Practice Policies

Autonomy

It is the policy of BPMC that all doctors have complete autonomy in clinical decision-making; in whom they refer patients to; and to which pathology and diagnostic imaging services they refer.

Childhood Immunisations

Visits for scheduled childhood immunisations will be bulk-billed.

Documents and Forms

Sometimes a third party will ask you to have forms filled out by your doctor. Examples of these include:- Proof of Immunisation certificates, Centrelink forms, Disabled Parking applications and childcare/school allergy or school camp asthma plans. Please make an appointment to see your doctor for all forms as they can be complex and need clarification from you. We are not able to complete paperwork without an appointment.

Feedback and Complaints

We are always keen to receive feedback about any of our services. Regular surveys are conducted in our waiting room, so occasionally you may be asked to complete one of these. If there are other matters you wish to raise with the practice, you may write to the Practice Manager. If you need to take the matter further, you may write to the Health Services Commissioner, Level 30, 570 Bourke St, Melbourne 3000. Phone: 8601 5200, Fax: 8601 5219.

Home Visits

Home visits may be available to regular patients of the Clinic. If a doctor is not available, our locum service can be utilised after hours who will provide a report for your local doctor.

Prescriptions and Referrals

For medico-legal reasons and to ensure optimal continuity of care, it is required for you to make an appointment to see or speak to a doctor to obtain prescriptions or repeat referrals. You may book online through Hotdoc to make this appointment to see your doctor.

Privacy

Your privacy has always been a high priority at AMC. We take great care of private information about you that is held in our records, and we comply with both the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Privacy Act 1998. Our Privacy Policy outlines how we protect your personal information and the circumstances in which it may be used.

Reminder System

To improve continuity of care, we offer a SMS reminder service. We utilise HotDoc to send SMS reminders as part of our practice’s commitment to preventative health care.
This includes reminders for annual Flu vaccine, Child Immunisation, boosters, Health Assessments, blood pressure checks, cervical screens and routine tests.
If you have opted out of receiving these reminders or you do not have a mobile phone, you will not receive these reminders. We might try to call you about them, but we generally don’t. It is ultimately your responsibility to take preventative steps to look after your own health.

Results of Investigations

For medico-legal reasons, patients are asked to make an appointment for results of investigations. Results of investigations will not be given to you by nursing, reception staff or by doctors other than the one who ordered the test.
You may receive an SMS from the clinic via HotDoc to follow up important matters, such as test results.
The SMS will usually say you have received a health message from Baxter Park Medical Centre. To access the message, you will just need to follow the prompts and put in your last name and date of birth. If you have any concerns you can call the practice on 03 5972 0717 and speak to a receptionist or nurse.
If you have opted out of receiving these reminders or you do not have a mobile phone, we will contact you about recalls by other means, as we have a duty of care to follow up important matters.

Telehealth

Telephone consultations are privately billed and can only be provided for those patients who have had a face-to-face visit at this surgery, in the last 12 months. These can be booked online through Hotdoc or by calling the clinic and booking with reception.

Some common health issues the doctors can help with over a telehealth consultation are; repeat pathology forms, repeat referrals or prescriptions, medical certificates or the discussion of previous investigation results. Please book an in clinic consultation if you are unsure, or speak to one of our receptionist.

Drugs of Dependence

BPMC does not keep restricted medications on-site. Your doctor may refuse to give you drugs of dependence without substantiation of an ongoing clinical need.

Abusive Behaviour 

This is our workplace and we have a duty of care to our staff. Any abuse or threatening behaviour will be reported to police and you will not be allowed to return.