Why do doctors run late?
Does Pivotal Health Bulk Bill?
How do I claim my Medicare rebate?
What length of appointment do I need?
Why do the reception staff ask me what my appointment is for?
Will I be reminded that I have an appointment?
I have no appointment and it is an emergency?
I have chest pain! What do I do?
My kids only need their vaccines; do I need to see a doctor?
I’m travelling overseas and need vaccines; do I need to see the doctor?
I just need a form filled in; do I need to see the doctor?
I’m sick and Pivotal Health is not open; what do I do?
I saw the after hours service, will they notify my doctor that I was sick
Why do I have to wear a mask in the clinic?
All I need is a medical certificate; do I have to see the doctor?
Can I get a repeat prescription over the phone?
I need a referral for a specialist; do I need to see the doctor to get one?
I’ve had some blood tests done; how do I get the results?
Can I speak to my doctor over the phone?
I have some feedback about the practice; who do I speak to?
Why does the cost of a consultation sometimes change?
I’m a new patient and need to get my medical records from my previous doctor how do I get them transferred to Pivotal Health?
Does Pivotal Health take new patients?
Why do doctors run late?
Our aim is to see our patients on time. We realise that you often have other time obligations. If we are running late, then it may well be the result of an emergency and we appreciate your patience in this situation. Please ask for assistance if you need to reschedule your appointment.
When booking your appointment we ask you to consider what issues need to be discussed with your doctor and for you to book a longer consultation as necessary. Our reception staff will be able to advise you on a suitable appointment length.
If your consultation time has concluded but you may have further concerns to discuss with the doctor a new appointment will be arranged for you.
Please book an individual appointment for each family member who needs to be seen. This will help the Doctor run to time and avoid delays for other patients. This will also allow the Doctor to give each individual the time they deserve rather than being rushed.
Sometimes doctors can run late due to the following reasons
- Patients arrive late for appointments
- Patients don’t book enough time for the problem they have come with
- There has a been medical emergency at the practice
- Consultations are interrupted by urgent phone calls
Did you know that if a doctor spends just 5 minutes extra with each patient that by the end of a session they could be running 1 hour late?
Does Pivotal Health Bulk Bill?
No, Pivotal Health does not bulk bill directly to Medicare. Pivotal Health is a private billing practice with payment required at the time of consultation. The fees vary depending on the length and complexity of your consultation and any procedures performed. A major component of your fee will be refunded from Medicare. Please ask our reception staff about any queries you may have in relation to our fees or click here to see a list of our current consultation fees.
How do I claim my Medicare rebate?
There are 2 options for claiming your Medicare rebate at Pivotal Health.
1. For our patient’s convenience we have introduced Medicare Easyclaim. This allows your Medicare rebate to be processed in real time which means that your rebate will be back on your EFTPOS card before you even leave the clinic.
2. For procedures or patients who do not have a EFTPOS (debit card) we are able to electronically transmit the claim to Medicare. Once processed by Medicare the rebate will be transferred into the patients nominated bank account (this data Medicare holds).
3. We can print off the receipt and you can claim your rebate in person at the Medicare/Centrelink office or via the Medicare Express App.
What length of appointment do I need?
The length of appointment you will require will normally depend on the number or complexity of issues that you have to discuss with the doctor.
We suggest giving our reception staff a brief outline of why you require an appointment so that they can book the appropriate amount of time with your doctor.
Why do the reception staff ask me what my appointment is for?
Sometimes, our reception staff may ask you why you need an appointment. If you are asked this question the staff are trying to determine what length of an appointment you may require. They may also ask you this question if you are putting your name on the cancellation list. This is to assist the nurses and doctors for triaging patients on the cancellation list.
Will I be reminded that I have an appointment?
It is the policy of the practice that we confirm appointments the day before your scheduled visit. We use an automated SMS appointment reminder system through HotDoc. If we do not have your mobile phone number recorded or have your consent to communicate electronically our reception staff may contact you via telephone to confirm your booking. Please advise reception staff if you do not want to receive SMS reminders.
I have no appointment and it is an emergency?
If it is a life threatening emergency such as chest pain or severe allergic reaction you should RING 000.
I have chest pain! What do I do?
In a life threatening emergency such as experiencing chest pain you should RING 000.
My kids only need their vaccines; do I need to see a doctor?
Yes, a doctors appointment is required. Our reception staff will also allocate nursing time for this appointment. Please note that Childhood Vaccinations cannot be booked online.
I’m travelling overseas and need vaccines; do I need to see the doctor?
We recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor to discuss travel vaccines at least 6 weeks before departure (8 weeks for extended or complex trips). This will allow enough time for you to receive your vaccines and for them to become effective. If you are travelling in less than 6 weeks it is still important to make an appointment with your doctor.
I just need a form filled in; do I need to see the doctor?
It depends on the length, type and complexity of the form. It is best to discuss this with the receptionist and they can liaise with your doctor. There may be charges associated with the completion of forms without an appointment, this is at each doctors discretion.
I’m sick and Pivotal Health is not open; what do I do?
Pivotal Health provides after hours care for our patients through 2 deputising services
National Home Doctor Service, is an accredited service. To arrange a bulk billed home visit out of normal surgery hours, please call 13SICK or 137425.
Hello Home Doctor is an accredited deputising service to arrange a bulk billed home visit call 134 100.
For emergency medical attention outside normal surgery call 000.
I saw the after hours service, will they notify my doctor that I was sick?
National Home Doctor Service and Hello Home Doctor will send electronic communication to your doctor the following business day outlining your afterhours consultation. This report will be added to your medical chart.
Why do I have to wear a mask in the clinic?
During the flu season our reception staff may ask you if you are attending the practice because you have flu like symptoms. We attempt to keep our staff and other patients well by quarantining potentially contagious patients. We do this by asking our patients suffering with flu like symptoms to wear a supplied surgical mask upon entering the clinic.
We thank our patients for assisting us in ensuring we limit the spread of flu like symptoms within our community.
All I need is a medical certificate; do I have to see the doctor?
Should you require a medical certificate you will need to make an appointment to see your doctor. It is a legal requirement that you attend the practice to receive a medical certificate. These will not be issued for non-medical reasons apart from bereavement or family support. The patient must be seen at the time of illness to write a certificate. Please note that medical certificates cannot be back dated. An appointment in the express clinic may be a suitable appointment for this request.
Can I get a repeat prescription over the phone?
Medications are normally prescribed at consultations however there may be times where repeat prescriptions are required.
Script clinics are for patients requiring repeat prescriptions only for medication that they take regularly (excluding strong pain medication, sleeping tablets or antidepressant medication). There is no out of pocket expense for patients who attend the script clinics. Script clinics run twice a week, bookings are essential. Please ask our reception staff for more information about this service.
For patients who are unable to attend a script clinic due to an illness or injury, phone requests for repeats may be available but are at the prescribing doctor’s discretion. Please note that our doctors are very busy and require 2 working days for repeat prescriptions. Should you require an urgent script, please discuss this with our reception staff. There is a fee of $30 for prescriptions ordered over the phone.
I need a referral for a specialist; do I need to see the doctor to get one?
Referrals to a specialist are a matter for discussion with the doctor during consultation.
Repeat /on going referrals need to be done at an appointment. . The doctors at this practice encourage patients to attend the practice for these issues. Repeat referrals cannot be done at a script clinic or express clinic.
For patients who are unable to attend a script clinic due to an illness or injury, phone requests for ongoing referrals may be available but are at the referring doctor’s discretion. Please note that our doctors are very busy and require 2 working days for referrals. Should you require an urgent referral, please discuss this with our reception staff. There is a fee of $30 for referrals ordered over the phone.
Please be aware that your GP may disclose personal health information in your referral.
I’ve had some blood tests done; how do I get the results?
Your pathology results should be back (in most cases) in 2-3 working days after the blood has been collected. We are unable to give you detailed results over the phone but our staff are able to inform you if the results are back and if your doctor would like you to make an appointment to review them.
You may receive a phone call, text message or letter if your doctor has specifically requested for you to return to discuss your results; the staff will be able to inform you if you are to return for an urgent or non urgent review.
Can I speak to my doctor over the phone?
Please note that it is important to keep doctors off the telephone when ever possible, as otherwise they will start to run behind time.
Doctors will not normally be able to take telephone calls when consulting. Our reception staff or nurses will assist you and, where necessary, pass on any relevant messages to your doctor. If our receptionist considers the matter is urgent or serious and requires a doctor’s immediate attention you will be able to speak to your doctor (when available).
Most times, you will not need to speak directly to the doctor, for example, to obtain your pathology and imaging results, or to make an appointment, etc as our receptionists or a member of the nursing staff will be able to satisfy your requirements.
During the COVID-19 pandemic telehealth consultations were introduced and remain an option for some appointments if you do need to speak with your GP about your medical care.
I have some feedback about the practice; who do I speak to?
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things go wrong. If you have a problem we would like to hear about it. Please feel free to talk to your doctor or the Practice Manager. You may prefer to write to us or use the suggestion box. We take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. Complaints will be fully investigated and appropriate action taken.
Should you be dissatisfied about the way your complaint has been handled within the clinic you can contact the independent body dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health services in Queensland – the Health Quality and Complaints Commission on 1800 077 308.
Why does the cost of a consultation sometimes change?
Our practice fees vary depending on the length and complexity of your consultation and any procedures performed. A major component of your fee will be refunded from Medicare. Please ask our reception staff or the Practice Manager about any queries you may have in relation to our fees.
I’m a new patient and need to get my medical records from my previous doctor how do I get them transferred to Pivotal Health?
If you are a new patient to our practice and you would like to have your previous medical records or summary forwarded on to Pivotal Health please ask when you are next visiting. You and your new GP will be required to sign a form requesting this information. This form will be sent to your previous Doctor’s practice who will then advise us if a fee applies.
Does Pivotal Health take new patients?
We recommend that you telephone us to see if we are taking on new patients. At times throughout the year we are forced to close our books due to workforce shortages. We will always endeavour to see immediate family member of current active patients i.e. new born baby of a current patient. Please speak with our reception staff for more information.
