Telephone Consultations & Communication Policy

At Coburg Family Medical Centre, we are committed to providing patients with safe, timely and confidential communication by telephone.

Telephone communication and telephone consultations are managed in accordance with applicable privacy requirements, professional standards and the RACGP Standards for General Practices.

Contacting Our Practice

Patients can contact Coburg Family Medical Centre on (03) 9354 4042 during our normal opening hours for:

  • Appointment bookings and changes
  • General enquiries
  • Requests to speak with a doctor or nurse
  • Follow-up of results and referrals
  • Prescription and referral enquiries
  • Telephone consultation bookings

Our reception team will assist with administrative enquiries and will refer clinical questions to an appropriate doctor or nurse.

Reception staff are unable to provide medical advice, diagnose medical conditions or interpret investigation results.

Urgent Medical Concerns

When contacting the practice, please advise our reception team if your matter is urgent.

Our staff may ask brief questions to determine how urgently you need assistance and to ensure your enquiry is directed to the appropriate member of our clinical team.

Medical Emergencies

If you are experiencing a medical emergency or a potentially life-threatening condition, please call 000 immediately.

Examples may include severe chest pain, severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, significant bleeding or other serious symptoms requiring immediate medical attention.

Telephone consultations and routine practice telephone services are not a substitute for emergency medical care.

Patient Identification

To protect your privacy and ensure that information is provided to the correct patient, our team will ask you to confirm your identity before discussing confidential or medical information over the telephone.

You may be asked to provide at least three identifying details, such as:

  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Address
  • Gender, as identified by you
  • Patient record number or Individual Healthcare Identifier, where applicable

A Medicare number alone is not considered an approved patient identifier under the RACGP Standards.

Telephone Consultations

Telephone consultations may be available where clinically appropriate.

A telephone consultation is a medical consultation conducted with a doctor or other appropriate healthcare professional by telephone instead of attending the practice in person.

Telephone consultations are not suitable for every medical condition.

Your doctor will determine whether your concern can be safely assessed and managed by telephone.

If your doctor considers that a physical examination or further assessment is required, you may be asked to attend Coburg Family Medical Centre for a face-to-face consultation or to seek care from another appropriate health service.

During Your Telephone Consultation

At the beginning of a telephone consultation, your doctor may:

  • Confirm your identity
  • Confirm your current contact details
  • Ask who else is present during the consultation
  • Confirm that you are comfortable proceeding by telephone
  • Ask questions about your symptoms, medical history and medications
  • Determine whether a telephone consultation is appropriate for your clinical needs

Please try to be in a private and safe location where you can speak openly with your doctor.

If another person is participating in the consultation, your doctor may ask for your consent before discussing your health information in their presence.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Telephone consultations are treated with the same respect for privacy and confidentiality as face-to-face consultations.

Coburg Family Medical Centre takes reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information.

We will not normally disclose your health information to family members, friends or other third parties without your consent unless the disclosure is authorised or required by law.

Telephone Messages

Messages relating to your healthcare may be documented in your patient health record and forwarded to the appropriate member of our clinical team.

Please provide reception with sufficient information to allow us to direct your enquiry appropriately.

Urgent clinical matters will be prioritised according to clinical need.

Test Results

For privacy and patient safety, our staff will verify your identity before discussing test results or other confidential information.

Reception staff cannot interpret medical results.

Where a result requires discussion, further assessment or treatment, you may be asked to arrange an appointment with your doctor.

Voicemail and Missed Calls

If we are unable to contact you, we may leave a brief message asking you to contact the practice.

To protect your privacy, we generally avoid leaving detailed medical information, diagnoses or test results in voicemail messages.

Please ensure that Coburg Family Medical Centre has your current telephone number and contact details.

Prescriptions and Referrals

Requests for prescriptions, referrals, medical certificates or other clinical documents may require a consultation with a doctor.

A telephone consultation may be appropriate in some circumstances; however, the treating doctor will determine whether sufficient clinical information is available to safely provide the requested service.

Interpreter Assistance

If you require an interpreter or assistance communicating with our practice, please advise our reception team when booking your appointment.

We can assist with arranging an appropriate interpreter or communication service where required.

Fees and Medicare Eligibility

Telephone consultations may attract a consultation fee.

Medicare eligibility for telephone and telehealth consultations is subject to current Medicare requirements.

Please speak with our reception team before your appointment if you would like information about fees or billing arrangements.

Your Safety

During a telephone consultation, your doctor may recommend:

  • A face-to-face appointment
  • Further investigations
  • Review by another healthcare provider
  • Attendance at an urgent care service or emergency department
  • Calling 000 where immediate emergency assistance is required

Please follow the safety and follow-up advice provided by your treating practitioner.

For appointments or further information, please contact Coburg Family Medical Centre on (03) 9354 4042.

For medical emergencies, call 000.