Practice Policies

Appointments

​

All consultations are by appointment only.
We offer same-day urgent appointments daily—please call in the morning to book one. Please note that these may not be with your usual doctor.
If you prefer to see a specific doctor, we’ll do our best to accommodate your request. If your preferred doctor is unavailable, another qualified doctor will be offered. All doctors at the clinic have secure access to your electronic medical record. Your health information remains confidential and will only be shared with your consent.
Please be aware: No SFMC doctor will prescribe drugs of dependence to new patients

​

​

 

 

​Prescriptions and Referrals

​You can request repeat prescriptions and referrals via our online portal, available throughout the week. Please note these are not processed on weekends. If your usual GP is unavailable, a phone consultation may be needed. To avoid delays, make sure you’ve seen your doctor in the past six months.
Referrals require an up-to-date summary from your GP, including relevant history and test results. It is against the law for referrals to be backdated.

​

​

​

 

Billing​

​

Our clinic operates on a private billing basis.
All appointments incur a private fee. Medicare rebates are available for eligible patients.
We kindly ask that all fees are paid in full at the time of your appointment. We accept EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard, and cash.

​

​​

Communication Policy

Phone Access to Your Doctor
Phone consultations can be booked via our website. These are privately billed and may attract a
Medicare rebate if you have attended the practice in the last 12 months.

Electronic Communication
We discourage email communication, as emails are not routinely monitored.
Appointments can be made through our secure online booking system.

​

​Zero Tolerance Policy

Our staff are committed to providing high-quality care and treating you with courtesy and respect.
We expect the same in return. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of abusive, aggressive, or violent behaviour
toward our staff or other patients.
In such cases, the police may be contacted, and the patient involved may be removed from
our clinic’s list.

​

Privacy Policy

Overview
This policy explains how our clinic collects, uses, and shares your personal and health
information. It also outlines your rights and our responsibilities in handling your data.

Your Consent
When you register as a patient, you provide consent for our staff and doctors to access your
personal and health information to deliver the best care. Only authorised staff will access
this information. If we need to use your data for any other reason, we’ll ask for your explicit
consent.

Why We Collect Your Information
We collect your information primarily to support your medical care. This includes managing
appointments, processing payments, performing audits, training staff, and meeting legal
obligations.

What We Collect
We may collect the following:

• Personal details (name, DOB, address, contact info)

• Medical history, medications, allergies, immunisations

• Family and social history, risk factors

• Medicare details and healthcare identifiers

​

Anonymity
You may request to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym, except where this would be
impractical or not legally permitted.

How We Collect Information
Information may be collected:

• When you register or make appointments

• During your consultation or treatment

• Through tools like electronic prescriptions (eTP) or My Health Record

• Via email, phone, SMS, or online booking

• From other health providers or authorised third parties like hospitals, pathology services, specialists, or government agencies

​

When and Why We Share Your Data
Your data may be shared:

• With trusted third parties (e.g. IT providers, accreditation bodies) under strict privacy conditions

• With other healthcare providers involved in your care

• When required by law or in emergencies

• For public health reporting or missing person cases

• During legal proceedings or disputes

• Through My Health Record or similar systems
  We will never share your data outside Australia without your consent unless required by law. We also do not use your data for direct marketing unless you’ve opted in.

​

Use of De-identified Data
We may use anonymous, de-identified data for health research or population health improvement. If you don’t want your data included, please inform our reception team.

How We Protect Your Information
We safeguard your information through:

• Secure facilities and systems

• Password-protected databases with role-based access

• Secure storage for physical records​

​

Want to Learn More?
For further information on privacy laws and your rights, contact:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: 1300 363 992

• NSW Privacy Commissioner: (02) 9268 5588

• Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner: 1800 136 066

​