Patient Information

Patients are seen at our practice by appointment only. We aim to provide your preferred time and to have you see your regular Doctor.  We see the development of continuing Doctor-Patient relationships as essential to effective treatment.

It is helpful if you can provide information as to the reason for your appointment. If you are comfortable in providing this, please do so at the time of making the appointment

Fees

As we are a Private Practice, fees are payable at the time of consultation.
Our Practice chooses to Bulk Bill patients who hold a Pension Card or Veterans Affairs Gold Card. Health Care Card holders will be charged a reduced fee. Payments can be made by Credit Card or Eftpos Debit Cards.  If you have a linked cheque or savings Debit card we can process your Medicare rebate (in most cases – the same day) using our Tyro facility.  Other claims are usually processed by Medicare within 1-3 business days.
There are some consultations where the Medicare rebate is not claimable – ask our Admin team if this applies to you.
Please discuss any financial hardship with your Doctor, as your health and well-being are important to us.

General Fees

For GP consultations, our practice charges an out of pocket gap fee for non-concession-card holders.  For more information on our charges, please see our Fees page.
Our practice has a policy to charge a fee for No-Show appointments. If for some reason you are unable to make your appointment please notify reception as soon as possible so the appointment may be re-allocated.

Onsite & Street Parking

Limited onsite parking is available to our Patients. There is a variety of timed and untimed parking in the surrounding streets of the Practice.

Appointment Information

Standard and Longer Consultations are available – if needed, please ask our Admin team for some extra time.
When booking an appointment please advise us if more than one family member needs to be seen so we can allocate the correct amount of time for each family member’s care. Our Practice can arrange a confidential interpreting service for non-English speaking patients.
Not all medical appointments are the same – some take longer than others. Although our Doctors do their best to run to time, it is not always possible. If you are concerned about your waiting time, please see our Admin Team for advice. Your understanding is very much appreciated.

Urgent Appointments

We understand that some appointments are urgent. If you require an urgent appointment, please call from 7.30 am and provide a brief description of the nature of the urgency.

Cancellations

24-hour’s notice would be greatly appreciated where possible if you must cancel or postpone your appointment, the appointment will then be available for another patient. Please note that our practice charges a fee for No-show appointments.

Email requests

Our email service is provided for general information requests only. Please note it is not manned 24/7 and is checked by reception staff who are not medically trained. Balgownie Village General Practice does not accept email requests for medical advice, results, prescriptions or referrals.  Patients wanting medical advice must obtain an appointment to see a doctor.

Referred Tests and Results

Please phone the Practice to follow up on your test results. If your doctor determines that no action is required, staff can let you know this, however, if you need to discuss the results or have any questions about them, you will need to book an appointment for a follow-up with your Doctor.

Compliments and Complaints

Feedback is a gift to assist us in improving our service to you. You may provide your feedback via a phone call to the Practice Manager, via regular mail, or email to:  reception@bsfmedical.com.au

The Health Care Commission (HCCC) is an independent body that deals with complaints about health service providers in NSW. It receives complaints about individual health practitioners such as general practitioners, nurses, dentists, massage therapists or counsellors as well as complaints about health organisations such as hospitals, medical centres, or practices. Please refer to their website or for more information call 1800 043 159 or write to the HCCC at Locked Bag 18 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012.