Medical emergencies
If possible, please phone the practice first and you will be told what is the best course of action for you to take. Please let our staff know if your call is about a medical emergency so that you are not put on hold. Urgent cases will be seen by the first available doctor before any routine appointments. As these cases are unexpected it usually means more waiting time when they occur. Our staff will advise you if your doctor has been caught up with a medical emergency.
Telephone calls
We understand that a consultation is not always necessary or may be impractical and, if this is the case, our doctors and sisters can be contacted during normal opening hours. If your doctor is with a patient a message will be taken and your call will be returned. The doctors usually return their calls at the end of a session to avoid prolonged waiting time for our patients. Your call will always be put through to the doctor in an emergency.
Repeat prescriptions
All patients who require a repeat prescription must attend the practice. If you require an authority prescription, pill prescription or if your doctor has not seen you for 3 months, please make an appointment to see your doctor. Otherwise you may attend during opening hours without an appointment and the first available doctor will see you. Sometimes this may involve waiting if the doctors are busy.
Medical certificates
If you need a medical certificate please ask your doctor at the time of your consultation. Doctors are not permitted to back date medical certificates or provide certificates if you have not been seen. Certificates can only be provided for the person who is sick.
Referrals
You must see your doctor to get a referral to a specialist or allied health professional. A referral will only be given if your doctor feels it is necessary for the management of your medical problem. Please remember that referrals can not be backdated so plan ahead if you need an ongoing referral. It is wise to check for any out of pocket expenses that may be incurred when visiting specialists and allied health professionals.
Test results
When you have tests performed it is your responsibility to make sure that you ring for the results. You must never assume that because you have not heard from the doctor that your test results are normal. Our doctors check all incoming results each day. Results can be obtained from the practice nurse between 1 and 3pm each weekday. If the nurse does not answer, please leave a message and she will get back to you and advise of any further steps that may be required.
Personal Health Information
The personal health information you provide during your consultation and subsequent treatment will be collected for the purpose of providing high quality health care. Langpark is committed to protecting your privacy and this information is generally only disclosed to other members of your treating team where necessary. It will however be disclosed to other organizations where required by law or if necessary for debt recovery purposes. A copy of our policy on Personal Health Information is available on request.
Accreditation and continuous improvement
Langpark Park Medical Centre is an accredited AGPAL general practices in Australia. All practices accredited with AGPAL are assessed against standards provided by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. These standards can be accessed at www.racgp.org.au and are now in their fourth edition. The standards are developed by the RACGP in consultation with general practitioners Australia wide.
Accreditation is the longest established and most widely known process for the external evaluation of healthcare services. The process is implemented so that delivery of safe, high quality health care is ensured. Accreditation recognises the achievement by a health care provider to meet the requirements of established standards.