AppointmentsEach appointment is scheduled for 15 minutes. Some consultations will obviously require more time. If you feel this may be the case, you should advise the receptionist to book for longer time. There is generally an increased cost for longer appointments. However if you have several problems, more time is necessary - 3 problems in 15 minutes leaves only 5 minutes for each of : taking a history, examining you, ordering tests, and planning management and referral if necessary. This is not safely achievable. Minor surgery (excisions), IUCD and diaphragm fitting, general medicals for insurance, immigration, personal and "all over check ups" all require a half-hour appointment, and sometimes the nurse first, or as well. We prefer you to phone for appointments rather than "dropping in" to be seen. Even if you need to be seen immediately then a quick call allows us to be prepared or direct you to the appropriate service. Obviously for an emergency come straight in or phone an ambulance if it is serious. Prescriptions
While it is convenient for patients to phone for prescriptions, we need to follow careful guidelines for safety and legal reasons. You will need to be seen by the doctor at regular intervals. It is best if possible to talk to the practice nurse about your needs as this allows her to look in your file and check the request. If she is busy the receptionist may take the request but the nurse may need to ring you back if there is a query. We will not give prescriptions for new medicines without seeing you except in extreme circumstances. For regular medications we may require that you have your blood pressure checked if appropriate or if you have not been seen for some time we will require you to come in and have a consultation. If the nurse advises you that an appointment is necessary in order to get a repeat prescription, she is following clearly set out protocols designed to ensure the safe and responsible administration of drugs. She is not just trying to create business or make your life difficult! You can request repeat prescriptions by telephone, fax, or email. Remember to include enough detail about the name and dosage of the medicine, and provide contact details so that our nurse can contact you if needed. All repeat prescriptions need to be checked against the patient notes by the doctor signing the prescription. This is a process which can't be rushed, or mistakes can be made. For this reason, repeat prescriptions are normally ready for collection the day after they are ordered. If you have an urgent need for a "same day" prescription, an additional charge applies. If you want the prescription faxed it is useful for us if you have the name of the chemist available and if possible their fax or phone number. If you require your prescription by a certain time it is again best if you can talk to the practice nurse regarding this. We cannot fax prescriptions to private numbers; they have to be faxed to a chemist. There is an extra charge for faxed prescriptions to allow for the extra administration, including the cost of posting the original copy of the prescription to the chemist. Primary Health Organisations (PHOs)
We belong to the ProCare Network North PHO. Information about ProCare, including details about PULSE magazine, are available on the Procare website. PHOs are a central feature of the government's primary health care strategy, which is discussed elsewhere on this site. One of the intended outcomes of the "capitation" system of government subsidies is to encourage more effective use of nurses. Our nurses have had special training in many areas of chronic illness management, especially in the areas of diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular (heart health) risk assessment and prevention. You will often find yourself being offered a consultation session with our nurses for a comprehensive look at your risk of heart disease, or for an asthma review, or for an annual free check-up for diabetes. Our computerised patient record system (with notes dating back to 1987) ensures that all your information is accessible and legible to authorised staff (doctors and nurses) in the medical centre, so that everyone involved in your care is fully up to date when treating you. Enrolment
The principle of enrolment is crucial to the government's primary health care strategy. Ensuring that patients obtain their health care from one general practice will undoubtedly help make their care more efficient and effective. There is a lot of evidence that continuity of care results in better health. NZ is a long way ahead of countries such as the USA in terms of the development of primary health care. The advantages of having a "Medical Home' (where your health care is coordinated) are now becoming internationally recognised as a crucial part of a successful health care system. Some of the key points about this system are:
It is important to understand the principles of enrolment. For patients who are enrolled with us, we ask that you try to obtain your health care from us, except after hours. The system encourages this partnership (and provides a financial penalty for us if you consult other practices).An information brochure is available which explains the details about enrolment: please ask at the desk if you wish to see this. Privacy
From time to time, in the course of treatment, we may need to provide your details and medical history to other health providers, such as specialists and hospitals. We will ensure that your health information is only seen by people who are involved in your health care (such as a staff and specialists that we refer you to). We will always ask for your consent before transferring any identifiable medical information about you to someone who is not involved in your health care. We provide the PHO and the Ministry of health with a list of our enrolled patients so that we can obtain subsidies on your behalf. This information includes your name, address, date of birth, ethnicity, and the dates when you see the doctor or nurse. No identifiable medical information is provided without your consent. In all cases, your privacy is protected by the medical ethics of confidentiality, the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993, and the Health Information Privacy Code 1994. We are aware of these privacy requirements and work within policies and procedures developed by the PHO to uphold them at all times. We value the confidentiality of your health information. Results of tests
We will always try to contact you as soon as possible with significant abnormal results (provided we have current contact details), but if you want to ring or contact us in other ways, please feel free to do so (please phone in the afternoon) - the nurse will explain the result to you after it has been checked by the doctor who ordered the test. Please let us know if you want someone else to phone for your results, because we will not give them to anyone but you, unless we have your permission, because of privacy laws. We will communicate with you by whatever means is most convenient for you - including text and email. Remember that although we treat emails with the same confidentiality protocols as anything else, emails are inherently insecure and should not be used for communication about matters which you regard as private and personal. Our texting service is dependent on us having a current cellphone number. Travel Vaccinations
If you are traveling overseas remember to ask about your required vaccinations at least 6 weeks before you leave, especially if you are traveling to the more remote parts of the world, where more complicated requirements are likely. Because of the complexity of some decisions about preventive treatment, including malaria, it is recommended you come in and discuss your itinerary with your doctor. We have access to up-to-date databases of vaccination requirements to help you make decisions about this. At the Mairangi Medical Centre we offer a full range of vaccinations, including yellow fever. We are a registered site for yellow fever vaccination and it is not necessary to travel to town for this. All the usual vaccinations including hepatitis A&B, typhoid, etc, are available. Community service cards and High
User Health Cards
If you have one of these please show it to the receptionist on arrival at the desk. Students at tertiary institutes are eligible for these and should consider applying for them. If your High User Health card is about to expire, check with us to see if you are eligible for another one. Anyone is eligible for one of these if they have had twelve or more visits in the previous twelve months to us or other doctors e.g. ShoreCare. This does not include ACC visits or visits to private specialists or public hospital visits. Community service cards and high use cards do not enable cheaper visits at the surgery if you are an enrolled patient, but they do mean that you get slightly cheaper doctor's visits after hours. Complaints and suggestions
You are encouraged to let us know if you have any complaints or suggestions. If you are unhappy with the way something has been handled or treatment you have received please discuss it with a doctor or one of the staff (usually our practice manager, Alex Thompson), or send us a written complaint. Please refer to your rights under the Health and Disability Code. Our staff will provide you with the relevant pamphlet. If you find it difficult to bring it up in person please write it down and send it to us. We have a standardised form for complaints which we would prefer you to complete . If you mark the envelope "personal" it will be opened only by the addressee. All complaints will be responded to within 5 days. You can also email us with any comments or suggestions you wish to make about the services we offer. Emails
Feel free to email any non-urgent messages but telephoning is better for same day response, prescriptions etc. Email is a convenient method of communication but it is not private. We will never use email to communicate with you unless you specifically request us to do so. Please be cautious in your use of email if you are expecting the contents to remain confidential. We may charge you for responding to complicated emails where a lot of time is required. |
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