About Us

Appointments

Please call 9791 2377 for an appointment and our friendly reception staff will make every effort to accommodate your preferred time. Emergencies will always be given priority. Most problems are best dealt with in consultation with our doctors. A doctor is available during normal surgery hours for emergency advice. Our reception staff are experienced in deciding the appropriate response to any phone request. Our reception staff will attempt to contact you if there is any unforeseen cancellation of a session, or your doctor 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, we can organise this for you, please let us know when you make the appointment. You can assist us by ensuring that your contact details are up-to-date.

Home Visits and Telephone Access

Home visits are available for regular patients whose condition prevents them from attending the surgery. Doctors in the practice may be contacted during normal surgery hours. A message will be taken and you will be advised by the reception staff when it is likely that the doctor will return your call. Your call will always be put through to the doctor in an emergency, and the calls will be screened by the Receptionist who may ask you some questions.

Services available

General medical consultations, refugee health, home visits, check-ups, pregnancy tests, ECG: heart check, health assessments, care plans, counselling, vaccination: children and travel, suturing wounds, liquid nitrogen freezing therapy for sun spots and warts, nutritional advice, industrial medical advice and consultation, and skin checks.

Our Doctors work closely with our on-site psychologists, podiatrist, practice nurse, physiotherapist and dietician services to ensure comprehensive care.

After hours care arrangements

The practice provides 24-hour care for patients. The Home Doctor Service provides a complete back up after hours facility for your doctor. For after hours care call 13 SICK (137425)

Fees and billing arrangements

All medical services at our Practice are Bulk Billed. To enable us to provide this service you will need to have a current Medicare card. Please ensure that you bring your Medicare and Health Care cards with you and advise us of any changes. We also provide bulk Billed services to OSHC Worldcare card holders, and provide services to WorkCover/TAC patients. Please ensure that you bring this card along with Photo ID upon each visit. Patients without a valid Medicare card are charged $70 for a standard consultation and any further additional costs will be communicated at or prior to your consultation.

Recalls and Reminders

These are incorporated into our Medical Record systems so that you may at times receive requests to attend for regular check-ups or urgent investigation results. Please discuss with the Doctor or Practise Nurse if you have any queries or do not want any reminders. There is also a national Pap Smear Register, Childhood Immunisation register that you may choose to utilize. Please advise if you do not want your name added to any national, state or territory registers. This Practice does not use SMS/Email to contact patients.

Management of your Personal Health Information

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. A copy of our privacy policy is available on request from reception.

Transfer of Medical Records

If you wish to transfer your health record to another service provider please ask your new provider to send a transfer application form signed by you. Alternatively, if you would like us to obtain records from another service provider please see reception for a transfer application form.

Your rights

Dandenong West Medical Centre respects the fundamental right of all clients and community members to have an accessible, confidential and constructive avenue for providing positive or negative feedback about our services, and for having these comments or complaints dealt with in a fair and efficient way.

Written complaints or suggestions can be placed in the Suggestion Box, located at Reception, or given to any staff or Board member. You may also send an email to feedback@dandenongwestmed.org

Dandenong West Medical Centre also welcomes verbal complaints. Verbal complaints may be about a minor matter that would not in the normal course of events generate a written complaint e.g. appearance of the centres, delays in appointment times. Please feel free to talk to the Practice Manager, Laela Hamimi.

Patient Feedback and Complaints

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the services we provide to you or if you feel your rights are not supported, we would appreciate your comments and suggestions. Your doctor or the receptionists on duty are available to discuss any problems you may have. You may prefer to write to us. We take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. Should you wish to take any complaints further you can contact:

Health Care Complaints Commission at
Victorian Health Services Commissioner
Level 30, 570 Bourke Street Melbourne, VIC 3000
Free Call number: 1800 136 066