Good to know before you visit

Appointments

All our doctors welcome new patients. They offer face-to-face and telehealth appointments, 7 days a week: Monday 8:30am to 8:00pm, and Tuesday to Sunday 8:30am to 5:00pm.

• Online: book through HotDoc. HotDoc emails you a confirmation and a reminder 24 hours before your appointment. These emails come from HotDoc, not from the clinic or your doctor.
• By phone: call reception on (03) 4714 8400.
• Telehealth: usually for patients who have seen one of our doctors face to face in the last 12 months. How telehealth works.
• Walk-ins: seen depending on doctor availability and triage. Patients with appointments are seen first, except in an emergency.

Interpreters and Auslan

If English isn't your first language, we can arrange an interpreter for your appointment. We also arrange Auslan interpreters for patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or who have difficulty speaking.

Please let reception know when you book, so we can organise the interpreter and allow a little extra time. Our doctors also speak several other languages: see our doctors.

Home visits and after hours

Our GPs may choose to provide home visits, subject to clinic policies. Please call reception to ask.

After hours, the Kilmore District Hospital Urgent Care Centre at 1 Anderson Rd, Kilmore, has medical officers on site from 10am to 10pm daily. Outside those hours, the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (opens in a new tab) connects you with emergency doctors and nurses by video for non-life-threatening emergencies. You can also call Nurse-On-Call on 1300 60 60 24, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free 24-hour health advice.

In an emergency, call 000 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

Cancellations

If you can't make your appointment, please let us know as early as possible, and at least 2 hours before your appointment time, so it can be offered to someone else. To cancel, call reception on (03) 4714 8400.

This applies to phone and online bookings. There's no fee for cancelling.

Repeat prescriptions

Your doctor has a duty of care to consult with you, by telehealth or in person, before writing most repeat prescriptions. If you can't get an appointment and urgently need a repeat, please call reception.

Test results

Results and letters usually reach your doctor within 3 to 5 business days, unless marked urgent.

• For your privacy, reception staff can't give you results over the phone. Your doctor can go through your results with you at an appointment, in person or by telehealth.
• We won't usually contact you about normal results, unless your doctor thinks it's needed.
• If a result needs follow-up, we'll contact you to book an appointment.
• To check on a result, call reception.

Reminders and recalls

You'll get an appointment reminder by email or SMS before your visit. From time to time we may also contact you by phone, SMS or HotDoc about recommended preventive health checks or tests, in line with RACGP guidelines. If you'd rather not receive these, just let reception know.

Please keep your address, phone and email up to date with reception so you don't miss reminders or results.

Medical records

Our doctors use a fully computerised medical record system, which is password protected and backed up regularly.

• A copy of your records: ask reception. A fee may apply, which Medicare doesn't cover.
• Moving to another practice: sign a transfer authority and your doctor will send a summary of your records to your new GP.
• Joining us: use our transfer of records form so we can request your history from your previous clinic.
• Lost a script, referral or other paperwork? Call reception.

Read our privacy and confidentiality policy to see how your information is collected, stored and shared.

Phone, email and SMS

We value your privacy and have procedures in place to meet our professional and legal obligations, including for electronic communication.

Phone

To speak with your doctor, call reception and we'll pass on a message. Doctors can't take calls during consultations and return calls at their discretion. If your matter is urgent, tell reception at the start of the call. A booked telehealth consultation is the best way to discuss a health concern.

Email

Emails from your doctor or our staff, and between your doctor and other health providers, are sent through secure, encrypted email. Our inbox isn't constantly monitored, so please phone for anything urgent. Please don't email medical information unless your doctor has agreed to communicate this way.

SMS

We send SMS appointment reminders, as well as health reminders and recalls. SMS isn't for general enquiries or advice. If someone else can access your phone, we can't guarantee the privacy of these messages.

If it's urgent, don't wait for a call back. Call 000 or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

Preventive health

Our doctors encourage regular check-ups, even when you feel well. Your doctor can help with checks such as cholesterol and blood sugar tests, skin checks, and breast or prostate checks. Health assessments are also available for eligible age groups.

Telehealth

Telehealth consultations are available for eligible patients, in line with Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) guidelines. Usually you need to have had a face-to-face visit with us in the last 12 months. Exemptions apply for some patients, including:

• babies under 12 months old
• people experiencing homelessness
• people living in a local government area declared a natural disaster by the State or Territory Government

For a video consult you'll need a camera and an internet connection. HotDoc sends you the video call link.

Fees and billing

• GP consultations, including care plans, mental health plans, health assessments and telehealth, are bulk billed for Medicare-eligible patients, 7 days a week.
• Some skin procedures have a procedure fee, and some treatments, such as mole mapping and iron infusions, have a private fee. Where a procedure has a Medicare item, Medicare pays the rebate back to you. Procedure billing.
• Patients without a valid Medicare card pay a private fee. Private fees.
• Some administrative services, such as copies of records and some reports and medicals, attract a fee.
• Referred services, such as specialists, allied health and some pathology, may have their own fees. Please ask the provider.

We always explain the cost and ask for your consent before any service that has a fee. How bulk billing works.

Parking and access

We're inside Kilmore Village Shopping Centre, at Shop T7, 109 Northern Highway, Kilmore. There's free parking and wheelchair access, and bus routes run along the Northern Highway. Getting here.

Feedback and complaints

We welcome all feedback. Please speak with reception or our office manager, or call us on (03) 4714 8400.

If you're not satisfied with how a concern has been handled, you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner on 1300 582 113.

Our website and online booking

We can't guarantee our website or online booking will always be available or uninterrupted, and we may change or withdraw any part of it without notice. We're not liable if the website is unavailable at any time.

You're responsible for your own internet access, and for making sure anyone using our website through your connection is aware of and follows these terms.

Questions about appointments, telehealth or doctor availability? Call reception.