FAQ

Croydon Medical Centre has a COVID Safe Plan in action to mitigate risk of infection and protect each and every person that enters our clinic.

Here are some of the things we have in place:

• Masks are to be worn by all on-site See our mask policy.

• All patients are screened prior to attending the clinic, to keep all people on-site, as safe as possible.

• Plenty of hand sanitising stations around the clinic and at entry/exit points

• Correct hand hygiene/cough/sneeze etiquette signs around the clinic and in toilets to encourage infection control

• Socially distanced chairs in the waiting room

• Waiting room and high-touch areas are regularly cleaned throughout the day

Patients experiencing respiratory symptoms must call the reception to arrange a Telephone consultation prior to booking a face-to-face appointment at the clinic.

A Standard/Single Consultation is 15 minutes. Some services like pap smears, health assessments, skin checks, care plans or if you have a number of complex concerns to discuss with your GP, often require longer appointments.

Please consider this when booking online or when calling our Centre. If you're unsure, please raise this with reception when booking your appointment. If booking online, it's best to book a long appointment so the doctor has ample time to cover all your concerns.

Medical Certificates can be provided by your doctor following a consultation, unfortunately they cannot be backdated.

Please try to present early in your illness should you require this service.

During COVID, Medicare has made an allowance to provide rebates to telehealth appointments. When the government imposes lockdowns/restrictions in movement, Medicare have covered the entire costs of telehealth appointments. Outside of the lockdown, Medicare will pay the rebate amount, not the full fee. If you possess a current Pension/HCC or the appointment is for a child under 16, you will be bulk billed.

For all other private patients, the normal consult fees will be charged, and you will receive the Medicare rebated amount. The Medicare criteria does change, so please speak to reception to see if you qualify for a phone consultation. Click HERE to see our current fee structure.

Outside of COVID and in keeping with our philosophy of best practice, telephone consultations will not be carried out and patients are encouraged to make an appointment to see the doctor. We believe best care is delivered face-to-face.

Your personal health information is confidential and protecting your privacy is paramount. Personal information will only be used for the purpose of providing medical services and for claims and payments, unless otherwise consented to.

The Practice will not disclose personal information to any third party (other than in the course of providing medical services) without full disclosure to the patient or recipient, the reason for the information transfer and full consent from the patient.

For further information on how we handle your information, visit our Privacy Policy.

We will have you complete and sign a ‘transfer of medical records’ request at reception, then send to your previous surgery.

If you are attending a different doctor's surgery and require your records sent over from Croydon Medical Centre, please complete a similar form at your new practice and have it set over to us, to release your records. For a full medical history, a fee is required prior to that information being sent (see our fees page). Alternatively, a brief health summary can be forwarded at no extra charge.

Work cover patients will be treated the same as regular patients. These patients must inform their employer before their first consultation and provide an approved claim number and date of accident/incident related to their current case at the time of consultation. This is necessary before consultation invoices can be directed to TAC or insurance companies.

If not supplied, payment for the consultation will be required by the patient on the day and will not attract a Medicare rebate. It is then the responsibility of the patient to seek reimbursement costs from their workcover/employer.

Specialists typically require a referral letter from a GP. Please make an appointment with one of our GPs to ask about a referral letter.

If you have a specialist in mind, please bring the contact details with you.

If you have a pathology request form from any Lab, we can help you with onsite pathology collection via Dorevitch who have on site collectors from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 2 pm (they have a lunch break from 12.30 to 1 pm), and Saturdays 9 am to 12 pm.

Providing health care is rewarding but it can prove to be stressful, so we appreciate your compliments and encouragement. If we have failed to meet your expectations at any time and if you have any suggestions on how we can improve our practice or services, we would like to hear from you. Please send reception an email either via the "Contact us" tab on our website or at cmc@croydonmedicalcentre.com.au.

Feedback Link

We encourage written feedback so we can best follow up and respond to your comments/concerns promptly.

The Health Complaints Commissioner (1300 582 113 or visit www.hcc.vic.gov.au) can assist with facilitation if you need assistance.