As you can probably imagine, we take hundreds of phone calls each week and dealing with all the different types of queries we receive can be difficult.
Reception Staff will often need to ask you for specific information when you call so they can triage and manage your call correctly and efficiently. We ask you to help with this process by understanding and helping reception staff when they ask for more information from you.
Medically Urgent Calls
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL AN AMBULANCE BY DIALING 000.
If your call is not a medical emergency but is still medically urgent please inform Reception Staff as soon as your call is answered so they can prioritize your call appropriately. Otherwise you may be asked to wait on hold if there are other callers or patients waiting at the front desk.
Speaking with a Doctor
The Doctors at the clinic are consulting with patients most of the day. It is generally unlikely that they will be available to take a call that hasn’t been previously scheduled by themselves or Reception Staff.
If your Doctor has directly asked you to call at a specific time or day, please express this to Reception Staff. The Doctors prefer to take calls in their administration time in order to minimize delays in the waiting room, and may need to call return your call at a later time even if they have requested the call.
Calls for Test Results
Please advise Reception Staff if you are calling for test results. They can check if the result has been received, although they cannot access the result itself. They may directly transfer the call to our Practice Nurse who can give some results where appropriate, or leave a message with the GP to call you back where possible.
If your results are more complex than expected, you may be asked by the Doctor and advised by Reception Staff to book an appointment even if you were initially advised to call for results.
It is best to book the follow up appointment as you settle your account, allowing sufficient time for your results to be sent to the Doctor after your pathology or imaging has been attended to. This appointment may be cancelled in the event that your results are straightforward and able to be provided over the phone.