Frequently asked questions

We offer appointments in order to reduce the waiting times for our patients. Every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred time and doctor, however this may not always be possible. A normal appointment length is fifteen minutes. Please inform our receptionist if you require extra time or if more than one person will be seeing the doctor.

Patients can also be seen without an appointment as a walk-in; however priority will be given to those patients with appointments. All patients with potentially life threatening symptoms are also given priority.

Please call to cancel any appointments you cannot attend!

We do offer online appointment bookings for most consultations, however the following guidelines must be followed.

• Standard Consultations will go for approximately 10 minutes and you will be able to discuss 1-2 issues only.
• The following appointments may require more time and therefore may not be available for booking online.
  • Yellow Fever vaccines
  • Skin Checks
  • Forms/Paperwork- Centrelink, RTA etc
  • Procedures
  • Excisions
  • Implanon insertions and removal
  • WorkCover related issues-including certificates, case conference etc.
  • Insurance Medical
  • Pre-employment Medicals
  • Health Assessments
• Only 1 patient can be seen per standard consultation. Please book separate appointments for each family member.
• Please cancel any appointment that you can not attend, either online or by phone. Two non-attendances will cause future online bookings to be blocked.

If appointments are booked outside these guidelines patients may be required to reschedule.

Our practice can now provide telehealth appointments to any patient that has been seen in the practice for a face to face appointment in the 12 months prior. Please advise our staff when booking if you would like a telehealth appointment.

Please advise reception if you have any of the following symptoms or have had in the previous 3 days:

• Cough
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Fever

Bulk billing is only available to pensioners, Commonwealth concession card holders and children under 16 years who have registered Norwest General Practice as their regular practice  for MyMedicare.

 Self registration can be done through your medicare account or app.

You can also speak to your doctor about limited bulk billing available for patients with chronic disease, mental health care plans and certain health assessments.

General appointment gap cost will be between $40 and $60 dependent on the length of appointment.

Extended appointments and procedures will have a gap between $50 and $120 dependent on the length and appointment type.

Please discuss fees with your doctor.

FEE SCHEDULE FOR PATIENTS WITHOUT MEDICARE CARD:

Standard appointment – $112 

Long appointment – $205

Extended appointment – from $315

A $120 gap will apply for all procedures.

All skin check appointments attract a private fees.

Our doctors may be running late if they are delayed with urgent or complicated cases, or if earlier patients have themselves arrived late.
We thank you for waiting and apologise in advance.

If you are running late for your appointment please call and advise our reception team.

Please ensure that you book a follow up appointment to see the GP/doctor to find out the results of a test or procedure, fees may apply for this.

If you need a repeat of a script or a referral to a specialist, you will need an appointment with the doctor. This is to ensure that every aspect of your health is taken into account, and that you are getting the best possible health care.

Photo ID is required in order to collect any patient information from reception. If a third party such as a friend or a family member comes in to collect something on your behalf please make sure you let our receptionists know the name of that person. This is to ensure we have been given your consent to release the information to that person in line with privacy regulations.

An appointment is required in order for your GP/doctor to issue a medical certificate for medical conditions requiring time off work. Medical certificates cannot be backdated.

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 ensure that this information is only available to authorised staff members.

If you would like to have your medical records transferred to us from another medical centre please ask the receptionist and this will be organised for you. Please be aware that most medical centres charge a small fee to transfer medical records to cover the cost of printing and postage.
Norwest General Practice charges $25 per person to transfer your medical records to another practice. This is to cover the printing and postage costs.

It is a Practice policy that no consultation will be conducted via email as we cannot guarantee confidentiality. If you need to speak with a GP/doctor please call the practice and schedule an appointment.

Please inform our staff of any changes to your name, address, phone number, health care card, and pension or Medicare number.

If you are unhappy or have a complaint regarding any aspect of your care, please discuss the matter with your GP/doctor or with our Practice Manager. If you feel that you are unable to speak to us directly, you may also contact the Health Care Complaints Commission on 1800 043 159.

Norwest General Practice continuously looks for ways to improve our services to patients. If you have any concerns or suggestions for ways we could improve our services or facilities please contact our Practice Manager by phone or email: admin@norwestgp.com.au

Norwest General Practice complies with the State and Federal Privacy laws. Any personal or health information we collect is kept securely and is not disclosed to a third party unless we have your permission, or unless the law requires it.

All our GP/doctors have access to a telephone interpreter service. This needs to be booked in advance so please advise reception when booking your appointment if this service is required.