an appointment for all prescription medications. All prescriptions, including repeat prescriptions, are best provided face-to-face at consultation to ensure patient safety. This enables your doctor to:

• review your medical record

• confirm correct patient details and medication and dose

• confirm if the medication is still required, if a dose adjustment is needed or if any other special monitoring is necessary.

All patients must make an appointment to receive a referral as deemed by their GP and/or nurse practitioner.

Your practitioner will review your request and confirm your eligibility if you require a repeat referral. In some cases, you may be required to make an appointment with your practitioner to ensure the correct management of your health care.

Your personal health information/medical record is confidential. You must complete a request form and supply identification if you wish to obtain a copy of your personal health information/medical record. For a full medical record, you will be required to pay an administrative fee in order to release this information to another medical practice.

Border General Practice is committed to preventative care, so from time to time you may be contacted via our SMS system in relation to repeat tests, immunisations and routine health checks/screening.

All consultations at the practice receive an SMS (provided you have given consent) to remind you of any upcoming appointments.

Doctors may perform home visits when appropriate and if time allows. However, they are generally restricted to those who are their regular patients.

After 6:00pm, Border General Practice offers an after-hours service for those patients that require an urgent after-hours consultation.

This service is used strictly for emergencies only, and an out-of-pocket fee of $100 will apply. Further additional charges may apply depending on the clinical presentation.

Patients may access this service by phoning the practice from 6:00pm. By staying on the line, you automatically consent to paying and receiving our after-hours service.

From time to time, the practice invites patients to complete a questionnaire on their views of the practice and how it can be improved. These questionnaires are completely confidential and help us to improve our services. We do value your feedback and invite you to talk to your doctor or our practice manager, or write to us if you wish.

We hope that any difficulties you may have can be resolved. If you need to contact an outside authority, please direct this to:

Health Complaints Commissioner, Ph: 1300 582 113.