Making Appointments
Because our goal is to provide comprehensive medical care with minimal waiting times, we depend on you booking your appointment with this in mind so you get the best experience. Your usual GP will have times set aside for urgent matters on the day so get in early if something acute comes up. Try to book ahead as much as possible for non-urgent matters.
If your usual GP is unavailable you will still be able to receive care for urgent issues with another GP in the practice. This will be documented and your usual GP informed. In the event that we just don’t have any spots to squeeze you in, our senior nurses are able to conduct an assessment for our regular patients and get some advice from the GP how best to proceed.
Please note that, in the case of an emergency, we recommend you ring 000 and ask for an ambulance.
If you’re not sure, call us and tell the receptionist your concern so that one of our nurses or GPs can advise you. Our staff are all trained in triage so please don’t hesitate to answer their questions in order that we do our best to help you manage the situation.
We respect that your time is precious and try very hard to keep to schedule. It is therefore essential that you book an appointment length of time to match the complexity of the issue of concern. Consider the following examples as a guide for making your appointment:
There are some appointments that your GP or nurse will recommend and they will advise how long to plan for these, such as GP Management Plans, skin excisions, Implanon removals or Mental Health Treatment Plans.
If, during your consultation, an important matter is revealed, you may need to stay a little longer or schedule another appointment.
Most appointments can now be made on-line. Please ensure all your details are correct, including your email address, particularly if you have recently changed anything. And if you have any doubts about how long to book please call our receptionist for advice.
Appointments with GPs at RFMP are in high demand. If you cannot keep your appointment please notify us at least 2 hours before the appointment in order that we can reach someone waiting on the cancellation list to fill the space.
Safe High Quality Care
As an adult, you hold ultimate responsibility for your health. We recognise that each person is an individual and that your health will be affected by your genetic makeup and your life experiences as well as your current and past lifestyle choices. You decide every day what to do, say, notice, devote your time to and sometimes these decisions are well-considered, sometimes not so much.
At Riverstone Family Medical Practice, a range of health professionals is available to team up with you for the long haul. If you value your health then we want to be a part of your efforts to set and achieve your health goals and we know that this will usually involve a process that is more than the “quick fix”. We value long-term relationships and we’ll put you at the centre of all our activities.
You and your GP will lead a team that gets to know you well over time, understands your goals, challenges and strategies, and helps build your knowledge and skills for confident and effective self-management. This is most effective when we begin as early as possible, long before disease intervenes if possible, so never think you don’t yet need a solid relationship with a known GP.
When you’ve chosen a GP with whom you have a good rapport, try to see that GP for all your visits, to ensure the best continuity of care.
If you have an acute problem and that GP is not available, see another GP in this practice who has access to your comprehensive record, rather than take the risk of going elsewhere where you are less well-known.
Of most importance, please remain engaged in the process, ask lots of questions, tell us if you’ve not understood anything and offer your suggestions if something isn’t working for you. We can do so much to improve if you talk to us directly rather than go straight to Google!
Accessing or Transferring Your Health Record
Your health information may be accessed by you or your authorised representative. In order to do so you will be asked to put your request in writing. In most cases the information will be made available in the form requested. Sometimes the GP will book a time to go through the record with you to ensure that you understand what has been written. On occasion access may be refused if there is information in the record that may threaten your or someone else’s life, health or safety, if it may impact someone else’s privacy, or if giving access would be unlawful.
There will be a charge for this access to your record. The cost depends on the size of the record, time spent by the GP reviewing the record, and any other costs.
If you are moving away your GP is able to give you a Health Summary to take with you. For transfer of a more detailed record, ask your new GP to request the file with your written consent and the file is usually able to be sent electronically to the GP for a small fee.
Privacy Policy
We maintain confidentiality of all patient information in compliance with Privacy legislation. Please see our Privacy Policy for further information.