Patient Information

Making an Appointment.

Our Practice consults by appointment and you can make an appointment by telephoning the Clinic, or booking online. Our appointment schedules are kept one month in advance. We strive to keep on time and your waiting time to a minimum. You can usually expect to spend 10 to 15 minutes with the Doctor. If you have a number of matters to discuss and feel you will require a longer consultation. Although we try to allow for such emergencies sometimes it is unavoidable and the Doctors may run late – at these times you will be notified by our Staff and schedules may need to be re-arranged to minimise everyone’s waiting time. Should you require a special appointment, such as for your child’s vaccination, minor surgery such as removal of a lump, an insurance report or commercial driver’s licence, please let our Receptionist know when you book so that appropriate arrangements can be made. We would appreciate at least one hour’s notice if you are running late for, or need to cancel an appointment as a cancellation fee of $30 may apply.

New Patients are welcome at Adelaide Road Clinic and Williamstown Medical, please take the time to make yourself familiar with the workings of our practice.

Your Initial Consult. Your first consultation is made as a long appointment, this is to ensure the Doctor has an appropriate amount of time to obtain your medical history and discuss the issue you have at present.

Certain procedures and consultations cannot be performed on your first visit as they may require your medical history from your previous doctor/Surgery.

Please read our Fee schedule for more information on the fees that apply.

Please note: Opiates and benzodiazepines will NOT be prescribed to a new patient without a full medical history.

Test Results and Telephoning Your Doctor.

Test Results 

• Onsite pathology services are provided by Australian Clinical Labs at Adelaide Road Clinic and Clinpath Pathology at Williamstown Medical.

Adelaide Road Collection Centre: Mon – Fri 7.00am-2.00pm Sat 7.00am – 11.30am

Williamstown Collection Centre: Tuesday and Thursdays 8.30am – 12.30pm

• If you have had some tests done please call our nurses between 2.00pm and 5.00pm Monday to Friday for your results or make an appointment to discuss with your GP.
• If the Doctor has indicated that they would like you to return for an appointment you will receive an SMS stating that Adelaide Road Clinic/ Williamstown Medical has an important message for you, Smart phone users please follow the link. You will be asked to identify yourself for confidentiality purposes. You can make an appointment online using the “Book Now” button in the message or you can call the clinic to make an appointment.

Telephoning Your Doctor – The Doctors are happy to take brief calls regarding clarification or follow up of your treatment. If they are consulting they may need to call you back at the end of their consulting session, usually after 12.30pm or 5.30pm, if the matter is urgent, the doctor will be notified of the urgency.

Repeat Prescriptions and Referrals.

Our Practice policy is script requests are to be organised at your appointment with your GP. However, circumstances allowing, your regular GP may accept a request for a script via the phone.

NOT ALL GP’s PROVIDE THIS SERVICE, please check with your GP.

Enrolments in our Recall and Reminder Systems.

 You will receive an SMS/Text message to confirm your appointment, Please respond Yes or No.

 On the rare occasion the Doctor cannot attend the clinic you will receive an SMS to cancel your appointment, Please call the clinic to reschedule.

Our practice currently operates a recall system for bi-annual pap tests, childhood immunization, asthma and diabetes checks and health assessment for the over 75’s. Should you not wish to be included in these recall systems, please advise the Doctor or our Clinic Nurse. If you have any other checks that you feel you would like us to remind you about please discuss this with your doctor.

Translators.

A translation service is available for patients from non-English speaking backgrounds or those with limited English speaking skills, as well as the hearing-impaired. Should you require a translator, please advise our reception staff at least 48 hours prior to your appointment.

Patient Confidentiality.

In line with the National Privacy Principles – “Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff”. All patient consultations and medical records are kept strictly confidential. Please be aware that our staff are unable to give test results to anyone other than the patient, or in the case of a minor, the parent, without the express permission of the patient. Staff are required to ascertain the identity of callers requesting patient information and may ask questions when you call . Even information regarding patient appointments is confidential to the patient and cannot be divulged to anyone other than the patient without written authorisation , and this limitation extends to friends, relatives and employers.

Feedback.

From time to time this Practice invites patients to complete questionnaires on their view of the Practice. These surveys are totally confidential and help us to improve our services.

Our Whole team endeavors to make your visit with us a pleasant experience. But regardless of whether you are happy or unhappy about a service you have received, we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to discuss this with your doctor or our Practice Manager or you can put your comments in our “Suggestion Box” at the Reception desk. If you would prefer to email please send feedback to manager@adelaideroadclinic.com.au. We believe that problems are best dealt with within the practice, however, should you wish to take the matter externally you can contact:

Health Advice & Complaints Office – Phone 8226 8699

Privacy Policy.

Adelaide Road Clinic and Williamstown Medical Privacy Policy

Current as of: April 2020

Review Date: March 2022

Reviewed by – Practice Manager

Introduction

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes:

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• healthcare identifiers
• Health fund details.

 

Dealing with us anonymously

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice will collect your personal information:

1. When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
3. Information can also be collected through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record system, e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
4. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, and make an online appointment.
5. In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:

• your guardian or responsible person
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
• Your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (as necessary).

Who do we share your personal information with?

We sometimes share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
• with other healthcare providers
• when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
• to assist in locating a missing person
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
• During the course of providing medical services, through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record/PCEHR system (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).

Only people that need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt-out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.

• as paper records,
• as electronic records
• as visual (X-rays, CT scans, videos and photos)

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

Our practice has systems in place to protect the privacy, security, quality and integrity of the data held electronically.  Doctors and staff are trained in computer use and our security policies and procedures and updated when changes occur.

 

All clinical staff have access to a computer to document clinical care. For medico legal reasons, and to provide evidence of items billed in the event of a Medicare audit, staff, especially nurses always log in under their own passwords to document care activities they have undertaken.

 

Our practice ensures that our practice computers and servers comply with the RACGP computer security checklist and that:

• Computers are only accessible via individual password access to those in the practice team who have appropriate levels of authorisation.
• Computers have screensavers or other automated privacy protection devices are enabled to prevent unauthorised access to computers.
• Servers are backed up and checked at frequent intervals, consistent with a documented business continuity plan.
• Back up information is stored in a secure off site environment.
• computers are protected by antivirus software that is installed and updated regularly
• Computers connected to the internet are protected by appropriate hardware/software firewalls.
• We have a business continuity plan that has been developed, tested and documented.

 

Electronic data transmission of patient health information from our practice is in a secure format.

 

Notifiable DATA breaches

Adelaide Road Clinic has an obligation to report all data breaches to the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) that are likely to result in serious harm to any individuals whose personal information is involved in any breach.

What this means – if in the unlikely event that this practice loses a hard drive, experiences cyber-crime or provides an un-authorises person with access to patient files there is a legal obligations to tell the OAIC and any individual affected if the personal data is lost, stolen or leaked.

Corrections, Privacy Concerns and access,

The Practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. Patients are encouraged to make this request by completing our Request for Personal Health Information form (reception can provide the form on request) the Practice will respond in a timely manner.

From time to time, the Practice will ask patients to verify the personal information held by the Practice is correct and up to date. Patients may also request the Practice corrects or updates their information, and patients should make such requests in writing.

The Practice takes complaints and concerns about the privacy of patients’ personal information seriously.

Patients should express any privacy concerns in writing.

Practice Manager Wendy Pearse – Adelaide Road Clinic
25 Adelaide Road, Gawler SA 5118

Or email: manager@adelaideroadclinic.com.au

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond, before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 336 002.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. We will advise our patient via our website adelaideroadclinic.com.au newsletter and reception desk.