Patient Information

Closed Weekends & Public Holidays.
Monday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

APPOINTMENTS

Appointments are required for consultations. Walk-in patients will be triaged based on clinical needs and availability. Urgent medical issues are addressed quickly. Check in with staff upon arrival to minimise waiting, and cancel appointments if no longer needed. Emergencies, walk-ins, and long consultations may cause delays. Some procedures, like minor surgeries and health checks, require longer appointments, so inform reception when booking.

Continuity of Care And doctor of your Choice

We strive to help you see your preferred doctor, as a strong doctor-patient relationship enhances communication. While it may not always be possible to see the same doctor, our digital patient records ensure that all your information is accessible to every doctor at our practice.

Home Visits and After Hours

We provide home visits for patients of the Practice, when necessary, on request. It is usually better to attend the surgery as this is better equipped for examination and treatment. If you require urgent medical attention after hours, please phone "000" or attend Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
For after-hours free medical phone advice, you may call MNC Virtual Care 6589 2515 and Health Direct on 1800 022 222. For currently registered patients of our practice, our on-call Practice Doctor is available for advice on 0402 896 337.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THERE IS A NON-REFUNDABLE FEE OF $100.00
THIS SERVICE DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO CLAIM MEDICARE PATIENT REBATE.

TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS

Our doctors may take calls when time allows; otherwise, they will call you back. Our practice nurses can assess the urgency of your call, though most issues are best addressed in person.

We offer telephone consultations for routine visits and for patients unable to attend due to situations like COVID-19 or certain respiratory symptoms, pre-arranged with the doctor. While telephone appointments are scheduled for a specific time, please be prepared for possible delays due to patient emergencies. This service is at the discretion of your treating team. Telephone consults are private billed at standard private consultation fees in most instances for level A, B, C consultations.

To avail Medicare patient rebates for long consultations, please check information at this site address https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/mymedicare/patients

Investigations

Within the practice, our nurses and doctors can provide some investigations such as ECG, INR, and Glucose monitoring. Laverty Pathology has collection rooms within our medical centre for pathology investigations. Radiology services such as X-ray, MRI and Ultrasound can be organised through local radiology facilities.

Patient Results and Patient Recall for Preventative Care

Patients are advised to return for follow-up appointments with the doctor who ordered their tests. Our practice will contact you if any results require immediate attention. Please ensure your contact details are up to date.
We have established a Patient Register for Preventative Health to enhance our services. This process includes contacting patients to remind them about preventative measures such as cervical screening, skin checks, and blood pressure checks. Reminders may be sent via phone call or through the Medi2Apps text messaging service.
Our clinic also participates in national and state preventative health registers, such as the Australian Immunisation Register and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Assessments

We are committed to helping our patients prevent the development of and manage chronic disease. We encourage you to avail the services of the practice nurse and the time you spend with your doctor to have your modifiable lifestyle factors assessed. For our patients over 75yrs, we recommend a yearly health assessment which is a comprehensive review of a wide range of health issues. Home assessments can be arranged. Patients aged 45-49 yrs. are also eligible & encouraged to have a detailed health check to help identify chronic diseases for which they may be at risk.

Transfer of Medical Records

If you are wishing to transfer your medical information to another practice, we can send your Patient Health Summary for free once we receive the request from your new practice. This includes an overview of your health history, medications prescribed and any immunisations you have received.
If you require your complete medical records held by our practice, there will be a fee of $60.00 for electronic transmission of the records to your new practice. However, if you require printed hard copies, it will cost more, and the reception can advise you of the same.

Disabilities & Hearing/Language Issues

It is our practice policy to cater for people with special needs and differently abled. If you are experiencing difficulties, please approach our staff who will be more than happy to assist you.
Recent renovations and additions have been made to cater to our differently abled patient cohort.

Billing Policy

To deliver & maintain the high quality of health care provided by Hermitage Hastings Medical Centre, we cannot bulk bill all consultations. Initial consultations are not bulk billed for all patients, however, there is a Medicare Rebate applicable. Payment is required at the time of consultation via Eftpos, Credit Card or Cash. We then submit these to Medicare online for fast claiming. DVA Gold Card Holders and children under the age of 16 will be Bulk Billed. We have a select number of vaccinations available for purchase and administration from the practice, such as Whooping Cough and Influenza. If you require your doctor to complete any paperwork such as Medical Reports, Insurance Paperwork etc., these services may incur a fee that is unable to be claimed through Medicare.

Your Medical Information & Privacy

Doctors at this practice use computerised medical files to record information, order tests, provide prescriptions and file specialist reports. Our computers are password protected and backed up daily. All information at the practice is confidential & we follow the National Privacy Principles.

Hearing or Language Issues?

To help our GPs and the care team to ensure they fully understand the nature of their patient's problems and the patient to fully understand the outcome of their consultation we use interpreter services where necessary.
We also have doctors who can speak more than one language that may help in certain situations.

Cultural Awareness

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we are located; the Birpai People. Our practice participates in the Close the Gap Government Incentive. To allow us to tailor the appropriate care & assistance with this government health initiative please tell wither the reception staff, practice nurse or your doctor if you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

Patient Rights & Feedback

We recognise that patients have certain rights & we will endeavour to support these rights. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service, we provide to you or you feel your rights are not supported or recognised, we would appreciate your comments. Your doctor, the practice manager or the receptionist on duty are available to discuss any problems you may have. Should you wish to take any complaint further, you can contact The Healthcare Complaints Commission of NSW.

Should you wish to take any complaint further, you can contact

The Health Care Complaints Commission of NSW.