Appointments
Appointments for standard consultations can be scheduled with your regular doctor or the next available doctor, depending on your preference and doctor availability.
Extended consultations are available on request. If you anticipate that your consultation will be longer than usual, please advise our friendly reception staff when arranging your appointment time.
Our appointments are classified and invoiced as follows:
Short Consultation (Level A)
A brief consultation for an obvious problem characterised by the straightforward nature of the task that requires only a short patient history and, if required, limited examination and management.
Standard Consultation (Level B)
A consultation during which the General Practitioner obtains a selective history and examination of the patient to assess and manage the health issue.
Long Consultation (Level C)
A consultation during which more complex tasks are required of the General Practitioner and/or when he/she is presented with several alternative diagnoses requiring a detailed history, examination, possible investigations, and management.
Extended Consultation (Level D)
A consultation involving the General Practitioner obtaining an exhaustive history, performing multiple system examinations, and the possible arrangement and evaluation of complex investigations to narrow down multiple alternative diagnoses and determine the best treatment going forward.
Consultation Fees
| Appointment Type | Practice Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out of Pocket Cost |
| Short Consult (< 5 Minutes) | $48.00 | $19.60 | $28.40 |
| Standard Consult (10 minutes) | $80.00 | $42.85 | $37.15 |
| Long Consult (20 minutes) | $130 | $82.90 | $47.10 |
| Prolonger Consult (at least 40 minutes) | $180 | $122.15 | $57.85 |
| Phone Consult – Short | $48 | $19.60 | $28.40 |
| Phone Consult – Standard | $80.00 | $42.85 | $37.15 |
| Afterhours – Short | $67.00 | $33.00 | $34.00 |
| Afterhours – Standard | $103.00 | $55.80 | $47.20 |
| Afterhours – Long |
$154.00 | $95.70 | $58.30 |
| Antenatal | $80.00 | $45.65 | $34.54 |
| Mental Health Consult | $120 | $81.70 | $38.30 |
| GP Mental Health Treatment Plan | $145 | $99.70 | $48.75 |
| Review of a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan | $110 | $78.55 | $31.45 |
| Implanon Removal | $88 | $58.85 | $29.15 |
| Implanon Insertion | $80 | $34.50 | $45.50 |
| Other Privately Charged Items | |||
| Commercial Driving Medicals (Taxi/Uber/Truck/Bus) | $150 + GST | $150 + GST | |
| Did not Attend Fee for General Practitioner / Allied Health Nurse Appointments | $50 to be paid before further appointments can be made | $50.00 | |
| Transfer of Medical Records | $25 – $50 depending on the size of the records. | $25.00 – $50.00 | |
| Cancellation / Non-attendance policy | Patients who do not provide a minimum of 2 hour’s notice to cancel their appointment will incur a non-attendance fee of $50.00 |
$50.00 |
Please remember to ask reception for a longer appointment if forms need to be completed by the Doctor, e.g. Centrelink Forms, Medical Forms, DVA, QLD Transport Forms, etc.
Please note that West Bundaberg Medical Centre does not offer repeat prescriptions or referrals without an appointment. Our billing policy is designed to ensure the sustainability and viability of our valued Medical Centre so that we can continue to provide quality healthcare to the Bundaberg community..
Telephone and Telehealth consultations
On the 20th July 2020, due to Covid Medicare introduced telehealth or telephone consultations for patients who have an existing relationship with the GP/Clinic providing the consultation. This means that if you have not seen a GP in our Medical Centre face to face in the last 12 months you will not be eligible for telephone services.
Telephone consultations are generally bulk billed unless stated otherwise by the doctor. If this applies a consultation fee will be charged see above for fees.
General Information
Please contact us when there are any changes to your home address, landline/ mobile phone number, medicare number, concessions card such as Pension or Health Care Cards and next of kin.
It is important that we have your updated details in case of an emergency or to notify you of the availability of test results.
Waiting Times
Every effort is made to keep to appointment times but this is difficult due to emergencies or unexpected longer consultations. To help us schedule appropriately, please tell our reception staff if your consultation is likely to be long (e.g. new patients, insurance medicals, cervical smear, skin checks, mental health, etc) and if more than one member of the family is to be seen. We try to be comprehensive in providing medical care and each case may vary when it comes to waiting times.
Our receptionist will inform you of any wait times.
Continuity of Care and Doctor or your Choice
We endeavour to help you see the doctor of your choice. All evidence suggests that communication between doctor and patient is improved when a good relationship exists between both parties. We recognise it is not always possible to see the same doctor, so our system recording notes takes this into account.
Test Results
Patients are required to return for a consultation to obtain test results, preferably with the doctor who ordered your tests. If any results are abnormal and/or require urgent attention we will contact you. To facilitate this, please make sure reception have your current phone number and address details when booking. Please allow 2-3 days for routine pathology results to be processed. Urgent tests are usually available within 24 hours.
We don’t give results over the phone for confidentiality reasons.
Home Visits
For regular patients of the Medical Centre who are too ill or frail to attend, home visits can be provided. A home visit can be arranged at a convenient time, usually during the Doctor’s lunch break or at the end of the day. Please discuss this further with the reception staff.
Onsite Pathology
We have a pathology provider (QML) onsite for your convenience open from
Monday to Friday: 7.00 a.m. t0 11.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. t0 2.00 p.m.
After Hours Care for Patients
- For Emergencies Dial 000 immediately;
- Contact or go to Emergency Department, Bundaberg Base Hospital, Bourbong Street (Ph: 41521222);
- Contact or got to the Emergency Department, Friendly Society Private Hospital (Ph: 4331 1777) (Private Billing) (Hours: 8.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.)
Telephone Calls / Email
It is a policy of our Medical Centre that reception staff will take a message on your behalf and forward this to your treating GP. The GP will then make the decision to return your call (during either their lunch break or after hours) or ask our reception staff to relay a message. If you have an urgent matter please notify this to the receptionist and you will be transferred to the practice nurse to be triaged or to your GP. Please do not send any correspondence or urgent matters by email – please phone the medical centre.
Reminder System
Our Medical Centre is committed to providing continuing care and preventative care. We operate a reminder system for preventative health services. If you do not wish to be part of this system, please advise reception staff. Our Practice participates in the National, State and Territory Reminder System. Please advise Staff if you do not wish to participate.
Suggestions or Complaints
If you have any concerns, complaints or suggestions about any aspect of our Service, we would appreciate hearing about them and we will take them seriously. Please discuss them with your Doctor, Practice Manager or add a comment to the Suggestion Box located in the patient’s waiting area. If you wish to discuss this with a party outside the practice, contact the Office of the Health Ombudsman, P.O. Box 13281, George Street, Brisbane Qld 4003. Phone: 133646 (Monday to Friday – 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.) (Email: info@oho.qld.gov.au)
Management of Personal Health Information
Your medical record is a confidential document. All staff at West Bundaberg Medical Centre respects the privacy and confidentiality of your health information. It is the policy of this Medical Centre to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of the staff. We have a comprehensive policy on the management of personal health information and a brochure ‘Privacy and Your Rights’. Please ask reception staff for a copy of this brochure at any time. All information at West Bundaberg Medical Centre is managed in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (Office of the Australian Information Commission) available at www.oaic.gov.au/
Patients who require communication services
To help our General Practitioners ensure they fully understand the nature of their patient’s problem and patient’s fully understand the outcome of the consultation we use an interpreter service where necessary. Please advise Reception Staff if you require this Service to enable a booking to be placed.
Chronic Disease Prevention
We are committed to helping our patients prevent the development of chronic disease. We encourage you to take advantage of our practice nurses and the time you spend with your doctor to “measure up” and have your modifiable lifestyle factors assessed. We can also offer Cardiovascular risk and Diabetes risk assessments. Please look for these tools in the waiting room or ask at Reception. Once filled in please give this to your doctor or the nurse.
Health Assessments
For our patients over 75 we recommend a yearly health assessment which is a comprehensive review of a wide range of health issues. Patients aged 45-49 are also eligible and encouraged to have a detailed health check to help identify chronic diseases for which you may be at risk.
Transfer of Medical Records
If you wish your information to be transferred to another doctor, it is necessary for you to first sign a release declaration from the other doctor and then a summary will be sent to your new doctor. If you require a full copy of your records a $50 fee will apply to prepare these records.