v  Consultations

v  Check-ups, health assessments

v  Family planning, Pap smears

v  Pregnancy tests, ante-natal care

v  ECG: heart check

v  ABI: Checks the blood vessels in the legs

v  Spirometry (Lung function check)

v  Counselling

v  Self-Management Support

v  Vaccinations/ Childhood Immunisations

v  Blood tests

v  Minor surgery including skin cancers

v  Cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen removal of lesions)

v  Ear Irrigation

v  Chronic Disease Management

v  Health Assessments

v  Preventative Health Care

v General Practice Management Planning and Team Care Coordination

v  Podiatry

Please ring 8351 2211 for an appointment. Every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred time and GP. Emergencies will always be given priority and our reception staff will attempt to contact you if there is any unforeseen delay or your GP has been called away.

Longer consultation times are available, so please ask our receptionists if you require some extra time. If you or a family member requires an interpreter service, we can organise this for you.  Please let us know when you make the appointment.

We offer standard appointments via Health Engine web site or phone app. These appointments can also be cancelled using the same system.

Patients are welcome to ring 8351 2211 at any time of the day.  After hours you will be directly connected to the locum doctor.  After Hours Arrangements
For care outside of our practices normal hours, please call
Hello Home Doctor Service on 134100 or book online at https://hellohomedoctor.com.au/
The direct number for the locum is 134100 or 137425 (13SICK)

In an emergency call 000.

In our practice, home visits are not provided by our GP’s our locum service is available after hours.

GPs in the practice may be contacted during normal surgery hours. If the GP is with a patient, a message will be taken and the reception staff will advise you when it is likely that the GP will return your call. Your call will always be put through to the GP in an emergency.

Galway Medical Centre bulk bills patients who have a current HCC/concession card and children under 16. Some other appointments may be bulk billed at certain times at the discretion of the doctor. No appointments are able to be bulk billed on a Saturday, which also includes a $10 weekend surcharge fee. All standard billing is as follows:

The above consulting fees are based on a discounted rate which is applied to payments made on the day of consult.

Fees current as of 1st of July 2024, Please note Saturday fees apply.

Accounts are to be paid in full on the day. A non-attendance or late cancellation will attract a cancellation fee of $30 – $60 depending on appointment length booked

We submit your payments to Medicare for your refund. Please note, there is a GAP fee of $20-$100 for some procedures and dressings. The doctor, nurse or receptionist will advise when this is applicable.

For referrals and prescriptions, you will need to make an appointment. Please note that referrals cannot be back-dated.

All non-disposable instruments are sterilised offsite within accordance with our accreditation standards. Our waiting room, doctors rooms, treatment rooms and toilets are wiped down with anti-bacterial wipes twice a day.

If patients are coughing in the waiting room they may be asked to wear a mask. If patients potentially have a serious contagious condition they will be isolated to prevent further spreading to other people and staff.

For your results, it is important that you follow-up the clinic with a phone call. Please allow a few days for us to receive the results back, or as stated by the doctor.

Our receptionists are able to advise over the phone if the result is ‘normal’, otherwise we will state that a follow-up appointment is required. If the result needs an urgent appointment, the clinic will call you directly without prompt to book as per the doctor’s instructions.

Our practice is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information at all times. Your medical records are confidential documents. We will not discuss your information with anyone without prior consent.

We follow the Australian Privacy Principals and Guildelines from the RACGP.

Please be aware that we are not allowed to confirm whether a patient is in attendance or has made an appointment.

All standard bookings are 10 minutes in duration, however, longer appointments may be requested.

As we have medical emergencies that require urgent attention, sometimes our clinic may be running late. Please be considerate to other patients and staff when waiting. If there is a delay in time for your appointment, please speak to reception and they will advise you as to where your appointment is in the queue.

Please advise us at least 2 hours in advance if you are needing to cancel an appointment. Therefore, we are able to call patients on our waiting list. Our policy states that if you fail to cancel your appointment in this timeframe the doctor will charge a cancellation fee which is non-claimable.

If you have a problem we would like to hear about it. Please feel free to talk to your doctor, receptionist or Practice Manager. You may prefer to write to us or use our suggestion box. We take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously.

If you wish to make a formal complaint in writing you should address it to:

South Australia

Health & Community Services Complaints

Phone: (08) 8226 8666

Fax: (08) 8266 8620

Website: www.hcscc.sa.gov.au

We ask that all mobile phones are put on silent when you are in the clinic. If you would like to take a phone call, please do so outside of the clinic.

The doctors require full payment at the time of consultation by cash, cheque or credit card. Our fee structure is displayed in the reception area of the surgery. After hours billing may incur fees. Please check with reception when booking these appointments. If you have any difficulty in paying our fees, please discuss it with your GP.

Pensioners, children, veterans & health care cardholders are bulk-billed between 8 am and 7 pm Monday to Friday (no Bulk-billing on Saturdays).  If you are to be bulk-billed you must have a valid Medicare card & concession card with them at the time of consultation. There is no bulkbilling on Saturdays. A $10 surcharge applies. Work cover payments are to be made in full until your claim is accepted and we have your claim number, employer’s details and insurance details.

We would appreciate a minimum of 2 hours’ notice if you are unable to attend your appointment. Failure to do so may result in a non-claimable non-attendance fee.

Your doctor will advise you when they expect the results to arrive at the practice. Call the practice on 8351 2211 after 9 am to book an appointment for results with your GP.  Reception staff are not qualified to provide details of your results, they can only provide the information the doctor has them. 

Our practice is committed to preventive care. Please let us know if you want to be included on our reminder system. We may issue you with a reminder notice from time to time offering you preventive health services appropriate to your care. If you do not wish to be part of this system please let your doctor or receptionist know.

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff.  We abide by the 13 principle-based laws as stated in the Australian Privacy Principles available at www.oaic.gov.au or please ask a member of our staff for a copy of our policy.

Under the “Australian Privacy Principles” in the Privacy Act, you have a right to access health information about you that is held by this practice.  If you wish to have a copy of your health records please ask your GP.

Galway Medical Centre is an accredited practice:

Attending an Accredited Practice is a guaranteed that:

• Safe and sterile equipment is used
• Patient records are secure
• The practice is committed to ongoing education and training
• Your rights and needs as a patient are respected
• Regular improvements are made in services offered to you
• Most importantly, you are delivered high quality patient care

In November 2024 as part of our accreditation, our practice asked patients to participate in an improvement survey.

Our overall score was 98%

Our practice email account for patients and stakeholders for communication with our practice is reception@galwaymedicalcentre.com

Only appropriate non-clinical matters are usually dealt with via email exchanges. Please be aware that any email communication is not secure and requests for medical information via email is at the patient’s own risk.

No consulting or advice services are conducted by email. This must be communicated face to face or by telephone consultation by a medical practitioner or other appropriate health professional unless there are exceptional circumstances.

This email account will be routinely checked throughout the business day by the Receptionist. Email messages are forwarded to the appropriate team member for response within 24 hours.

Our practice uses SMS messaging to remind patients of their upcoming appointments. There is no medical or identifying information used in these messages. It is the patient’s responsibility to contact the practice and follow up on the message.

Communication conducted with a patient via electronic means will be added to the patient’s medical record by the team member resolving the enquiry.