- Operating Hours
Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm
Saturday – Sunday
8.30am – 1pm
Policy
Management of Personal Health Information
The practice has strict guidelines on confidentiality, patient consent, consent for a 3rd party to obtain information, transferring of health information and access and security of personal health information.
It adheres to the National Privacy Principles Act and the Health Records and Information Act.
Communication Policy
There are multiple ways in which the practice communicates with patients and third parties. Communication can occur through the following channels:
Face to face
This can be via consultation with your doctor or nurse or interactions with other staff members. i.e.: Practice Manager or reception staff.
Telephone
Patients are able to contact the practice via telephone between 9am to 5pm and weekends 9am to 1pm. Please note we are closed on public holidays.
As the first point of contact, receptionists must review the triage support guide to ensure they are correctly assessing patient’s needs and concerns. Receptionists will often need to ask questions to determine that the patient receives the most appropriate care, at the most appropriate time.
Phone calls from patients requesting to speak to the doctor will not generally be put through at the time of the call. This is to minimise disruption to the doctor as they are usually in consultation with another patient and respectfully not wanting to interrupt their consultation. Doctors may take phone calls if time permits.
Reception staff will ask the patient to briefly explain the reason for the call and will determine if the doctor should be interrupted or if a message can be given to the doctor to return the call at a later time. This may be throughout the day or after the doctor has finished consulting for the day. Where clinically significant information is discussed, a note will be made in the patient’s file.
Email is not a secure form of communication and we do not use this to communicate personal information to patients without their consent. Whilst we make every effort to keep your information secure it is important for patients to be aware of the risks associated with electronic communication, in that the information could potentially be compromised and accessed by someone other than the intended recipient. Patients must be aware that any communication they direct to the surgery via email is also NOT secure and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Patients communicating through email do so at their own risk.
If you do choose to contact the surgery via email this will be considered as patient consent to reply via email.
We endeavour to reply to all emails within 1 business day. Our emails are checked on a regular basis, however they are not constantly monitored. If you have an issue that requires urgent attention, we request that you contact the practice via telephone.
Please note that the email addresses are not monitored 24/7.
If you want to book an appointment, please either call the practice or book online.
Strictly no clinical information or results, or clinical advice will be given over email.
SMS
SMS messages are sent for a variety of health management purposes. These may include:
- Appointment reminders – a reminder message will be sent the day prior to your appointment.
- Health reminders (e.g., cervical screening/care plans / Immunisations etc)
We need to ensure that your mobile number is up to date at each visit to ensure that this information is sent to the correct number. Patients must be aware that if another person can access their mobile phone, then the confidentiality of these communications cannot be protected by the practice.
Walk-In Services
Jupiter Health Subiaco does offer a walk-in service with some exceptions. The wait time for walk-ins varies and depends on how on time the Doctors are running. Please note we will refuse walk-ins if the Doctors are running late and do not have the capacity to fit in walk-In patients. We also charge a $25 out of pocket fees for walk ins. Same day appointments are available within our opening hours. To book an appointment you can call the surgery, or you can come in and enquire when the next appointment is available. You can book appointments online via our websites or via Health Engine.
Home Visits and Out of Hours Services
Our Medical Centre provides a locum service for those patients who require a home visit after hours. During the clinic opening hours, the practice GPs will offer home visits at their discretion. Doctors will offer home visits when it is appropriate, depending on circumstances and considering safety of all staff. To obtain a home visit during clinic hours it needs to be safe and reasonable for the GP, and within a 5km radius of the clinic, When the patient is triaged and a home or other visit is deemed neither safe nor reasonable, a telephone consultation will be offered. Or patients are also advised that they are able to contact Night Doctor for any reason our doctor is unable to come and see you and you can’t come into the practice, please contact Night Doctor on PH: 1300 644 483.
Telehealth Services
We also currently offer telehealth phone consults with our GP’s. If you are unable to get in to see your doctor or have symptoms of COVID 19 we can do your consult over the phone.
Please call our reception team and ask for more information or to book an appointment online. Please note you must have attended the practice within the last 6 months to qualify for a telehealth visit.
Post
Letters are often sent offering services available to eligible patients and for health reminders and recalls for patients who do not have a mobile number or who have opted out of our electronic messaging system.
Incoming mail is collected and opened each day. Letters received that are patient related are directly imported to the doctor’s inbox which is then saved to the patient’s file. These are then reviewed and actioned by the doctor. All remaining letters are provided to the addressee.
Our Facebook page updates practice information and health promotions.
This page, however, is intended for announcements only by Jupiter Health Subiaco and not for the provision of individual medical advice. This page is not regularly monitored for comments. If you have any queries or questions, we ask that you please contact the practice via telephone.
Communication Policy
Telephone
Patients can contact the practice by telephone from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on weekends. Please note that the practice is closed on public holidays.
As the first point of contact, reception staff use a triage support guide to assess patients’ needs and concerns. To ensure appropriate and timely care, receptionists may ask relevant questions regarding the reason for the call.
Patient calls requesting to speak directly with a doctor will generally not be transferred immediately, as this may interrupt consultations. Doctors may return calls or accept calls during the day if their schedule permits.
Reception staff will obtain details regarding the nature of the call and determine whether the matter requires immediate attention from the doctor or if a message can be taken for follow-up. Return calls may occur during the day or after the doctor has completed their consultations. Clinically significant information discussed during these interactions will be documented in the patient’s medical record.
Email Communication
Email is not a secure form of communication. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, and emails may be accessed by unintended recipients.
By contacting the practice via email, you consent to receiving a reply by email.
Emails are checked regularly, and we aim to respond within one business day. However, email accounts are not monitored continuously or outside business hours. For urgent matters, please contact the practice by telephone.
To book an appointment, please call the practice or use our online booking system.
Clinical advice, test results, prescriptions, and other confidential health information will not be provided via email.
Walk-In Services
Walk-in patients are welcome subject to doctor availability. Wait times may vary, and walk-in requests may be declined when doctors are fully booked or running late.
A $25 out-of-pocket fee applies to all walk-in consultations.
Appointments can be booked by phone or in person.
Home Visits and After-Hours Care
Home visits may be available at the doctor’s discretion during clinic hours if clinically appropriate, safe, and within 5km of the practice.
If a home visit is not suitable, a telephone consultation may be offered.
For after-hours home visits, please contact Night Doctor on 1300 644 483.
Telehealth Services
We also currently offer telehealth phone consults. If you are unable to get in to see your doctor or have symptoms of COVID 19 we can do your consult over the phone.
Please call our reception team and ask for more information or to book an appointment online. Please note you must have attended the practice within the last 6 months to qualify for a telehealth visit.
Post
The practice may send letters for recalls, reminders, and other important health information.
Incoming patient correspondence is reviewed daily and forwarded to the relevant doctor for action.
Our Facebook page is used to share practice updates and health information.
It is not monitored regularly and should not be used for medical advice or patient enquiries. Please contact the practice directly by telephone.
During appointments, we advise all patients to book an appointment to discuss results.
However, our procedures for the recall of results are as follows:
Test Results
Urgent Results
The nurse will contact you immediately by phone to advise you to make an appointment to see the doctor. If there is no answer after 3 attempts, a letter will be sent to you, advising an urgent appointment.
Non-Urgent Results
The nurse will contact you via phone to advise you to make an appointment. If there is no answer after 3 attempts, a letter will be sent to you, advising an appointment.
If your results are NORMAL we do not contact you to advise you of this. You can phone the surgery to check if your results have been received, and may make an appointment to discuss the results, even if they are normal.
Confidential information is not included in correspondence. All personal information is stored securely within our encrypted medical records system.
Fees & Policy
Did Not Attend (DNA) and Cancellation Policy
A fee of $40 applies to standard appointments and $80 to double appointments that are missed or cancelled with less than 4 hours’ notice.
Outstanding fees may result in suspension of services until the account is paid. Repeated non-attendance may result in permanent removal from the practice at the doctor’s discretion.
If you have any concerns about this policy, please speak with our reception team.
Prescriptions
Modern drug therapy requires careful monitoring. Prescriptions will not be issued without consultation with a Doctor, unless by specific prior arrangements with your doctor and this may attract a consult fee.
Please plan your consultation in advance to avoid situations where you may be left without important medications.
Zero Tolerance
Abuse, aggression, threats, violence, harassment, or discriminatory behaviour towards our staff, doctors, patients, or visitors will not be tolerated.
Individuals engaging in such behaviour may be asked to leave the premises and may be reported to the police.
Thank you for treating everyone with respect.
Patient Feedback
We welcome patient feedback and value suggestions that help us improve our services. Please speak with our reception team if you would like to provide feedback or raise a concern.