Policies

Cancellation

Your notification of cancellation enables us to schedule appointments for other patients.

We respect that your time is valuable, and we appreciate that you understand ours is too. We understand that sometimes plans change unexpectedly, so our cancellation policy offers you absolute flexibility. Our doctors and allied health professionals want to be available for your needs and the needs of all our patients. When a cancellation is made, it allows us the opportunity to offer another patient the ability to be seen

 

Emergencies

If you have an emergency, please telephone 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

 

Medical Certificates

Upon request, medical certificates can be obtained at the time of your doctor’s consultation.

Bringing the necessary paperwork to your consultation is necessary if you need a special consideration certificate.

Privacy and Confidentiality

We comply with Australian Government Legislation, ensuring that the privacy of our patients is maintained. A copy of our privacy policy is available at reception.

Further information is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992.

Complaints

Customer feedback is an important component of this practice’s customer satisfaction program.

Under the Health Services Act of 1987, complaints must be resolved directly with the provider of the health services.

An individual can address a complaint by calling the Health Services Commissioner, 

03 8601 5200, if they are not satisfied with the outcome.

Reminders and Practice Information

We put great emphasis on preventative care and may send you reminders or information about the practice from time to time.

Please advise the staff if you do not wish to participate in this program.

Health Information Collection & Use

We are pleased that you have chosen to attend our practice. We will need some personal information from you in order to properly attend to your care. We at Assure Health Medical Centre (AHMC) respect your right to privacy, and this policy is intended to inform you of how we handle information we collect about you. You are more than welcome to ask our staff about our Privacy Policy if you want more information.

What information about you do we collect?

At your first appointment, we will start a medical file for you. We will need the following information:

• Name, address, date of birth, Medicare number and/or concession card number, home/work/mobile phone numbers, and details of persons to contact if there is an emergency

During the consultation, the doctor will ask you a series of questions related to your health and well-being. Information from these questions is kept on file to help with your ongoing care.

What do we do with the information we collect?

Information about you is kept in your patient file, and it is only accessed when necessary to provide you with health care. There may be a need to disclose your personal information to others involved in your health care, such as specialists, allied health providers, and diagnostic providers. Your personal information may be shared with those providers if they are involved in your care. It may be impossible for you to give consent in an urgent situation, but we will still provide information if necessary.

If you choose not to have your health information used in all or some of the ways outlined above, this may impact our ability to manage your health care and provide the best outcome for you.

To improve individual and community health care, your information can be accessed for research and quality assurance purposes. During accreditation, your information can be accessed. It may be necessary for your data to be provided to government agencies in some situations.Should you not wish for your information to be used for any purpose other than that for which you came to us, please let us know.

We take care to avoid inadvertent disclosure of personal information, e.g. patients are identified appropriately, follow-up reminders envelopes are marked “private and confidential”. We take steps to protect the personal information we collect from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Electronic health records are backed up. You must provide consent prior to transferring your records. Your new doctor will arrange this with you. Our clinic keeps your records for a minimum of seven years after your last visit or for a child for twenty five years if they have attended any of our clinics.

We offer patients the opportunity to request a copy of our privacy statement and policy prior to signing consent for the release of health information.

The patient’s consent is obtained at the time of the first appointment for the transfer of health information. A scanned copy of this form is added to the patient’s record once it has been signed.

Note: Consent for transfer of information differs from procedural consent.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Assure Health takes very seriously our responsibility to respond to any abuse, threat of or actual violence directed to doctors, staff and others by patients.

We have a zero tolerance approach to any verbal, aggressive and violent abuse and behaviour towards our doctors, staff or patients. Our doctors and staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide these services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients must be in place.

Our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. Staff members understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint.

However, aggressive, abusive or violent behaviour will not be tolerated. Abusers will be required to leave our premises and to transfer their care to another practice. We reserve the right to call the police.

The list below of unacceptable behaviour directed towards any doctor, staff or other patients which will not be tolerated is indicative rather than exhaustive:

• Using offensive language or swearing

• Physical violence

• Verbal abuse and racist language

• Sexual harassment

• Damage to any practice property.

Pathology and Test result follow up

Assure Health has a strong preference for patients to make appointments to follow up the results of any tests undertaken. Unless advised otherwise, results of tests will not be provided over the telephone.

If test results require follow up your doctor will ensure you are contacted to arrange an appointment.

Drugs of dependence

Assure Health is committed to providing the most appropriate and medically sound advice at all times. As a result, you may not be able to obtain certain medications on occasion if you are not known to a particular doctor. 

This includes, but is not limited to, medications that fall into the category of drugs of dependence, such as:

• Benzodiazepines (and other sleeping tablets)

• Morphine-based medications

• Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Tramadol and Panadeine Forte

• Any other strong pain medication or sedative.

AHMC’s policy is to ensure, as much as is practicable, the safety of our patients and that they receive appropriate care. Without the proper authorization, our doctors may not prescribe some medications to any patient. You can contact North and West Metro Drug & Alcohol Services at 1800 700 514 if you have further questions about your medication scripts.