Patient Information

Fees

Burton Street Family Practice is a mixed-billing medical practice. The practitioners at our practice are independent practitioners who are free to set their fees; however, our standard consultation fees are below.

While most practitioners will bulk-bill pensioners, healthcare card holders and children aged 16 years and under, some will charge a small gap.

Practitioners can bulk-bill others at their discretion.

Appointments

You can book an appointment online Book Appointment  or phone at (08) 9458 4558. Please DO NOT email us to request an appointment.

IMPORTANT

If there are no appointments available online, please phone the practice on 9458 4558, as all of our doctors reserve appointments for patients who need to be seen urgently. Please ask to speak to our nurse, who will determine the urgency and endeavour to fit you in.

Every effort will be made to fit you in with your regular GP. However, if this is not possible, we recommend that you see another GP at the practice to ensure continuity of care. Your medical record is accessible by all of our clinical staff, who are therefore in a better position to diagnose and treat you without the need for unnecessary tests.

Furthermore, your consultation notes will be available for your regular GP, which is not usually the case when you visit a GP elsewhere. It is important to be aware that not all information is uploaded to your "My Health Record", particularly information relating to individual consultations. Therefore, when your regular GP is unavailable to see you, it is always better to see another GP at our practice.

A standard appointment is 15 minutes. To assist us to run as close as possible to time, please request an appointment length that matches the complexity of your concerns. If there are too many issues to deal with in the allocated time, we may need to schedule a subsequent appointment.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that unexpected issues can arise, and you may need to cancel an appointment. If that occurs, we respectfully ask that you call the practice as soon as possible to cancel your appointment. Our practitioners want to be available for your needs and the needs of all our patients. When a patient fails to attend a scheduled appointment, another patient loses an opportunity to be seen.

Failure to attend appointments without notice may result in a non-attendance fee that you cannot claim from Medicare.

New Patients

Please arrive 10 minutes before your consultation time for registration. You will need to bring a current Medicare card and DVA card (if appropriate) and information about your medical conditions and current medications. If you have a concession card, you will need to bring that with you. You can download and complete our New Patient Information Form and bring it to your consultation.

Please be aware that we do not prescribe schedule 8 drugs, benzodiazepines or other drugs of addiction on the first consultation.

Workers Compensation & Motor Vehicle

Contacting Your Practitioner

Our practitioners will not accept telephone calls from patients during a consultation unless it is a life-threatening emergency. For all other calls, please leave a message with our reception staff, and it will be dealt with appropriately as soon as possible.

Emails and facsimiles are reviewed periodically throughout the day and handled the same way as all other correspondence. Therefore, please DO NOT email us with urgent matters. Similarly, we do not recommend any detailed or sensitive information be sent via email as it is not a secure means of communication. Please use your private email address for correspondence; we will not reply to emails sent from a work email address. Because you do not own it, we cannot guarantee your privacy is maintained. Relevant telephone or email/facsimile exchanges will be noted in the patient's health record to ensure continuity of care.

Prescription & Referral Requests

Our practitioners may provide repeat prescriptions and ongoing referrals to regular patients without a face-to-face appointment. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the large amount of correspondence in the form of results, report requests, and patient messages, practitioners may be unable to provide your script without an appointment.

If you are new to the practice or have not been seen recently, you must book a face-to-face or telehealth (available to existing patients only) appointment. Most practitioners are booked well in advance, so plan ahead to avoid running out of medication.

Repeat prescriptions and ongoing referral can be requested by emailing reception@burtonst.com.au. Please use your private email address for all requests. You will need to provide the name of your practitioner, the name and dose of your medication as well as your contact details in the event the practitioner is unable to provide the prescription/referral without a consultation. Please allow a minimum of 48 business hours.

A minimum charge of $20 at the time of collection may apply for prescriptions and referrals provided without a consultation. Please note that these fees do not attract a Medicare rebate.

Medical Certificates

Results

Please call our nurse on 9258 4478 between 1 pm and 2 pm Monday to Friday to obtain your results.

Your practitioner checks test results periodically, and most results are available after two days. Results CANNOT be provided until they have been checked by your GP. If your results require further discussion or treatment, you may be required to schedule an appointment.

PLEASE NOTE: For privacy and to maintain confidentiality, reception staff CANNOT give you your results over the phone.

It is your responsibility to follow up on your results

Recall & Reminder

Your Rights

You are encouraged to participate in decisions about your healthcare. Our practitioners will provide you with clearly explained information in easily understood language to help you make an informed decision. This includes the purpose, importance, benefits and risks, and possible costs associated with proposed investigations, referrals, treatments, medicines and medicine safety.

Ultimately you decide to follow the advice of your practitioner. However, if you choose to disregard your practitioner's recommendations, they will be documented in your medical record.

Your Health Information & Privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of patient information and responsible handling of your personal information according to the Australian Privacy Principles. To reduce the risk of mistaken identity in your files or records, from time to time, our staff may ask for your name, address and date of birth on the phone or in person. This is to protect you from medical errors and to protect your privacy.

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain the security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff. Information collected from you concerning your medical health and treatment and information disclosed during consultations will remain confidential and will not be released to a third party without your written consent except in an emergency situation or when compelled by law. Patients can request access to their personal health information in line with the Privacy Principles. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information.

Due to confidentiality, we cannot discuss your medical information, including appointments, with a relative unless you have given express consent.

Burton Street Family Practice requires signed consent before transferring your medical records to another practice. A cost of approximately $30 will apply to transfer your complete electronic medical record (including progress notes from each consultation, results and specialist reports) by registered mail. You may be charged a higher fee if you also have a paper record or the practice you are transferring to does not accept electronic records.

A copy of our Privacy Policy is available here or requested at reception.

Feedback

Our practice welcomes your feedback and takes your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. If you would like to comment on our services, please complete a feedback form and send it to us, or drop it in the box provided on our book exchange desk. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care you receive at this practice, please let us know so we can address your concerns. Please feel free to discuss your concerns with the doctor, nurse, practice manager or reception team. Alternatively, you can forward your complaint to the practice manager at reception@burtonst.com.au or 23 Burton Street, Bentley, WA 6102. Your feedback is completely confidential.

If you feel you have not received a satisfactory outcome, you may contact:
Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) Free call: 1800 813 583. Alternatively, complaint forms can be completed online or downloaded and returned by fax, email or post.