FAQ

What other Services do we provide?

• Health Assessments for over 75’s and 45-49 yr’s
• Skin Checks
• Healthy Heart Health Assessments – aged 30 to 74 years
• Indigenous Health Checks
• Registered Nurse
• Immunisations – government funded and private
• Asthma Checks
• Baby Checks
• Diabetes Clinic/Insulin Monitoring
• ECGs and Healthy Heart Health Assessments
• ear toilet microsuction and syringing as clinically indicated
• Travel Advice/Vaccinations
• Preferred Provider for Queensland Health Shared Antenatal Care. Postnatal Checks
• Well Women/ Well Men Checks
• Commercial Driver Medicals
• Fracture Diagnosis & Plastering
• Chronic Disease Management
• Yellow Fever vaccine accredited
• Minor procedures including Skin Cancer Excisions and Lacerations Sutured
• Nursing Home Care
• Home Palliative Care Services
• Telehealth Specialists
• Spirometry
• Preferred Provider Queensland Health Child Developmental Clinics

What do I do if I need a Doctor after hours?

You can phone the National Home Doctor Service on 137 425.
We are an accredited practice with GPA covered under the 4th Edition Standards RACGP

or

Doctor After Hours
National Home Service 137425

If it is an emergency dial 000 and ask for ambulance.

Home visits and telephone access

Home visits are available for regular patients of the practice who are unable to attend the surgery because of their medical condition. However the doctor may decide that it is more appropriate for you to attend the surgery. Due to time constraints, doctors are not able to take phone calls from patients. Please make an appointment to discuss any concerns with your doctor. ( In urgent cases, your call will be put through to your doctor or nurse)

On occasions this may generate a private fee.

Do I need to make an appointment?

We operate an appointment system but reserve limited vacancies for urgent cases. Consultations require 12 minutes. If you feel you need a longer appointment, please advise reception when making the appointment. Emergency and Acute Medical Conditions will be given priority.

I need to cancel my Appointment

We would appreciate it if you would advise us if you cannot attend your appointment. We have people on waitlists who would be happy to fill your slot.

If you do not attend an appointment and fail to notify us, a private fee may be charged.

How much will I be charged?

For all doctors consultations will be charged based on our current fee schedule. DVA gold card holders are bulk billed.  Our current fee schedule has been changed in July 2023 to reflect the previous withdrawal of several government incentive programs and lack of rebate increase over many years in rate with inflation.   This fee is payable at time of consultation, accounts will not be issued. A family can register for the medicare safety net and may be eligible for reduced gap fees.

We accept payment by  EFTPOS or cash.

For more information regarding our fees, please call (07) 5441 6093

Investigation results?

We encourage all patients to return for results, as the Doctor should discuss these with you. Follow up appointments may sometimes be bulk billed

Preventative care

Our practice is committed to preventative care. We may issue you with a reminder notice from time to time offering you preventative health services appropriate to your personal care. This practice is registered with the National and State reminder systems. Please advise us if you wish to be removed from this this service.

Management of your personal health information

Website Privacy Statement

Our website includes a plug in to a booking platform ‘Health Engine’. Personal Information is required through Health Engine for making an online appointment with us. Information required is demographic details and type of appointment required. For further information about our Privacy policy, please enquire via Practice Manager Emma Mayes practicemanager@familymedicalgp.com.au or 07 54416093

your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times. We ensure that the information is only available to authorized members of staff. Please ask for a copy of our Privacy Principles Policy at reception or as below:
This pamphlet explains how personal information about you and your health is recorded and managed in our practice. We also have a written privacy policy describing how we manage personal information. You can receive a copy of our policy free of charge upon request or access it via our practice website as below:

Personal information
The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, email address, contact details, Medicare number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information may include medical history and any care you may need. GPs need information about your past and present health in order to provide you with high-quality care.

Our practice follows the guidelines of the RACGP’s Handbook for the management of health information in general practice, 5th edition (the Handbook). The Handbook incorporates federal and state privacy legislation, and the Australian Privacy Principles, which requires that your personal information is kept private and secure.

Your medical records
This practice takes steps to ensure that your medical records:
• are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible
• are up-to-date
• contain enough information to allow another GP to care for you
• contain a summary of your care
• can be used to remind you, with your permission, to return for follow up, check-ups and reviews.

If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask your GP or the practice staff.

If you wish to remain anonymous while accessing healthcare services, please talk to the practice staff.
Providing your information to other GPs
In this practice, it is normal for all GPs to have access to your medical records. If you have any concerns about this please discuss them with your GP or practice staff.

It is important that other people involved in your care, such as medical specialists and other healthcare professionals, are informed of the relevant parts of your medical history, so they can provide the best care for you. Your GP will let you know when this is necessary.

Providing your information to others
GPs respect your right to decide how your personal information is used or shared. For example, this may be sharing your health information with specialist doctors. Personal information that identifies you will only be sent to other people with your consent, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle used by this practice in using and sharing your information.

Our practice will not share your personal health information with anyone else or another organisation unless:
• you have consented to this sharing, or
• they are legally obliged to disclose the information, in which case your GP will first discuss with you the information that she or he is legally obliged to disclose, or
• the information is necessary for you to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates, or
• there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information.

In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided. Your health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:
• you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and
• the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

Using health information for quality improvement and research
This practice may use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the practice.

Your information held by the practice may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the community; however, this information will not include data that can identify you.

The information used for research, including the publication of research results, will not be in a form that would allow you to be identified, unless the research serves an important public interest. In such cases, identifiable medical records can be used for medical research without your consent under guidelines issued by the Australian Government. Before providing such identified information, your GP will discuss with you the information that she or he is obliged to disclose.

Security of information in the practice
Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorised access. This practice complies with these requirements to protect your information.

Access to your health information
You may ask practice staff about any aspect of your healthcare, including information contained in your record. You can request access to your medical record and any other information the practice records about you.

If you request access to your medical record, your GP will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information. Your GP may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.

Sharing information is important for good communication between you and practice staff. Your GP is able to provide a full explanation of the health summary or medical record you are provided access to.

Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing the information.

Direct marketing
This practice does not engage in direct marketing.

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of your health information
If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the accuracy of the information held by the practice, you should discuss these with practice staff. Inaccurate information can be corrected or your concerns noted in your record. For legal reasons, the original notes will be retained.
Contacts
If you have questions or a complaint about the privacy of your personal information, please ask to speak to the privacy contact officer at the practice.

Further information on privacy legislation is available from:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
1300 363 992
www.oaic.gov.au

Office of the Information Commissioner
Queensland – 07 3234 7373
www.oic.qld.gov.au

Practice contact details –
Nambour Heights Family Medical
Reception:
nambourheightsfamilymedicalgp.com.au
Practice Manager:practicemanager@familymedicalgp.com.au

What are my rights?

If you have any feedback or a problem we would like to hear about it. Please feel free to talk to, Dr Norton, Dr Fielding,  or the Practice Manager. You may prefer to write to us or use the suggestion box. We take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously, however if you wish to take the matter further and feel that you need to discuss the matter outside of the surgery. You can contact the Health Ombudsman POBox 13281 George Street, Brisbane Q4001 Ph 133 646