After Hours Care

Currently there is not an after hours Doctor service operating in the region. 
For health advice after hours please call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84)
or
Health Direct www.healthdirect.gov.au 1800 022 222
Alternatively, contact Gympie Emergency Department on 07 5489 8444

IN AN EMERGENCY CALL TRIPLE ZERO: 000

Aggressive Behaviour – Zero Tolerance to Abuse

Threatening, aggressive or violent language and behaviour towards our Staff and Doctors will not be tolerated. Our Practice strives to provide a safe environment for all. Any person displaying inappropriate behaviour will be asked to leave the Practice. The person may also be permanently banned from the Practice at the discretion of the Doctor or whoever is in charge.

Appointments

We operate on an appointment system. Patients with an appointment will take priority over walk-ins, with the exception of emergencies.

Please ensure you book the appropriate length appointment to suit your needs.

Late arrivals may be required to reschedule.

Appointments can be booked online or by calling our friendly Admin team on the one convenient number: 07 5486 4600

Doctors at our Practice now use BetterConsult, a pre-consultation questionnaire completed by Patients that gives your Doctor an understanding of the reason for your visit. Ultimately, it is designed to improve the quality of your consultation with your Doctor, however it is not mandatory to complete the questionnaire.

How does BetterConsult benefit you?

• Spend more time talking about treatment – Focus on discussing treatment options instead of going over symptoms.
• Never forget what you want to cover with your GP – Take your time documenting each health concern before your appointment.
• Answer questions about your health, in private – Consider your symptoms and medications, in privacy.
• Rely on security of your medical data – Document your information securely so that it is only seen by your Doctor.

For further information, see FAQs

Do you need a longer appointment?

We have listed some simple guidelines below to assist you in booking an appointment appropriate to your needs. If you’re unsure how long you might require our friendly Admin team are only too happy to help.

Standard appointments are 10 – 15 minute consultations. These are suitable for:

• blood pressure checks
• coughs and colds
• follow-up appointments
• medical certificates
• minor illness referrals
• repeat prescriptions
• results

A longer appointment, 20 – 30 mins, is recommended for the following:

• Centrelink/insurance documents
• cervical screening (Pap Smear)
• complex Issues
• counselling
• more than one family member to be seen
• multiple issues
• postnatal checks
• surgical procedures

Some appointments will require an additional booking with a Nurse and are best booked directly with our Admin Team.

These include:

• Care Plans and Health Assessments
• Childhood Health Checks
• childhood vaccinations
• contraceptive procedures
• dressings
• ear syringing
• ECGs
• immunisations and injections
• new Patients
• spirometry tests

It is important to note that different Doctors may have different preferences for appointment lengths in certain situations. Our friendly Admin team can answer any questions you may have.

Cancellations

If you are unable to attend your appointment we greatly appreciate you contacting us so that we may allocate your appointment to another Patient in need.

Late arrivals may be required to reschedule.

Checking In

Remember to check-in with our Admin team on arrival to avoid unnecessary delays in the waiting room. Our team realises that nobody likes to be kept waiting and where possible they will let you know at check-in if your Doctor is running behind or how many Patients are ahead of you. We appreciate your patience and respect.

Closing The Gap Initiative

Closing the Gap aims to improve the lives of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. To allow us to tailor appropriate care and assist with this Government Health Initiative, please inform us if you identify with being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander decent.

Feedback/Complaints

Your feedback is valuable to us as it assists in improving Patient care and services. You may discuss your concerns with your GP or whoever is in charge.
If your concerns are not resolved to your satisfaction you may contact the Office of the Health Ombudsman. Office of the Health Ombudsman, 400 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000. Email: complaints@oho.qld.gov.au  Ph: 13 36 46

Home Visits

Home visits are offered at the Doctors discretion and a fee may be payable, determined by the Doctor.

Hygiene

In the interest of everyone’s health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, please use the available hand sanitiser located at the entrance to our practices, upon arrival and departure.

Identification

It is necessary for our Staff to verify correct Patient Identification each time a Patient makes an appointment, checks in for an appointment or when we communicate with a Patient over the telephone. Approved patient identifiers include: names, date of birth, and address. This ensures that the Patient ID matches the Patient Health Record on screen. 

Immunisations

Please give us advanced notification for your immunisation appointment and remember to bring your child’s Childhood Immunisation Book on the day of appointment.

Interpreter Service

Should you require the service of an interpreter during a consultation with your Doctor, please advise Admin when making the appointment for you or your family member, or call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.

New Patients

Our Practice welcomes new Patients as well as visiting Patients to the region. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your first appointment to allow time to fill in a registration form and, in some cases, see the nurse prior to your GP appointment.

Prescriptions

The issuing of repeat prescriptions without a consultation with your Doctor is at your Doctors discretion. You may be required to book an appointment. The Admin team is NOT AUTHORISED to override the Doctors decision.

Please note that this Practice does not prescribe Schedule 8 drugs on the first consultation. Additionally, all Doctors in this surgery contact the Drugs of Dependence Unit (DDU) before prescribing Schedule 8 drugs. This policy is NOT NEGOTIABLE.

Recalls and Reminders

Patients attending this Practice will automatically be included on our Recall/Reminder system. The Recall/Reminder system is in place so that we are able to contact the Patient by SMS, phone or mail for the follow-up of preventative activity such as Skin Checks, Cholesterol or Blood Pressure checks, Pap Smears, B12 and Prolia injections, Diabetes assessments, Prostate Examinations, etc. This system is also used to Recall or Remind Patients to book a consultation to discuss actionable test results.

We provide the Recall/Reminder system as a service to Patients attending this Practice to ensure continuity of care and confidentiality is assured at all times. Please be sure to register any change of details with our Admin team.

Test Results

If your Doctor requests any form of testing such as Pathology, X-Ray, Ultrasounds, etc, please book another appointment within 5 days of the test date to discuss the results with your Doctor. Our Admin team is NOT AUTHORISED to communicate test results with Patients, with the exception of no action required results.

Wait Time

The very nature of the health industry means that the unpredictable can and does happen. Our Staff realise that nobody likes to be kept waiting and where possible they will let you know at check-in if your Doctor is running behind or how many Patients are ahead of you.

Being the sole medical practice in the area means we see a great variety of patients presenting themselves with a wide range of symptoms or injuries. These may include: possible broken bones, chest pains, cuts and abrasions, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, rashes and fevers. These cases are taken as “walk-in” emergencies and sometimes that means you may have to wait a little longer for your scheduled appointment. There is also a real possibility that your GP may have dealt with a sensitive case that required additional time prior to your appointment, and we’re sure you would expect the same level of care and understanding if it was you. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

There are a couple of things you can do to help reduce waiting time in general:

• Phone ahead to see if your Doctor is running on time. (keep in mind that the unpredictable can still happen)
• If you think you need a longer appointment, book a longer one, either online or with reception. Booking the appropriate appointment length can assist with lowering waiting time for you and other Patients. If you’re not sure how long you’ll need take a look at the “Appointments” section above or talk to our friendly Admin team to discuss your needs.

We are incredibly proud of our team of GPs, Nurses and Admin team. They are compassionate, dedicated, hard working, professional and the real deal. And they care about every Patients health and well-being.

We thank you for choosing Cooloola Coast General Practice as your preferred healthcare provider.