About

Fees:

We are a fully bulk billing practice - Patients are required to present their Medicare card upon arrival & advise reception if you are on a valid Pension or Healthcare concession card.
Patients not on a valid Medicare card incur a private fee of $50 which must be paid in full on the day of their consultation.

Test Results Policy:

It is our clinic policy that results are not given out over the phone – Our clinic prefers to address all health issues in person and therefore results can only be obtained in a consultation.

Your Doctor will advise when results are expected to arrive at the practice. In the event of clinically significant results ,you will be contacted as soon as possible to make a follow up appointment to discuss the results with your doctor. Please ensure that you advise reception to any change to your contact details.

Interpreter service:

Our practice is registered with TIS (The Translating & Interpreting Service) - Any patients that do not have English as their first language can use this service - Please advise reception upon booking an appointment or email: info@thespecialistmedicalcentre.com.au - Interpreting services can be booked in advance or on the day of the appointment as the service is over the phone.

We are registered with NABS (National Auslan Bookings Service) Any patients presenting with hearing impairment can engage in these services, However, booking in advance for an NABS interpreter is essential as an interpreter will be present in the consultation, with the patients consent.

Please advise reception upon booking an appointment or email: info@thespecialistmedicalcentre.com.au

Privacy policy:

When speaking to staff over the phone, for privacy reasons ,we will ask for specific details such as name, address & date of birth to correctly identify you. Correct patient identification ensures we deliver the correct treatment, care & results specific to you.

We are committed to provide our patients with high quality healthcare and in order to achieve this it is essential that we have an up to date and accurate health record. We require all new patients to submit a new patient registration form prior to your appointment.

Collection:

The practice will need to collect personal information, such as:
Name, address, date of birth & contact details
Medicare card, where available, for identification & claiming payment from Medicare Pension card or healthcare card details DVA card details (Department of Veterans Affairs) Medical information including medical history, allergies, medications, immunisations, adverse events, family history, social history & risk factors

A patients information may be stored in the practice in various forms:

• Paper records
• Electronic records
• Visual images such as X-Rays, CT scans & Photos

The practice procedure for collecting & updating patient information is as follows:
Reception staff will ask all new patients to fill out a new patient registration form when they arrive for their first appointment. Frequenting patients will be asked to confirm there details such as, name, date of birth, address & contact details upon each visit to ensure the correct patient record is being added to the appointment list. Please advise reception if your details have changed or need updating.

During consultations the doctors & Nurses will collect further information such as medical history, medications, allergies & adverse events.
Personal history may also be collected from the patients carer, guardian or responsible person (where practicable & necessary) or from any other involved healthcare specialist

The practice stores all personal information securely in either electronic or hard copy format. The practice takes steps to ensure all stored information is retained in a secure environment that is only accessible to doctors, practitioners & staff of the practice. The practice has strict backup procedures in place to ensure security for patients data at all times.

Complaints:

The practice takes complaints & concerns about the privacy of patients personal information very seriously.

Patients have the right to complain & where possible patients & others are encouraged to raise concerns directly with the Practice Manager or Director who are trained to make sure patients of the practice feel confident that any feedback or complaint made will be handles appropriately & within a timely manner. All feedback received will be kept confidential at all times.

All complaints received are reviewed by the Practice Manager & Director. Any actions required to minimise the circumstances from happening again are documented & signed off on completion. We believe that most complaints can be responded to & resolved at the time of the patients (or other people) such as carer, relative or friend makes the complaint known to the practice. The practice will acknowledge the complaint as soon as possible or within 2 working business days from being received.

The practice will respond & look to resolve any complaints received within 30 days.
If a resolution of the matter is to take longer than 30 days, an update of the resolution activities will be provided to the patient, with an anticipated revised time frame for resolution.

Complaints can be submitted in writing addressed to the Practice Manager or Director or by filling out a feedback form located in the contact section of this site. Alternatively can be submitted in writing directly to the practice.

If the matter cannot be resolved, the patient may wish to contact the Health Complaints Commissioner:
New South Wales

Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC)
Telephone: (02) 9219 7444 / 1800 043 159 (Toll Free in NSW)
Web: www.hccc.nsw.gov.au