Your Community Health provides high quality and confidential care to all members of the community. You can see doctors and nurses at our medical clinic. We provide treatment and assessments for your whole family.
UPDATES:
We are currently not taking new clients until early 2024 and ask that you contact us in the new year to enquire about an appointment.
From 5 August 2024, fees for our Medical services have changed. For more information, click here.
Regular health checks can help prevent you becoming unwell and relieve you of any concerns. We also offer a range of specialist medical services.
We give priority to people needing urgent medical attention. We accept walk-in patients, but you may have to wait, so we suggest booking an appointment online or calling us on 03 8470 1111.
Our standard medical appointment times are 10 minutes. There may not be time to cover all medical concerns in one appointment and review appointments may be needed. If you need to discuss more than one medical concern or have a complex problem, please let us know when you book as a longer appointment may be required.
We try to keep our appointments on time, but sometimes delays do occur when consultations take longer than expected. We appreciate your patience. To help us reduce wait times for everybody, please:
Make separate appointments for each person with a medical concern coming to the clinic, even if you are seeing the same doctor.
Make a long appointment for more than one medical concern or complex issues, or arrange to come back another day for a review appointment.
Be on time. A late start can delay the people after you, so please be on time or call us if you know you will be late.
Important notes on appointments:
Telehealth appointments are available. A Medicare rebate for telehealth is only available if you have attended our clinic for a face-to-face appointment in the last twelve months.
Employment medicals cannot be claimed from Medicare.
The client must be present for an appointment to be eligible for a Medicare rebate including children.
If you require a Work Cover consultation, please let reception staff know before you make a booking, as only certain doctors provide Work Cover consultations. Clients are generally required to pay the full fee to the clinic at the end of the consultation. You are then responsible for contacting your insurer to claim back the funds.
Walk-ins
We give priority to appointments and people needing urgent medical attention. We welcome walk-in patients, but you may have to wait, depending on doctor availability. We suggest you contact us before arriving to ensure you get an appointment time that suits you. We do not take medical emergencies. In the event of an emergency, please call an ambulance on 000.
Not able to make it?
We understand that sometimes you may not be able to attend your appointment. Please let us know as early as possible to avoid non-attendance fees. Failure to attend an appointment will incur a $20 fee.
Please ring and cancel two hours prior to your appointment to avoid this fee.
Fees
From 5 August 2024, fees for our Medical services have changed.
Unfortunately, Medicare rebates for bulk billing can no longer cover the costs of providing you with quality medical care. Out-of-pocket fees serve to cover the gap between the Medicare rebate and the cost of delivering our services.
Please let us know if any of your personal details like your email, phone number, address etc. have changed. Your medical record is confidential. There are policies and procedures in place to maintain the security of your health information. This information is only available to authorised members of staff. You can get access to your health record by completing our online Access to Health records form.
Home visits
If needed, a home visit can be arranged during business hours, if you live within 5km of the clinic. Please speak to your Doctor at your next appointment to confirm if this is possible.
After hours care
If you need urgent medical care and our clinic is closed, please call the National Home Doctor Service on 13 SICK (13 74 25). In the event of a medical emergency, please call an ambulance on 000.
National Home Doctor Service
Getting your results
Getting the results of investigations or tests that your Doctor has asked for usually means you will need a review appointment. It is best to arrange the appointment at least two to three days after your test unless we tell you otherwise.
For all urgent results, you will be contacted by the Practice Nurse or Doctor and must book yourself in for an appointment with the Doctor for further discussion. For abnormal results, you will be notified via HotDoc.
It is your responsibility to book a follow-up appointment to get your results.
Scripts and referrals
It is important that you are reviewed by a doctor prior to getting a script to reassess your progress and confirm if you can continue on that medication and dose. Therefore, if you are on your last repeat, please make an appointment so you do not run out of it. Scripts will not be written without a review appointment, except in exceptional circumstances.
Medicare does not allow referrals to be backdated, so check with your specialist if your referral is still valid before your appointment. If it is outdated and you want to obtain the higher rebate for your specialist visit, please make an appointment with your doctor before seeing the specialists.
A fee of $10 may be charged for scripts and referrals if provided without an appointment.
Phone calls (receiving and returning)
If you want to speak with your doctor, you may leave a message with our reception staff and they will give the message to the doctor. The doctor will return your call when possible. If the call is regarding a medical condition or a question about scripts or medication, it may be best to make an appointment to see a doctor.
Email communication
No health information that can identify you will be sent externally by general email. Email may be used in the following circumstances:
Where you and/or a service requests AND;
You have been informed of the risks of sending information by email (i.e. email is not a secure means of sending information and may be intercepted or altered by another person) AND;
With this knowledge, you have consented to sending your information via email.
Any emails from us sending health information must contain the following disclaimer:
Disclaimer:
This email, including any attachments, is only for the intended addressee. It is subject to copyright, confidential, and may be the subject of legal or other privilege, none of which is waived or lost by reason of this transmission. If the receiver is not the intended addressee, please accept our apologies, notify us by return email, delete all copies of this email, including any attachments, and perform no other act on the email. Unfortunately, we cannot warrant that the email has not been altered or corrupted during transmission. Generally information which passes over the internet is not secure. The confidentiality or security of any personal information using email cannot be guaranteed. Any personal information in this email must be handled in accordance with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Recall or review appointments and reminders
We wants to be make sure you are healthy and prevent any health concerns. So we have a system for registering patients for recall or review appointments. We also participate in National and State reminder systems that ensure you get the ongoing healthcare monitoring you need. Please advise staff if you do not want to participate in these programs.
Health Assessments and Health Checks
If you are over 75, we recommend a yearly Health Assessment, which is a comprehensive review of a wide range of health issues. Clients aged 45-49 are also eligible and encouraged to have a detailed Health Check to help identify any chronic diseases you may be at risk for.
Our practice also provides Chronic Disease Management Plans, Home Medication Reviews and Mental Health Plans. Please speak with your doctor to confirm if you qualify. Medicare Australia has restrictions on who can/cannot receive management plans and when they are eligible.
Interpreter services
We offer free Translating and Interpreting Service and for all clients. Please let our reception staff know when you book your appointment if you need an interpreter. This free service is available 24 hours a day via telephone on 131 450. Click here to visit their website for more information.
Another free interpreting service is available for patients who are deaf and use Australian sign language (AUSLAN). Please phone them on 1800 246 945 or visit their website for more information.
Privacy
We respect your privacy. Your medical record is a confidential document and this information is only available to authorised staff members. A copy of our Privacy Policy can be found here.
Further information about privacy legislation can be found online here or by phoning 1300 363 992.
