Operating Hours, Appointments & Policies
Our opening hours are:
- Monday to Friday 8:30am - 6:30pm
- Saturday 9:00am - 12:00pm
- Melbourne Pathology opens Monday to Friday 8:30am - 1:00pm (Closed on Wednesdays)
Appointments
Please ring 9336 2033 for an appointment or you can make an appointment through Health Engine on our web site. If you require more time or are new to the practice, please request a longer appointment. Occassionally, your own doctor may be unavailable, however, we function as a cohesive team and continuity of care will always be maintained when seeing another doctor in the practice. Urgent medical problems will always be dealt with promptly. During these difficult times of COVID we encourage Telehealth appointments. These can be made with our reception staff or on line. Please note that after September 30, there may be a small charge for Telehealth appointments dependant on Government legislation.
Fees
East Keilor Clinic charges a fee for doctor consultations. We ask that all accounts be paid on the day. Payment can be made with either cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS. Pensioners are charged a reduced fee and children under the age of 16 are bulk billed as are Veterans Affairs card holders. In addition to the consultation further costs may be incurred through investigations, procedures and treatments.Please also note that some doctor consultations are not Medicare rebateable such as Insurance Medicals. East Keilor Clinic can process your receipt on line directly to Medicare ensuring a speedy rebate in a couple of hours into your account. Make sure Medicare has your bank account details or you can receive a cheque in the mail.
Home Visits
Home visits are available for existing patients if you are too sick to come to the surgery. Please note that often you will be able to be seen sooner if you come in to the clinic as emergencies are always delt with promptly. Please ring 9336 2033 in the morning before 10am if possible so house calls can be made at lunch time. At times we may request our home doctor service to attend. Please note that a fee will be charged for all home visits.
After Hours and Emergencies
In the case of an emergency please call 000. For other after hours assistance please phone our after hours locum service on 137425.
Telephone Calls
If you have a question regarding your consultation or your results, the nurses will take your call initially and if required will organise a call back from your doctor usually at the end of the session. Urgent enquiries will be handled as quickly as possible.
Repeat prescriptions and Referrals
In certain circumstances doctors may issue repeat prescriptions without a consultation. Please note that there is a fee of $10 for prescriptions provided without a consultation and require 24 hours notice prior to pick up. Your doctor however, may decide that you require a review and will request you make an appointment.
All specialist appointments require a current referral letter which is valid for one year. Please ensure your referral is current. An appointment is required for the doctor to write you a referral. Referrals can not be backdated.
Reminders
The practice has a recall and reminder system available and its policy is to enrol all patients in the system. If you do not wish to be part of the service please advise either your docotr or one of our nurses.
File Transfers
If you move out of the area and require your medical history to be transferred, a transfer fee may be charged., Please arrange for a signed request at your new doctor to be forwarded to us to authorise the transfer of your medical history.
Complaints and Feedback
If you have any complaints or feedback regarding our practice we are keen to know about it. Please speak to one of our receptionists or our Business Manager. Formal complaints can be lodged with The Health Services Commission 30th Floor, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000.
Privacy Policy
As a part of our commitment to providing quality health care it is necessary for us to maintain files pertaining to your health. The files contain the following types of information:
- Personal details (your name, address, date of birth, Medicare number);
- Your medical history;
- Notes made during the course of medical consultations;
- Referrals to other health service providers;
- Results and reports received from other health service providers.
The information held about you is provided by you or arises as a consequence of information provided by you.
Your medical file is handled with the utmost respect for your privacy. The file will be accessed by your medical practitioner, and when necessary, for example in the absence of usual medical practitioner, by other medical practitioners in the practice. It may also be necessary for our staff to handle your file from time to time to address the administrative requirements of running a medical practice. Our staff are bound by strict confidentiality requirements as a condition of employment regarding your medical records. Ordinarily we will not release the contents of your medical file without your consent. However, we advise that there may be occasions where we will be required to release the details of your file irrespective of whether your consent to the disclosure of the information is given. This will occur where the law requires disclosure, such as pursuant to a subpoena.
We advise that as a patient of this practice you have rights of access to any information we hold concerning you. Should you wish to access this information we refer you to our handout entitled “Request For Personal Health Information”
