INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS
The information below should answer many of the questions you may have about your interactions with Vermont Health Care and what you should expect.
The Australian Medical Association guidelines suggest a standard consultation fee of $96.
We are a mixed billing practice.
Currently, our fee for a standard consultation is $85.00 with a claimable Medicare rebate of $42.85. Click here for a more detailed fee schedule.
Bulk Billing is available to Children 15 years and under, Pensioners and Concession Card holders during the week 8am to 5:45pm. At all other times, this patient category attracts concession rates (i.e. after 6pm on weekdays, all day Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays you will be charged concession rates)
Private billing rates apply at all times to those who don’t qualify for bulk billing. Full time students under 25 years as well as Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders qualify for a Concession rate during normal hours, full private billing rate will apply during after hours as described above.
We ask that you pay the whole practice fee on the day of service. Medicare will then deposit into your account the rebate (usually within 24 hours) leaving you with an out-of-pocket cost which should be no more than $44 for a regular appointment, and no more than $66 for long appointments.
This billing policy is for both face-to-face consultations at the surgery and for telephone/telehealth appointments.
If you are having difficulty paying our fees at any time, please discuss this with your doctor.
Wound Care and Medical Procedures such as minor surgery eg: suturing, removal of skin lumps/cancers may attract an extra fee for all patient categories. Please discuss with your treating GP at the time of consultation
Please be reminded that if an appointment is missed, a fee will be charged.
If you are new to our clinic, please book online and complete the New Patient Registration Form before your arrival.
Please call 9874 3344 to make an appointment. Alternatively, you can click on the top right corner of this webpage to Book Online.
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As a precaution to protect patients, staff and the public, and to determine your Medicare rebate eligibility, you will be asked a few screening questions. Please answer honestly.
Not all available appointments are listed online so if you feel your matter is urgent, please call us and we will endeavour to fit you in on the same day.
When booking your appointment, the receptionist will ask you to confirm your address, best contact number and date of birth in addition to your name. We will also need to do this on other occasions such as when you request a repeat prescription or referral etc. The reason for this is to be sure we always have your correct record and there is no misidentification or mismatch.
In an effort to provide an efficient service, our receptionists will ask for your Medicare card at every visit.
Standard appointment times are for 10-15 minutes.
For multiple smaller problems or a complicated issue, longer appointments are available, but please let the receptionist know when making your appointment.
Consultations for completing medical reports and travel vaccinations and information also require long appointments. Please note that consultations for medical reports and travel vaccinations may not be covered by Medicare.
Urgent medical problems will always be dealt with as a matter of priority. Our staff are experienced in helping you decide the most appropriate action for your needs. See the Information for Patients page for details on after hours consultations.
Home visits are available for patients on our register who are unable to come to the clinic. We appreciate it if these are arranged as early in the day as possible, to ensure a doctor will be able to see you. Please note that we are only able to provide visits locally, within the area bordered by Springvale Road, Whitehorse Road, Burwood Hwy, Dandenong Creek and Heatherdale Road.
Our doctors also regularly visit patients in hostels and nursing homes in the area. For more information, please call the clinic.
The doctors and allied health professionals want to be available for the needs of all our patients. When a patient does not show for a scheduled appointment, other patients lose the opportunity to be seen.
We understand that unplanned issues can arise, and you may need to cancel an appointment. Should this occur, we respectfully ask that scheduled appointments be cancelled at least 2 hours in advance.
It is crucial that you notify us of your cancellation, at least 2 hrs prior to your appointment time, to avoid possible cancellation fees.
You will be required to make an appointment with your doctor for a repeat prescription to ensure that your medication and medical condition are being managed appropriately.
Repeat prescriptions may be obtained without a consultation by patients who have seen the doctor in the last week.
A consultation with a doctor is required for a referral to a medical specialist as it is important that the referral is appropriate, and the relevant medical information is included for the specialist. Referral periods are generally for 12 months.
There is $25 fee for repeat referrals that are written without a consultation. Sometimes your doctor will say that you need to come in for an appointment regardless, particularly if you have not seen that particular specialist before.
The provision of quality health care requires a doctor patient relationship of trust and confidentiality. Vermont Health Care collects and holds personal health information about you in your medical record, as do all medical practices. This information is necessarily available to practice staff but is always treated in strict confidence. All our staff sign a confidentiality agreement to protect your information. Aspects of your health information may also be recorded on medical registers – such as the diabetes and national cervical screening registers. Information from your medical files may be viewed by accreditation and quality assurance bodies.
At times specific information is required by law to be provided to health authorities in relation to infectious diseases and to the births, deaths and marriages registrar for birth and death certificates. Doctors occasionally need to discuss patient issues with their medical defense organisation for medico-legal advice. For more information, please download a copy of our VHC Privacy Policy.
Accreditation and Quality Assurance Bodies
Accreditation bodies view a sample of our files every few years to ensure they are maintained and secured according to current best practice standards. As part of our commitment to quality assurance and maintenance of the highest standards of medical care, doctors at this practice do participate in audits of management of patient’s conditions. This requires reviewing and extracting anonymous information from your medical file. Audits review the doctor’s response to a particular situation or condition but do not involve any personal or identifying patient information.
Accessing Your Health Information
Personal information is made available with your agreement to other health practitioners in the course of medical referrals. You may access your personal health information in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth legislation) or Health Regulations Act 2001 (Victorian Government). Information about this process may be obtained from the receptionist.
Apart from the use and disclosure of personal health information as indicated above your written consent is required before the transfer of any of your health information. Should it not be possible to obtain your consent or refusal of consent in the case of severe illness or other unforseen situation the practice will attempt to consult your next of kin or a person nominated by you for such a purpose. If this is not possible your doctor will act in what is judged to be your best interest.
If you have any concerns please discuss with your doctor.
Vermont Health Care aims to provide person-centered, continuing, comprehensive and coordinated whole person healthcare. Our practice, in providing patient healthcare, considers patients’ rights, beliefs, and their religious and cultural backgrounds. We believe in providing top quality and non-discriminatory care to all our patients.
Our free on-site patient car park can be accessed via Boronia Road or Frances Avenue.
Patient’s now have the convenience of a covered drop-off bay via the Boronia Road entrance.
We recently carried out a patient survey (the Practice Accreditation and Improvement Survey) and asked for your honest opinions on the service we provide. We listened to your concerns and are implementing actions in order to make improvements to patient care where you feel it would be most useful. A summary of the results and actions can be found here.
Your comments on our medical services are always welcome. If there is any way we can improve, please talk to a receptionist or your doctor; alternatively, you may email or write to us. Simply send your email to: admin at vermonthealthcare.com.au
Please however note that unencrypted emails are inherently insecure so please do NOT use email for communication of any confidential patient information.
On the issue of waiting times, please see our notice regarding this particular issue.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care you receive from this practice, please speak to a doctor or staff member about it.
If there is a problem you wish to take up outside, then complaints may be directed to the Health Services Commissioner on: 1300 582 113
Our practice is affiliated with the University of Melbourne & Deakin University, helping with training and mentoring the next generation of medical doctors. These students may sometimes sit in on consultations. However, we fully respect your wishes so please inform us if you would rather have a private consultation with your GP.
Our staff will let you know if there will be one present during your consultation.
At all times, your privacy is our priority and declining an observer has no impact on the care you receive.