Patients With Special Needs

Our friendly reception staff are able to arrange an interpreter for your appointment should it be required – please advise when booking your appointment.

Our special needs toilet facility provides a nappy change table.

After Hours Service

After Hours Healthcare is provided by Home Doctor Service on 13 74 25 for emergency home visits, outside of our opening hours.

You can also attend the emergency department at your nearest hospital.

In case of an emergency please dial 000 for an ambulance.

Home Visits

Regular patients of our practice are able to arrange visits in their home, residential aged care facility or hospital, both within and outside practice opening hours where such visits are deemed safe and reasonable.

Telephone / Electronic Communication (Email & Social Media Policy)

Our practice provides patients with timely advice or information related to their clinical care by telephone and electronic means where a GP determines that this is clinically safe and that a face-to-face consultation is unnecessary for that patient.

All telephone calls for Doctors will be relayed through reception staff via message and the Doctor will return your call at their earliest convenience. Consultations will not be interrupted unless in the event of an emergency.

In the interest of good patient care, we ask that you make an appointment to discuss your health or that of your family member.

Our practice uses SMS reminders. Our doctors are committed to preventative healthcare and as such we may issue you with reminders and recall letters appropriate to your care. If you do not wish to be a part of this SMS system, please advise your doctor.

It is our policy that we do not communicate with our patients via email. To provide the best care to our patients, we do not answer clinical questions by email. To comply with the RACGP Accreditation Standards, Health at Dulwich will not accept any correspondence electronically (ie via email, SMS, social media) from patients, relatives, friends of patients, medical providers, insurance companies etc requiring medical advice. If medical advice is required, please call 08 7221 2588 to make an appointment.

If there is a emergency, please dial 000.

Email & Social Media Policy

General Practices are increasingly using electronic communication (eg email, SMS, social media) to communicate with patients and other health professionals.

At Health at Dulwich, we have an Electronic Communication Policy to help protect the security of patient information and the reputation of Health at Dulwich. We comply with the RACGP’s guidelines on using email for General Practices, and AHPRA’s Social Media Policy.

Repeat Prescriptions

Patients often have the perception “It is just a repeat script! Why do I need an appointment?” It is good medical care to review your medication even if your condition is stable. It is our practice policy that repeat prescriptions require an appointment with your doctor to ensure that your medication and medical condition are being managed appropriately. We do ask you to check your medication regularly and contact the practice at least 2 weeks before your script runs out. Please call our reception on 7221 2588 to make an appointment with a doctor, or alternatively we also offer Telephone consults.

Referral Renewals

Referral renewals require an appointment with your doctor. This provides you and your doctor an opportunity to review your health conditions. It is also essential to update your medical information eg your current medical conditions, medication and allergies to your specialists and other health care providers.

Please book a referral renewal appointment with a doctor at our practice at least 2 weeks before your appointment with your specialists. Please call our reception on 7221 2588 to make an appointment with a doctor or alternatively we also offer Telephone consults.

Test Results

All test results require an appointment with your doctor. Please make a follow up appointment  with your doctor at the end of your consultation. Test results cannot be given over the phone or email by our reception staff. Doctors have a policy that only Doctors and Practice Nurses are permitted to release results. Our receptionists can assist you with booking either a face to face or a telephone appointment with your doctor.

If you have not returned to discuss your test results, our receptionists will contact you per your doctor’s instructions.

For any urgent test results, your doctor or our Duty Doctor or our Practice Nurse will contact you directly. Please ensure we have your updated contact details.

Third Party

This includes WorkCover, Motor Vehicle Accident, Personal Injury, Insurance Medicals etc. Please note that these accounts are the responsibility of the patient and it is up to the patient to obtain reimbursement from the third party. GST is applicable to some third party services.

Patient Feedback / Suggestions / Complaints

Our Doctors and staff endeavour to provide a comprehensive, high quality service for our patients. If you have concerns with any aspect of our care please discuss this with your Doctor or our Practice Manager.

If you are not satisfied or your complaint cannot be resolved within the practice, you may wish to contact the:

Health & Community Services Complaints Commissioner

Level 4 East, 50 Grenfell Street
Adelaide SA 5000

Phone : 08 8226 8666

Web : hcscc.sa.gov.au

Privacy & Health Information

The introduction of new privacy laws became effective in Australia on 12th March 2014. The changes include a new set of Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that will regulate the handling of personal information by all private health service providers.

All medical records and communications concerning patients are kept strictly confidential and are only available to your treating Doctor.

Your medical information is password protected. Access to our computer is not available from organisations outside the practice. Patient information is not provided to an outside body (e.g. for reports or insurance purposes) without prior written consent by the patient.

Written consent will be gained from each patient should we ever be involved in any research or similar program.

The act allows patients to access the content of their medical record by arrangement with the practice.

A copy of our full privacy policy is available to you upon request.