Appointments

Please contact our centre for the full version of our Practice Information Sheet.

Our practice provides GP consultations either by appointment or walk in availability. Antenatal and postnatal appointments are by appointment only. Staff will make every effort to accommodate your preferred time. Emergencies will always be given priority and if a patient presents with an urgent medical problem, they may be triaged and seen as a priority. Staff will make you aware of any known delays.

To encourage continuity of care we suggest that you request your preferred doctor at the time of booking your appointment.

Appointments are normally made at 15 minute intervals, although certain consultations are best dealt with by a longer appointment. These include consultations for your initial antenatal visit, more complex or multiple problems, mental health care plans, medical examinations, medical procedures, or if there is more than one person seeing the doctor. If you feel you may need a longer consultation with the doctor, please inform reception staff when booking your appointment.

Please notify us if you are unable to attend an appointment as soon as possible so we can offer that appointment to another patient.

We aim to make your time at our practice as pleasant as possible. You can watch tv or read the latest magazines available in our waiting room. There is also a kids’ play area to keep the little ones entertained.

Online bookings – A selection of appointments are available for online bookings each day. These can be done via our website – www.rmfp.com.au.

Fees and Billing

Bulk billing is available for patients with a current Medicare Card for antenatal and postnatal care, children under 16 years old & Student Card holders, Pension Card holders, Health Care Card holders, DVA Gold Card holders, DVA White Card holders (for entitled conditions), Annual Health Assessments (for patients aged 75 years and over), Chronic Disease Care Plans and Mental Health Plans and for all other services at the Doctors discretion.

A private fee applies for patients who are not eligible under the above bulk billing criteria. Fees are payable at the time of consultation by cash or EFTPOS. We do not accept AMEX and cheques will only be accepted with prior approval from management. The fee structure is displayed in the reception area of the practice and below. If you have any difficulty in paying our fees, please discuss it with us. The Doctor or staff will advise if other costs may arise from you consultation or treatment (eg. investigations or specialist fees).

We also have an online claiming facility so we can lodge your claim directly through the internet. If you register your bank account details with Medicare, then your Medicare rebate can be deposited electronically into your account.

To see a full copy of our fees schedule please contact our office.

Dr Princewell Chuka-Driving Medical Fees

• Standard Driving Medicals - $150
• $75 for pensioners
• Truck driving medicals are $300

Equality

We are an equal opportunities health service provider and employer. We treat our patients and staff equally and with respect regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, age, disability, religion or beliefs.

Zero Tolerance Standard for Workplace Violence

Rockingham Maternity and Family Practice, as an employer, is committed to maintaining a workplace free from threats and acts of intimidation and violence. All reported incidents will be investigated and, where appropriate, reported to the police.

Procedures

The doctors can perform many minor surgical procedures if required (e.g. removal of moles or skin lesions, treatment of simple fractures). Nebuliser, pap smears and resuscitation equipment are available. A longer appointment time may be required for some procedures so please inform the receptionist.

Privacy

This practice is bound by the Federal Privacy Act (1988) and 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 authorized members of staff. We abide by the strict National Privacy Principles available at www.privacy.gov.au/health/index.html. A copy is available at reception. Patients of our practice have the right to access their personal health information under the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.

Chronic Disease Prevention

We are committed to helping our patients prevent the development of chronic disease. We encourage you to take advantage of our practice nurses and the time you spend with your doctor to “measure up” and have your modifiable lifestyle factors assessed. We can also offer Cardiovascular risk and Diabetes risk assessments.

Health Assessments

For our patients over 75 we recommend a yearly health assessment 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 for which you may be at risk.

Pathology / Radiology Results

The doctor or practice nurse will inform you when your results will be available. It is advisable to book an appointment after that time to discuss the results with your doctor. To ensure our staff maintain strict patient confidentiality and comply with the National Privacy Act, it is the policy of this practice that pathology and radiology test results will not be given over the telephone by our reception or nursing staff.

Confidentiality

The practice will not disclose your personal health information to any third party unless:

• You have consented to the disclosure; or
• This disclosure is necessary because you are at risk of harm without treatment and you are unable to give consent- for example you might be unconscious after an accident; or
• Your doctor is legally obliged to disclose the information (eg, notification of certain infectious diseases or suspected child abuse, or a subpoena or court order); or
• There is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information.

This is one of the reasons why, except for under exceptional circumstances pre-arranged with the doctor, the practice is unable to give out test results over the telephone.

Prescriptions

Prescriptions may be issued during a consultation. If you need a repeat prescription, we ask that you make an appointment to see one of our doctors, where the condition for which the prescription was issued can be checked.

Electronic Communications

Our practice may send you SMS reminders of appointments. If you do not wish to receive these please notify reception and they will remove you from the recall. General email enquiries can be made via our practice website, or by emailing us at [email protected].

It is our policy that all communication with patients via electronic means (email, fax, sms) is conducted with appropriate regard to the privacy laws relating to health information.

Change of personal details

You can assist our practice to keep your medical file up to date by information your doctor or reception staff of any changes to your personal details. This includes court documentation regarding any child custody arrangements.

Translation Services

For patients who speak languages other than English the Translation and Interpreter Services (TIS) is available. For patients who are deaf, information is provided through the National Relay Service (NRS).

Patient Contact

In our practice, doctors and clinical staff receive and return telephone calls and messages between patient appointments depending on urgency. In the case of an emergency, your call will be put through to the nurse.

Patients are able to obtain advice or information relating to their clinical care by telephone where a doctor determines that this is clinically safe and that a face-to-face consultation is unnecessary.

Parking and Disabled Access

Car parking is available in front of the practice or alongside the adjoining shops. There is a separate parking bay which is located in front of Clinipath allocated for disabled patients.

Home Visits

These visits are provided as necessary under special circumstances by individual GPs on your requests. If you believe you require a home visit, please contact the practice to speak to the nurse and she will discuss your needs with your doctor.

This practice has a ‘no smoking’ policy

To comply with current government regulations, smoking is not permitted within the building or within 4 metres of the building entry.

We have a feedback form and box located in the waiting room for patients to provide feedback or suggestions to help improve our practice.

Referrals

Doctors at our practice regularly liaise with outside health care providers such as diagnostic services, hospitals and after hours providers to ensure our patients receive the appropriate level of care required.

To discuss and identify relevant services, please make an appointment to see the doctor to discuss referrals or renewal of referrals to diagnostic services, hospital and specialist consultant services. For fees / out of pocket expenses, please contact the provider directly.

Feedback

We take your compliments, concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. If you are happy with the care we provide at Rockingham Maternity and Family Practice please tell your friends and family about us because we value your personal recommendation.

If at anytime you experience any problems or difficulties with regards to this practice, please feel free to talk to the doctor or the practice manager. You may prefer to email us at [email protected] or use our feedback box. We will try our best to resolve any issues to obtain the best outcome.

Should you feel the need to take the matter further, feel free to contact:

The Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO)
GPO Box B61
Perth WA 6838
Phone: (08) 6551 7600

After Hours

Outside our normal opening hours, on Sundays and public holidays, emergency care is provided via the Rockingham General Hospital Emergency Department. If you require a home visit outside our normal hours, please contact Dial A Doctor. These medical services will provide us with a summary of your consult, so your regular doctor is kept up to date with your medical history. We advise there may be associated out of pocket expenses with obtaining after hours care.

Rockingham General Hospital
Elanora Drive, COOLOONGUP WA 6168
Phone: (08) 9599 4000

Dial A Doctor
Phone: 1300 030 030

Open: Monday to Friday 6pm to 8am, Saturday after 12pm, Sunday 24 hours, Public Holidays 24 hours

If you require urgent medical attention (emergency), please call an ambulance on 000.

Our Rights

We reserve our right to protect our staff and other patients, therefore we may request that you no longer attend our practice if you behave in an unacceptable manner such as; using offensive language, being abusive to staff, threaten someone or become violent, or deliberately damage property. Any criminal activity with result in the police being called.

We are committed to quality improvement and are currently accredited with GPA Accreditation Plus.

Reminder System

Our practice is committed to preventive care. Your doctor will seek your permission to be included on our reminder system. We may issue you with a reminder notice from time to time offering you preventive health services appropriate to your care. If you do not wish to be part of this system please let your doctor, nurse or reception staff know.

Patient Rights

Patients have a right to access their personal health information and may request to view their record or obtain a copy. A fee may be involved.

Patients have the right to refuse any treatment, advice or procedure. Our doctors discuss all aspects of treatment and will offer alternatives should a patient wish to seek another medical opinion.

Transfer of patient records to another practice

For medico-legal reasons we are not able to send your original medical record to another practice. Upon receipt of a formal request for transfer to another Doctor, we will prepare and send a concise health summary along with copies of any relevant results and documents. Transfer fees may apply for this service.

Useful Phone Numbers

Emergency Services 000

Medicare Australia 132 011

Poisons 13 11 26

Mental Health Line 1800 629 354

Alcohol and Drug Information (08) 9442 5000

Kids Helpline 1800 551 800

Health Direct 1800 022 222

Sexual Abuse Helpline 131 200

Lifeline 13 11 14

St John of God Hospital (Murdoch) (08) 9366 1111

Royal Perth Hospital GP Afterhours 1300 706 922

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (08) 9346 3333

Fremantle Hospital (08) 9431 3333

Royal Perth Hospital (08) 9224 3511

Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (08) 9340 8222