Patient Information

You can book an appointment online through hotdoc or phone clinic at (08) 6253 2100.   

If there are no appointments online, please call the clinic as some of our doctors reserve appointments for their regular patients.

Every effort will be made to fit you in with your regular GP. However, if this is not possible, we recommend that you see another available GP at the practice to ensure continuity of care. Your medical record is accessible by all of our clinical staff, who are therefore in a better position to diagnose and treat you without the need for unnecessary tests.

Furthermore, your consultation notes will be available for your regular GP. It is important to be aware that not all information is uploaded to your “My Health Record”, particularly information relating to individual consultations. Therefore, when your regular GP is unavailable to see you, it is always better to see another GP at our practice.

A standard appointment is 15 minutes. To assist us to run as close as possible to time, please request an appointment length that matches the complexity of your concerns. If there are too many issues to deal with in the allocated time, we may need to schedule a subsequent appointment.

Our practitioners will not accept telephone calls from patients during a consultation unless it is a life-threatening emergency. For all other calls, please leave a message with our reception staff, and it will be dealt with appropriately as soon as possible.

Emails and facsimiles are reviewed periodically throughout the day and handled the same way as all other correspondence. Therefore, please DO NOT email us with urgent matters. Similarly, we do not recommend any detailed or sensitive information be sent via email as it is not a secure means of communication.

Please use your private email address for correspondence; we will not reply to emails sent from a work email address. Because you do not own it, we cannot guarantee your privacy is maintained. Relevant telephone or email/facsimile exchanges will be noted in the patient’s health record to ensure continuity of care.

Please arrive few minutes before your consultation time for registration. You will need to bring a current Medicare card and DVA card (if appropriate) and information about your medical conditions and current medications. If you have a concession card, you will need to bring that with you.

You can download and complete our New Patient Information Form and bring it to your consultation.

Please be aware that we do not prescribe schedule 8 drugs, benzodiazepines or other drugs of addiction on the first consultation.

Belvidere Health Centre adheres to a strict policy for the distribution of opioids to patients. Please read our Opioid-Policy. 

Please inform us if your appointment concerns a worker’s compensation or motor vehicle claim. Patients without a claim number may be required to pay for their consultation until a claim number is provided. Worker’s compensation and motor vehicle consultation fees are charged at Work Cover WA and AMA rates, respectively. These fees do not attract a Medicare rebate.

However, you will be able to claim the full cost of the consultation when you settle your case. 

If you require a Medical Certificate, please ask your practitioner during the consultation. Medical Certificates are legal documents. Therefore, practitioners are unable to back-date certificates or provide them without consultation. If you have already been provided with a medical certificate and need the dates extended, an appointment with the practitioner will be required.

Please call our nurse on (08) 6253 2100 between Monday to Friday to obtain your results.

Your practitioner checks test results periodically, and most results are available after two days. Results CANNOT be provided until they have been checked by your GP. If your results require further discussion or treatment, you may be required to schedule an appointment.

PLEASE NOTE: For privacy and to maintain confidentiality, reception staff CAN NOT give you your results over the phone.

It is your responsibility to follow up on your results. 

In an emergency, visit your local Emergency Department or phone 000 for police, ambulance and fire services. Calls to 000 are free from mobile phones and landlines. If your English is limited, tell the operator your language and you will be connected to the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS).

Emergency services

• Ambulance 61 8 9334 1222
• Fire Brigade 133 337
• Police 131 444
• WA Poisons Information Centre 131 126

Crisis support services

• 1800Respect
• Anglicare WA
• Australian Red Cross
• Beyond Blue
• Department of Communities
• Kids Helpline
• Multicultural Women’s Advocacy and Services
• Salvation Army
• Sexual Assault Resource Centre
• St Vincent De Paul Society

Suicide prevention and support

Lifeline 131 114

Crisis support provides assistance for dealing with difficult situations including:

• relationship breakdown or difficulties
• loss (of a loved one, job, home)
• violence and trauma.

The following organisations provide suicide prevention, advice, support and counselling:

• Lifeline
• Mental Health Commission
• The Samaritans
• Youth  Support Services (12-25 years)

Our practice is committed to preventative care of your medical conditions. We use a recall and reminder system to offer our patients services appropriate to their care.

These may include reminders about investigations, immunisations and health assessments. It is, therefore imperative that we have your current contact details updated. Please notify reception if any of your details have changed. 

You are encouraged to participate in decisions about your healthcare. Our practitioners will provide you with clearly explained information in easily understood language to help you make an informed decision. This includes the purpose, importance, benefits and risks, and possible costs associated with proposed investigations, referrals, treatments, medicines and medicine safety.

Ultimately you decide to follow the advice of your practitioner. However, if you choose to disregard your practitioner’s recommendations, they will be documented in your medical record.

Belvidere Health Centre is committed to protecting the privacy of patient information and responsible handling of your personal information according to the Australian Privacy Principles. To reduce the risk of mistaken identity in your files or records, from time to time, our staff may ask for your name, address and date of birth on the phone or in person. This is to protect you from medical errors and to protect your privacy.

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain the security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff. Information collected from you concerning your medical health and treatment and information disclosed during consultations will remain confidential and will not be released to a third party without your written consent except in an emergency situation or when compelled by law.

Patients can request access to their personal health information in line with the Privacy Principles. Please refer to our privacy and information management procedure for further information. 

Due to confidentiality, we cannot discuss your medical information, including appointments, with a relative unless you have given express consent.

Belvidere Health Centre requires signed consent before transferring your medical records to another practice. The transfer of your complete electronic medical record (including progress notes from each consultation, results and specialist reports) are done electronically. 

Belvidere Health Centre is AGPAL Accredited.

Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited is the market leader in providing quality accreditation to the national standards set out by the Royal Australian College of general Practioners.

The standards focus on patient safety and quality of health care delivered.

Obtaining AGPAL accreditation is not easy but BHC has been officially and continuously accredited since 2013.

A personally controlled My Health Record is a secure online summary of your health information. Visit www.myhealthrecord.gov.au for further details.