Practice Policies

Privacy Policy

Dapto Medical & Family Practice as a health provider in the private sector is bound by the National Privacy Principles. These principles set the standards by which we handle personal information collected from our patients. A copy of these principles is available to download from the link below. A hard copy can be obtained at the reception desk.

DMFP Patient Privacy Policy

Personal Health Information and Your Medical Records

Information collected may be used and disclosed for communicating relevant information with other treating doctors, specialists or allied health professionals. For follow up reminders/recall notices, accounting, medicare, health insurance procedures, quality assurance activities such as accreditation, dor disease notification as required by law (e.g. infection diseases), for use by all doctors in this practice when consulting with you, for legal related disclosure as required by court of law (e.g. subpoena, court order, suspected child abuse) and for research purposes (de-identified).

New Patient Information Form

Recall/Reminder System

Our practice has a recall/reminder system for blood tests, diabetes, asthma care plan reviews, cholesterol checks, immunisation, injections, pap smears, medical reviews and other health assessments. If you would like to be included please advise staff.

Appointment

Consultation is by appointment. Longer appointments are available on request. If more than one person from your family wishes to see the doctor at the same time, please ensure a separate appointment is made for each patient. Urgent cases will be seen on the day. Please notify us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend an appointment.

Delays

We hope you understand that delays sometime occur due to unforseen circumstances which are beyond our control. At all times we endeavour to make your wait as short as possible.

Home Visits

If you are too ill to attend the surgery and wish your doctor to make a home visit, please call the surgery before 12 noon.

After Hours

When you call 4261 6888 between 6:00pm and 8.00am a recording will give you a telephone number of the Wollongong Medical Service who will tend to your call.

Availability of Doctors by Phone

Doctors in the practice may be contacted by the phone during normal surgery hours. If your call is urgent, it will be treated as such and you will be put straight through to the doctor. When doctors are with a patient, a message will be taken and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Repeat prescription and referrals

The doctors require to see the patient to avoid error and confusion with medications. Doctors in this practice are competent at handling all the common health problems. When necessary, they are able to draw on opinion from specialist, and if need be, refer you for further investigation. It is helpful if we have as much notice as possible in which to deal with your request.

Results

Due to the confidentiality act we are unable to give results over the phone. We may advise you if your results are back but unable to issue further details. If you are calling to find out if your test results (or any other correspondence from specialist and allied health professionals) have returned please call after 11:30am and before 2:00pm. All results have to be seen by the doctor as we obtain them; this gives the doctor some time to go through them.

Wheelchair access / parking

Wheelchair access is available at both the front and back doors. We have several car places available which have been designated for disabled parking.

Aged Care facility

We visit selected local nursing homes and hostels. Please speak to your doctor for further information.

Immunisation

All doctors continue to keep up to date with all forms of immunisation requirements for babies, children as well as overseas travellers. We have a supply on hand of most vaccines you may require. Our registered nurses are well informed of immunisation requirements.

Fees

Most services are bulk billed. There are such services that are not covered by Medicare, such as insurance medicals, pre-employment medicals etc., Experience has shown us that the most satisfactory way to settle an account is at the time of service. Please bring along your Medicare card, veteran affairs, and/or, pension/healthcare card. We need to sight them to make sure that our records are up to date. PRIVATE FEE LIST PLEASE ASK RECEPTION.

Patient Feedback

This helps us to improve our services to you. From time to time this practice invites patients to complete a questionnaire on their views of the practice and how it could be improved. These surveys are completely confidential.

Medical Students

Throughout the year Dapto Medical & Family Practice will have students from Wollongong University Graduate School of Medicine involved in various stages throughout their studies. You may, at times be requested by the staff to be seen by the students but you have the option if refusing. Please notify our staff if you do not wish to be consulted by the Medical students.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care you receive from this practice, we are keen to know about it. Please feel free to discuss any issues with your doctor, or you can contact Sophie or Usha (Practice Managers). We also have a suggestion box placed on the front counter, where you are welcome to put your comments in.

We believe problems are best dealt within the practice. However, if you feel there is a problem you wish to take up outside, you may contact the NSW Government centre for handling complaints.

The address is: Health Care Complaints commission, Locked Bag 18, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 (Tel: 02 9219 7444)

Social Media

Dapto Medical And Family Practice/ Keiraville Surgery Does Not Participate or Use Social Media e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.