Question 1

What are your consultation fees?

Accepted Answer

Beachside Doctors is a private billing clinic. This means there will be a gap payment for most consultations.  Some consultations (repeat prescriptions, vaccinations, nursing appointments) may be bulk billed at the Doctors discretion. Standard Consultation, fee $94.05 rebate $45.05Long Consultation, fee $139.10 rebate $87.10Concession card holders (valid Health care card / Pension card holder (excluding seniors card))  will still receive a $10 discount on these fees.Please Note: fees quoted assume you have a valid medicare card. If your consultation is not covered by a medicare item, extra fees are payable.Appointment Cancellation PolicyWe understand that unplanned issues can arise, and you may need to cancel an appointment. Should this occur, we respectfully ask that  you notify our reception staff at least 1 hours before your appointment if you need it rescheduled or cancelled. The Doctors want to be available for your needs and the needs of other patients. When a patient does not show for a scheduled appointment it means that another patient loses an opportunity to be seen. In an attempt to avoid this we have a non-attendance policy.Any patient who fails to arrive for a scheduled appointment without cancelling the appointment at least 1 hours prior to the scheduled time is considered as a ‘non-attendance’.It is crucial that you notify us of your cancellation, at least 1 hrs prior to your appointment time, to avoid a cancellation fee.For more details on our Non-Attendance policy please see the "Non-Attendance Policy" section below on this page.

Question 2

What are your procedure fees?

Accepted Answer

Basic Procedure (15 minutes) - includes skin biopsies, implanon insertion etc. $60 Gap payment*
Normal Procedure (15-30 minutes) - includes simple excisions, complex implanon, toe nail procedures etc. $100 Gap payment*
Extended Procedure (>30 minutes) - complex skin excisions, multiple excisions etc. $150 Gap payment*

Question 3

Do you take on the day appointments?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our philosophy is if your unwell we will see you. There may be a longer wait than scheduled appointments but we will try to have you seen by a Doctor as quickly as possible.

Question 4

Do I need an appointment for prescriptions and results?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 
Prescriptions require an appointment. No prescriptions will be issued without an appointment. This is done for Patient safety.  Generally, there will be no out of pocket cost for repeat prescriptions prescribed previously to existing Patients (not pain medication, antibiotics etc).
 
Your test results are important and we have systems in place to inform you if you need to discuss any abnormal tests with your Doctor. For results requiring urgent attention, we will contact you by phone to arrange an appointment with your Doctor. If you would like a copy of your results please book an appointment with your Doctor to discuss.
Please note: we can only disclose results directly with the patient, their parent or guardian.

Question 5

What are your privacy, telephone, and email policy?"

Accepted Answer

PRIVACY
Your medical record is a confidential document. We abide by the National Privacy Principles. If you would like a copy of our privacy policy or further information please talk to us.
TELEPHONE POLICY
You can leave a message with our reception team and they will forward your message to your doctor who will return your call as soon as possible.
EMAIL POLICY
Please note due to confidentiality we do not encourage communication by email. Emails sent to the clinic may not be responded to. Please book an appointment with your Doctor for all matters relating to your health (including paperwork to be completed).

Question 6

Is after hours medical care available?

Accepted Answer

For existing practice patients ONLY, after hours medical attention is triaged by Beachside Doctors on 03 5981 8555, who will refer patients to local and public hospitals if required, or coordinate an urgent home visit if necessary. For urgent medical attention please call 000 or attend your local hospital.

Question 7

Will I have to wait a long time to see a Doctor (like I have elsewhere)?

Accepted Answer

We understand your time is valuable. Running on time is a focus for our Doctors. Sometimes delay's occur due to emergencies, but these instances should be rare.

Question 8

Non-Attendance Policy

Accepted Answer

Appointment Cancellation Policy
We understand that unplanned issues can arise, and you may need to cancel an appointment. Should this occur, we respectfully ask that  you notify our reception staff at least 1 hours before your appointment if you need it rescheduled or cancelled. The Doctors want to be available for your needs and the needs of other patients. When a patient does not show for a scheduled appointment it means that another patient loses an opportunity to be seen. In an attempt to avoid this we have a non-attendance policy.
Any patient who fails to arrive for a scheduled appointment without cancelling the appointment at least 1 hours prior to the scheduled time is considered as a ‘non-attendance’.

It is crucial that you notify us of your cancellation, at least 1 hrs prior to your appointment time, to avoid a cancellation fee.

Non-Attendance Policy
Any patient who fails to arrive for a scheduled appointment without cancelling the appointment at least 1 hours prior to the scheduled time is considered as a ‘non-attendance’. Our practice monitors and manages non attendance for appointments as it means that another patient loses an opportunity to be seen as a result.

When it is the first occasion of a patient failing to attend their scheduled appointment (without providing more than an 1 hours prior notice), our practice staff will remind them of the non attendance policy  and that a fee will incur should this happen again. This occurs via phone and/or a written letter.

If there’s a second time the patient fails to attend an appointment then on this occasion a non attendance fee for the full consultation amount (plus GST) will be charged to the patient. They will also not be allowed to book any further appointments with our doctors until this fee is paid.

After three missed appointments at our practice a non attendance fee for the full consultation amount (plus GST) will be charged to the patient and no further appointments with our doctors will be taken for this patient.

Please note that for missed appointments for children a non-attendance will also be recorded for the appointed next of kin as well.

Patient Information.

Frequently asked questions