Appointments
New patient form (online)
Consultations with your doctor
The doctors we support operate by an appointment system. The independent doctors will always try to accommodate urgent appointments. Your doctor’s routine consultation is generally 10-15 minutes. A first consultation with your doctor will be booked as a double appointment to ensure your file is updated and your health concerns are appropriately addressed. If you feel you require a longer consultation time with your doctor, please advise reception when making your appointment and we will inform your doctor. Should more than one family member need to be seen by your doctor, please make an appointment for each person. Last minute requests for your doctor to see siblings or friends will result in delays to all their subsequent appointments that day. Repeats of regular prescriptions require a consultation.
Home Visits
Home Visits are offered by the doctors we support for their regular patients whose condition prevents them from attending an appointment at the surgery.
However, these visits be limited to essential cases as they cause disruption to your doctor’s schedule.
Telephone Calls
Your time with your doctor is important, so the doctors we support prefer that consultations not be interrupted by phone calls. Please leave a message with reception stating the reason of your call and a return phone number and we will get the necessary information and call you back on your doctor’s behalf as soon as possible. In the case of an emergency, please call 000 immediately.
Results Follow Up
Each independent doctor will approach results follow up differently. Most (not all) tests will return within a week. If your doctor wishes to discuss your results, your doctor or reception (on your doctor’s behalf) may contact you by phone. You may receive an SMS from Hotdoc. A letter from reception on your doctor’s behalf will be posted to you if either your doctor or reception are unable to contact you by phone. You are welcome to phone the surgery to follow up your results and our reception staff will enquire with your doctor.
Reminder System
On your doctor’s behalf, we offer a reminder system to patients to facilitate your health care. These reminders are for when relevant health services are due such as care planning, immunisations, pathology tests, and screening programs such as cervical screening. If you prefer not to receive reminder notices please advise us.
Your Doctor’s Fees
As independent doctors, their fees are set by your doctor and any adjustments are at their discretion. For fee enquiries, please ask your doctor during your consultation or enquire with reception who can clarify you fees with your doctor. Standard Fees may apply to non-concession cardholders, Commonwealth Seniors cardholders (orange card), and children 5 yrs and over and under 16 years of age.
⦁ Concession Fees may apply to Pensioner Concession cardholders (blue card), Healthcare cardholders (green card) and children under 5 years.
⦁ The doctors we support agree that no Out of Pocket cost will be applicable for Veteran Affairs Gold Cardholders and eligible conditions under White Card, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients and Health Assessments / Chronic Care Planning.
⦁ All fees are payable at the time of consultation by cash, eftpos and credit card. Fees are displayed at the front counter.
⦁ If you have any queries regarding your doctor’s fees, please discuss with your doctor during your consultation or ask reception who will obtain an answer from your doctor and confirm. As part of our services to your doctor, we can claim the Medicare rebate at the time of your visit with your doctor. Generally your medicare rebate will arrive in your bank account within 48 hours. Initial Workcover fees will be charged to you. On confirmation of your case number, it will be billed directly to Workcover. Some services offered by your doctor such as Insurance Medicals, Commercial driver’s License, pre employment medicals do not attract a medicare rebate.
Making an appointment
We don’t want you to wait. Help us by booking the right appointment, with the right person at the right time.
Emergencies
Shortness of breath, difficulty talking, severe allergic reactions, central chest pain, altered consciousness, severe burns or crooked fractures are all problems best seen in the Emergency Department. Call 000 or proceed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital at 6 Doherty St, Birtinya.
Urgent appointments
We hold a minimum of 5 appointments each day for patients that require urgent care. These appointments are only available by telephoning the clinic. Our reception staff will ask for some information about your problem to help them decide how urgently you need to be seen. They may also ask you to discuss your symptoms in detail with a nurse.
Call the clinic
After hours appointments
Urgent after hours care is available by calling the National Home Doctor Service on 13 SICK
(13 7425)
Routine appointments
Routine or non-urgent appointments can be made online via Hotdoc, or by telephoning the clinic. Hotdoc allows you to see all your doctor’s available appointments and choose the one that best suits you. You can book at any time of day or night, and it’s free to use. Simply download the application onto your device.
Which appointment should I book?
Different problems deserve different amounts of time. One way to be sure you have enough time to address everything you’d like to discuss is to ask our receptionists to help you decide what type of appointment you need.
Standard consultation (up to 20 minutes)
A single new symptom or illness, coughs and colds, cervical screening, fever
Long consultation (20 – 40 minutes)
Multiple symptoms or concerns, new patient to the clinic, first antenatal visit, procedures (please book an appointment prior to your procedure appointment in order for us to plan for it), first contraception discussion, mental health concerns (stress, anxiety, depression), long standing symptoms, second opinion on a complicated symptom.
Care Plans
Mental Health Care Plans
Mental Health Care Plans are a tool for you and your doctor to assess your mental health and plan your recovery, often with the help of a mental health practitioner, such as a psychologist or mental health social worker.
If you think you need a Mental Health Care Plan, please book a comprehensive consultation with your GP. Alternatively, your GP might suggest developing a care plan if he/she thinks you might benefit from one.
The care plan may take one or two appointments to develop based on your current problem and health.
Your plan, once completed and billed, will allow access to rebated psychological counselling services with registered providers. You and your doctor will decide who would be best for you to see. There may still be an ‘out of pocket payment’ to see your counsellor, however you will have access to up to six rebated visits with a counsellor, followed by a further four after the plan is reviewed by your GP.
Chronic Disease Management Plans
Chronic Disease Management Plans are available to patients who have an illness expected to last longer than six months. Developing a plan helps both you and your doctor to set goals for your health and plan your care proactively. These plans may involve the practice nurse as well as your GP.
If you have a Chronic Disease Management Plan, you may also benefit from a Team Care Arrangement. This allows you and your doctor to develop a team of practitioners to help you achieve your health goals. Your team must consist of at least three clinicians – your GP, your specialist (if you have one), and any allied health practitioners, who could help you with your goals.
When you have a Team Care Arrangement, you may be eligible for Medicare rebates (up to five per calendar year) to see the allied health practitioners who are on your team. These referrals are developed during your care plan appointment with the practice nurse.
