Patient Information
Practice Hours
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
(Please note: there may not be a GP or nurse available after 5pm)
Saturday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Sunday & Pubic Holidays Closed
After Hours Care
Yarra Valley Community Medical Service
Open 6pm -8pm Monday – Friday
10am-5pm Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays
377 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville VIC 3777
Phone: 1300 793 622 (appointments are required)
OR
Priority Primary Care Centres
Maroondah Priority Primary Care Centre (supporting Maroondah Hospital)
Open 8am to 6pm – 7 days a week
Mountain High Shopping Centre, Shop 28, 7-13, Bayswater VIC 3153
Forrest Hill Medical & Dental Centre
Open 10am to 8pm – 7 days a week
490/524 Springvale Road, Forrest Hill
Bookings: 8804 1940 or online Triage nurse 0482 181 2089
www.foresthillmedicalcentre.com.au/priority-primary-care-centre/
OR
Victorian Virtual Emergency Department
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is a public health service for non-life-threatening emergencies.
You can access emergency care from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You will be connected to doctors and nurse practitioners, who are trained to assist you.
Interpreter services are available for patients who prefer to speak in their own language.
To access the VVED, please click here:
Victorian Virtual Emergency Department – 24/7 emergency care for all Victorians
Emergencies
In the event of a life threatening medical emergency call the ambulance on 000
OR
Contact Maroondah Hospital (24 hr. Emergency Department)
Davey Drive, Ringwood East.
1300 342 255
Appointments
Consultation is by appointment. Patients presenting without an appointment will be fitted in at the earliest available time. Urgent medical matters will always be dealt with promptly. Please “check-in” with reception on your arrival to avoid an unnecessary delay in the waiting room.
If you have been delayed or will not be able to attend your appointment, please telephone the practice to reschedule or cancel your appointment. Every effort is made to keep to appointment times but this is difficult due to emergencies, walk-in patients or unexpected longer consultations.
To help us schedule appropriately, please tell our receptionist if your consultation is likely to be long (e.g. insurance medicals, postnatal checks, pap smears, counselling, excisions) and if more than one member of the family is to be seen.
Online Appointments
We offer face-to-face bookings here on our website. Alternatively, you may call and make an appointment during our normal hours of operation: 5962 4030.
Billing Policy
Please see signage in our waiting area, or follow this link.
Communication
Most problems are best dealt with in a consultation but where a consultation is not required the receptionist may take a message for the doctor and return your phone call with your doctor’s response or where appropriate may ask the nurse to take the call or respond. Electronic communication via electronic means is conducted with appropriate regard to Privacy Laws relating to health information and confidentiality of the health information and with consent from the patient. Our clinic’s privacy policy can be found on our web site
Get Well Clinic has a Zero Tolerance of rude and aggressive behavior. Our staff and other patients deserve to be treated politely and respectfully. Visitors who behave badly will be asked to leave the premises and may potentially be de-activated as patients.
Recall & Reminder System
To further improve our service to you this practice operates a recall and reminder service to patients when they are due for a review of routine tests, vaccinations and general health checks. If you would like more information about this, please talk to your doctor. Please note you can ask to be removed from this register at any time.
If You Fail To Attend Your Appointment
We understand that life is busy and complicated for many people, and that things can change between making your appointment and coming in to Get Well Clinic. We expect that if you are unable to attend you appointment at the clinic you will let us know beforehand with a phone call or email, or by cancelling your HotDoc appointment if you made the booking online. Our doctors and nurses are in heavy demand, and when booked-in patients fail to attend this denies us the opportunity to offer medical assistance to other people who are wanting and needing help from the clinic.
We keep a register of patients who fail to attend booked appointments without attempting to cancel. If we observe a pattern of DNA (“Did Not Attend”) for any patient, we may exercise the option of invoicing a DNA fee for the most recent missed appointment. A situation where a DNA fee applies is at the discretion of management and will take into account the inconvenience to other patients and costs incurred by the practice due to your non-attendance.
Get Well Clinic uses SMS reminders as a convenient way to remind you the day before of your appointment details. This service is a courtesy only and not receiving your SMS reminder is not a valid reason to miss your appointment. It is your responsibility to be aware of your appointment details, and to arrive on time or reschedule with sufficient notice.
Patients who incur DNA fees will be responsible for these fees. DNA fees are not Medicare rebateable.
Get Well Clinic reserves the right to request any DNA fees are paid in full before another appointment can be made. Repeat, serious no-show offenders may also be limited in the ways they can book in the future (e.g. not able to book online).
Cancellation Fees:
Appointments cancelled less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled time may be considered as DNA, and therefore may attract a fee corresponding to the full cost of the cancelled appointment. No Medicare rebate is applicable to the cancellation fees.
Patient Test Results
Our practice encourages taking responsibility for your health. Please allow 7 days for standard test results to be received by the doctor. We ask that your call our nurses Monday to Friday from 1pm – 2pm to discuss or make an appointment in regard to your results. Please contact the clinic to speak to reception who will direct your call during this time.
We may ask that you make an appointment to return and discuss your results. Test results will only be given to the patient or the guardian of the patient who has had the test performed, as per the privacy act. Reception staff are unable to provide interpretation of any results over the desk or phone, however may advise of any comments the doctor has made regarding the test. If any results are abnormal and/or require urgent attention we will contact, you.
Transfer Of Medical Notes
Our reception staff are happy to arrange the transfer of notes from your previous doctor. We request a copy only and your previous doctor will keep the original notes. Please ask our reception staff for a transfer of records form, which will need to be signed, by you, before we can request a past history from your previous clinic.
Patient Feedback
To help improve our service, every so often you may be asked to complete a questionnaire about this practice. The questionnaire is completely confidential.
If you have any problems with the service we offer, please discuss it with the manager or the doctor as we will always endeavor to resolve any feedback or issues directly.
A feedback box is located in the waiting room, should you prefer to offer feedback in writing, we invite you to utilize this option or email our practice manager at admin@getwellclinic.com.au.
If we are unable to resolve your issue immediately, we will then attempt to respond as soon as reasonably practicable and resolve it in within 30 days.
If you feel that your problem cannot be dealt with within the practice, you may prefer to contact the Health Complaints Commissioner
Call: 1300 582 113 Fax: (61 3) 9032 3111 E-mail: hsc@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Write to or visit:
Health Complaints Commissioner, Level 26, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Interpreter Service
To help our GP’s ensure they fully understand the nature of their patient’s problem and patients fully understand the outcome of the consultation we may use an interpreter service where necessary. This service is provided free of charge through TIS (translating and interpreting Service) 24hr telephone service 131 450
Services Provided
Several visiting Specialists come to Get Well Clinic to provide local services, including an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Psychologist.
Our Clinic is linked to Access Telehealth, which provides our patients remote video appointments with a range of other medical Specialists including Endocrinology, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, Neurology, and Chronic Pain Specialists.
One Radiology provides a range of onsite ultrasound services: musculoskeletal, blood-vessel, and obstetric. They are available by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Vaccinations
All childhood vaccinations are bulk billed if the child is registered with Medicare. Our vaccinations are stored and monitored in a purpose-built vaccine fridge to maintain the integrity of the vaccine.
Adult vaccinations can also be provided. Speak to your GP for more information.
Skin Checks
Skin cancers are common and a significant health issue in Australia. If you have a personal or family history of any type of skin cancer, we recommend you have regular preventative skin checks. The doctors perform skin excisions onsite, where appropriate.
Disabilities
It is surgery policy to cater for people with special needs and disabilities. There is ramp access into the building for those in wheelchairs, prams or requiring mobility aids. A dedicated disabled parking space is provided immediately beside the ramp. Non-ambulatory toilet facilities are available adjacent to the General Waiting Room.
Chronic Disease Prevention And Management
We are committed to helping our patients prevent the development of chronic disease. We encourage you to take advantage of our practice nurse and the time you spend with your doctor to measure up and have your modifiable lifestyle factors assessed.
Health Assessments
For our patients over 75 we recommend a yearly health assessments, which is a comprehensive review of a wide range of health issues. Patients aged 45-49 are also eligible and encouraged to have a detailed health check to help identify chronic diseases of which you may be at risk.
Indigenous Health Assessments
We offer these assessments to all indigenous patients. The purpose of these assessments is to identify any potential risk factors that may be inherited or lifestyle oriented.
Women’s Health Checks, Cervical Screening Tests & Contraception
The women’s health check is a comprehensive health review and assessment done with your doctor and nurse. It will include a cervical screening test, breast check and general health review.
We offer a variety of contraception options which can be discussed with your GP.
Men’s Health Checks
Men need regular health checkups. We encourage men to have a consistent GP and see them regularly at the practice for preventative health checkups and advice.
Men over forty are recommended to have an annual Cardiovascular risk assessment – this includes bloods pressure check, weight management advice, fasting blood sugar and blood fats assessment, diet and exercise assessment and advice.
Iron infusions
Iron Infusion is a procedure in which Iron is delivered to your body intravenously. Iron Infusions are usually prescribed by doctors to treat iron deficiency and/or anemia. If you are a patient with iron deficiency anemia, please book an appointment to discuss further.
Therapeutic Venesections
This procedure is indicated in the treatment of certain conditions including: Haemochromatosis, Polycythemia Vera and Porphyria Cutanea Tadra. If you are a patient who has one of these conditions and requires therapeutic venesection, please book an appointment with our nurse to discuss further.
Repeat Prescriptions
If you are taking prescribed medication, it is important for your condition to be reviewed regularly. Repeat prescriptions will not be issued unless you attend your doctor for review.
Potentially Addictive Medications
We take pride in giving the best possible care to our patients and doing our utmost to prevent harm.
As such, the doctors have a strict policy of never prescribing potential drugs of addiction to new patients. We thank you for your understanding.
Patients Attending Other Clinics (extract from Get Well Clinic’s Policy & Procedure manual)
Purpose: Policy: Patients Clinic’s Other Clinics
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the continuity of care for patients attending Get Well Clinic, acknowledging the importance of both relational and informational continuity in providing safe, high-quality care. The policy also addresses the challenges presented by patients seeking care at multiple clinics, which may result in fragmented care and hinder effective communication between healthcare providers.
Scope
This policy applies to all patients of Get Well Clinic who seek care at other clinics, including other general practices, in addition to our services.
Policy Statement
Continuity of care is a fundamental principle at Get Well Clinic. It is essential for the health and well-being of patients that there is consistent, comprehensive, and coordinated communication between all healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care.
In Australia, patients have the freedom to consult multiple general practitioners (GPs) and attend different general practices. While this freedom can encourage patient choice and competition, it also carries the risk of fragmented care, especially if the usual GP is not made aware of other consultations or treatments. The usual GP typically does not receive any information about the patient’s attendance at other clinics unless the patient voluntarily provides such details. This lack of information sharing can result in incomplete or contradictory care, potentially compromising the quality of healthcare provided.
At Get Well Clinic, we strive to provide comprehensive care, supported by strong relationships between patients and their GP or healthcare provider. We place a high value on both relational and informational continuity. However, when a patient seeks care at multiple clinics without ensuring that all relevant health information is shared across those clinics, it becomes difficult for our GPs and nurses to provide the highest standard of care.
Guidelines
- Patient Responsibility:
Patients attending multiple clinics are encouraged to inform all healthcare providers involved in their care about any additional consultations or treatments. This will enable better coordination and ensure all providers have access to the most up-to-date health information. - Information Sharing:
In the absence of information sharing, patients may risk reduced continuity of care, which can potentially lead to adverse health outcomes. We encourage patients to consent to the sharing of relevant health information with their other healthcare providers. - Non-compliance with Information Sharing:
If a patient repeatedly attends multiple clinics without providing essential information about their care elsewhere, and without ensuring communication between the clinics, Get Well Clinic may choose to cease ongoing treatment of that patient. This decision will be made to ensure that patients receive coordinated care that prioritizes their safety and well-being. - Decision to Cease Treatment:
Should it become evident that a patient is not cooperating with the policy of ensuring informational continuity, the clinic may opt to discontinue providing further services to the patient. This will be a last resort, following discussions with the patient and attempts to resolve the matter. - Alternative Care Options:
If a patient is informed that treatment at Get Well Clinic will be discontinued due to their attendance at other clinics, they will be advised to seek a new primary care provider who may be better suited to manage their healthcare across multiple clinics.
Communication of Policy
This policy will be clearly communicated to all patients of Get Well Clinic at the time of registration, as well as at regular intervals during their care. The importance of ensuring continuity of care will also be discussed during consultations.
Conclusion
By supporting informational and relational continuity of care, Get Well Clinic aims to provide safe, effective, and high-quality care to all patients. While we respect the autonomy of patients to seek care at other clinics, it is essential for the protection of their health that all healthcare providers involved are kept fully informed.
For further information on our services please talk with our friendly reception staff.