Macksville Medical Centre provides patient-centred care for individuals and families in our community. This page contains practical information about appointments, billing, privacy, emergencies and how we work with you to support your health and wellbeing.
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Online bookings via HotDoc are primarily intended for existing patients. Where possible, please select your usual treating practitioner, then choose the appointment type and time that suits you and follow the prompts to confirm your details.
New patient appointments are subject to practitioner availability. If you are unable to find a suitable appointment, please contact reception and our team will be happy to assist you. Online bookings are available 24 hours a day for your convenience.
MyMedicare is a voluntary patient registration system that allows you to nominate Macksville Medical Centre and your preferred GP as your regular healthcare provider. Registration strengthens your relationship with your practice and enables additional government funding to support more coordinated and targeted care. Patients with a valid Medicare or DVA Veteran Card who have attended the practice face-to-face within the last 24 months are eligible to register. Registration can be completed using a paper form at the practice or via your Medicare online account.
Keeping on top of your immunisation requirements can become complex. Whether you need advice on COVID 19 vaccinations, travel vaccinations before you travel overseas or the childhood immunisation schedule – contact us for an appointment today. Our qualified Nurse Immuniser and General Practitioners are available to discuss and arrange your immunisation requirements.
To ensure compliant handling of your personal and health information, it is of paramount importance that our records reflect your current personal details, which are consistent with your details held by Medicare. To ensure our compliance with regulations, our staff are required to routinely verify the details we have on record. However, we also request that you inform us promptly should any of your personal details alter, such as a change of address, phone number, update to NOK, or if you have been issued with a replacement Medicare card, Pension card or Healthcare Concession card.
Our practice uses an appointment-based scheduling system to help consultations run smoothly and to support good clinical outcomes. Patient cooperation plays an important role in helping appointments run to time. You can assist us by booking routine appointments in advance, advising us if you require an interpreter, informing reception of the general nature of your appointment needs, and arranging prescription renewals before your medication runs out. We also encourage patients to confirm reminder notices issued by the practice and to book appointments with the Practice Nurse when required.
Some consultations require extra time, such as consultations involving complex or chronic health issues, mental health concerns, excisions, biopsies, wound reviews, dressings and medical assessments such as driver’s licence renewals. Please let reception know if any of these apply so the appropriate appointment length can be arranged.
The doctors and support staff at Macksville Medical Centre aim to provide quality, patient-centred, affordable medical care to the local community. The costs of running an accredited medical practice, such as ours, continue to rise, with Medicare rebates and Government supports not keeping pace.
The result being that it is no longer viable to continue bulk-billing all consultations. As of 1 July 2022 our practice operates under a “mixed billing” policy.
What will this mean for you?
We strive to keep patient costs to a minimum, and although many of our services will continue to be bulk billed under Medicare, you may incur some out-of-pocket costs associated with your GP attendances/services.
Services that will attract a fee:
There are some consultation types that (as per government guidelines) are not subsidised by Medicare, and as such require payment of full fee for visit and do not attract the Medicare rebate.
Examples of these types of appointments range from: travel vaccinations, medical assessments for private, commercial or employment reasons, patients who do not hold a Medicare card, or appointments that are relative to an accident or injury claim. e.g. Workcover
In a medical emergency, please call 000 immediately.
Our standard hours are of service are – Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and Friday 9.00 am -4.00 pm
When our practitioners are not available after-hours, or for emergency care, please call 000 or attend the emergency department at Macksville District Hospital, 100 Darruya Road, North Macksville, NSW 2447.Ph: 02 65 983 300.
Emergency situations like acute asthma attack, chest pain, severe burns, electrocution, severe vomiting etc. need to be treated in a hospital setting. Time is very precious in such circumstances, and we highly recommend you call 000. Having an ambulance cover for your family would be a good idea.
Macksville Medical Centre complies with the Privacy Act.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) defines General Practice as:“A practice that provides person centred, continuing, comprehensive and coordinated whole-person health care to individuals and families in their communities.” We sincerely feel that the services offered by us are reflected comfortably within these guidelines.
To ensure best care is provided, patients seeking treatment from our practitioners need to authorise the release of their records from other doctors, be it previous GP’s, specialists or hospital records. This will provide us with insight on your medical history, enabling us to provide proper continuity of care for any existing medical conditions. Ask your doctor today about how to request your medical records to be transferred from your previous health care provider to Macksville Medical Centre.
Our practice has a strict confidentiality policy. All consultations and records are kept strictly confidential and cannot be discussed or reproduced without your consent. It is our practice policy to maintain security of personal health information at all times. This information is only available to authorised members of staff and treating health professionals.
To assist with management of our patients and their appointment details, our practice has an appointment reminder system, where patients receive automated SMS notifications/request for confirmation of upcoming appointments. The automated SMS is issued to the mobile phone number recorded as the primary contact method in the patient’s records.
Attempts may also be made to contact you directly if you have not confirmed your appointment with less than 24 hours before your consultation.
Patients can opt-out of this automated service by contacting the practice and informing reception staff.
Medical certificates are legal documents and will only be issued upon request following a medical assessment by the treating doctor who undertakes an assessment of the presenting medical condition and in whose opinion agrees that the patient is unfit for normal duties.
If a medical certificate is requested as the result of a workplace accident or injury, patients will be required to provide claim details from their employer or insurer prior to consultation.
Our practice has a recall notification follow up system to help facilitate arrangements for you to be reviewed by your doctor. The system generates a notification via SMS or email to inform patients of the need to book an appointment with the doctor to schedule a routine periodic medical service as recorded in our clinical software.
The health messages are intended for the recipient only, and to access the message details you will first be required to verify your identity. All personal details and health information remains encrypted and secure at all times.
Please enquire with reception staff if you would more details about how this service works.
At times, appointments with our doctors can be limited. Due to the high volume of patient presentations, attendances are very important to us.
If you cannot attend your appointment in person, please notify us immediately to enable us the opportunity to offer another patient the reserved appointment time, and to reschedule you to an alternative suitable appointment time. Time is critical for everyone – you and us.
Should patient non-attendance be recurrent, it may impact on retaining a place within our practice.
In the event you are not able to attend in person, it is recommended to have a discussion beforehand, with your doctor to ascertain whether telehealth appointments are suitable for you.
In most situations, medical assessment is best provided in a face-to-face attendance, however there are a range of reasons where a telehealth appointment may be a suitable alternative e.g. if you have symptoms of, or have tested positive for COVID-19.
If you would like to enquire about a telehealth appointment as an option, please advise reception at the time of booking.
We aim to offer, and endeavour to accommodate acute medical presentations that can be dealt with in a GP setting, however, we do not encourage walk-ins for general appointment as it disrupts the smooth flow of the appointment system of our practice. Please schedule an appointment ahead of time.
If you have a medical emergency, please phone 000 or attend the emergency department at Macksville Hospital.
Unless otherwise organised with your doctor, please make an appointment to discuss results of tests. If results are received by the doctor and assessed as requiring further discussion, action or attention – you will be contacted to arrange a follow-up appointment with your doctor.
Patients are notified by way of an automated health message issued at the doctor’s request, identifying that they require you to return for a follow up appointment to discuss the matter.
We welcome feedback about our services. If you are happy with your care, we appreciate hearing from you. If you have concerns or are dissatisfied with any aspect of your experience, please contact the Practice Manager so the matter can be reviewed. Feedback may be provided in person, in writing or via email to practicemanager@macksvillemedical.com.au
From time to time, patients may also be invited to participate in anonymous feedback surveys to help us improve our services.
We will respond to requests to transfer a copy of your medical records, if we receive such requests from another practice, with your signed authority to do so, or in the event of a medical emergency.
Please be informed there may be an administrative fee for processing your request.
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NVC Group acknowledge the Gumbaynggirr and Thunggutti/Dunghutti people, the traditional custodians of the lands north to the Clarence and south to the Macleay
