Other Policies
We have a number of policies in place to help ensure our patients receive safe, respectful and consistent care at Vineyard Medical Centre.
Appointments & Cancellations
We ask patients to arrive on time for their appointment. Longer appointments may be required if you have multiple or complex health concerns. Please advise our reception team when booking so an appropriate appointment can be arranged.
A minimum of four hours’ notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Cancellations made with less than four hours’ notice, or failure to attend a booked appointment, will incur a $50 non-attendance/late cancellation fee.
Existing patients will receive a warning on the first occasion. If a further late cancellation or non-attendance occurs, the $50 fee will apply.
New patients do not receive a first-time warning. A $50 fee applies if the required four hours’ notice is not provided or the appointment is not attended.
Where payment details have been provided through HotDoc for the appointment, the $50 fee will be deducted using those payment details.
New patients with an outstanding cancellation or non-attendance fee will not be able to book another appointment until the fee has been paid.
Fees & Payment
Vineyard Medical Centre is a private billing clinic. Consultation fees apply and payment is required in full on the day of your appointment.
Patients are responsible for ensuring payment is made at the time of their consultation. Accounts that are not paid on the day will incur a $15 administration fee.
Longstanding outstanding accounts may result in patients being unable to book further appointments until the account has been paid.
Test Results
Your GP will advise you about how to follow up your test results. Patients may be asked to make a follow-up appointment to discuss results and any further care that may be required.
If a result requires follow-up, you will be contacted by the clinic. Depending on the nature of the result, this may be via HotDoc, SMS, a member of our nursing team or your GP. You may be asked to make an appointment to discuss the result and any further care required.
For privacy and confidentiality reasons, test results are only provided to the patient or to another person where appropriate consent or authority has been provided.
Repeat Prescriptions & Referrals
Repeat prescriptions and repeat referrals generally require review by your GP to ensure your ongoing care remains appropriate and up to date.
Repeat prescriptions and repeat referrals can be requested online through HotDoc by selecting the appropriate Repeat Prescription or Repeat Referral appointment type.
Outside of these HotDoc services, prescriptions and referrals are not provided without a consultation with your GP.
Schedule 4 (S4) and Schedule 8 (S8) medications cannot be requested through the HotDoc repeat prescription service and require a face-to-face or telehealth consultation with your GP.
Fees apply to repeat prescription and repeat referral requests made through HotDoc.
Communication with your GP
Our reception and nursing teams can assist with general enquiries; however, they are unable to provide medical advice on behalf of your GP.
If you need to discuss a medical concern, treatment, medication or results with your GP, you will need to book an appointment.
Reception staff are unable to send messages to GPs requesting that they call a patient instead of an appointment being booked. GPs receive a high volume of clinical enquiries throughout the day and are unable to provide unscheduled telephone consultations or return calls without an appointment.
Face-to-face and telehealth appointments are available where appropriate and can be booked through our usual booking channels.
Vineyard Medical Centre does not accept medical information, reports or requests for medical advice via email or social media. Please contact the clinic on 03 9216 5600 if you require assistance.
Urgent or life-threatening medical concerns should not be communicated electronically. In a medical emergency, call 000.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Vineyard Medical Centre is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for our patients, visitors, healthcare practitioners and staff.
Vineyard Medical Centre has a zero tolerance policy for abusive, aggressive, threatening, discriminatory, intimidating or inappropriate behaviour. This applies to behaviour in person, over the telephone, in writing, electronically or through social media.
Patients and visitors are expected to treat our staff, healthcare practitioners and others with courtesy and respect at all times.
Any patient who engages in abusive or unacceptable behaviour may be refused further services and banned from attending Vineyard Medical Centre.
Where behaviour involves threats, violence or concerns for the safety of staff, healthcare practitioners, patients or visitors, the matter may also be referred to Victoria Police where appropriate.
Medical Certificates
Medical certificates require an assessment by a GP and cannot be issued without a consultation.
Medical certificates cannot generally be backdated. If you require a certificate for work, school or another purpose, please arrange an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.
Face-to-face or telehealth appointments may be available depending on your circumstances.
Patient Responsibililties
To help us provide safe and appropriate care, we ask patients to provide accurate and up-to-date information about their health, medications and contact details.
Please let us know if your personal details change and advise your GP of any significant changes to your health, medications or treatment.
Patients are also responsible for attending scheduled appointments, following up as advised by their GP and letting us know as soon as possible if they are unable to attend an appointment.