Information for Patients

Facilities and Equipment

Our surgery has excellent facilities including seven consulting rooms, a two-bed treatment room and a large comfortable waiting room incorporating a children's play area.

We use a fully computerised medical record system.
Wherever possible we use disposable equipment which is discarded after a single use. Reusable surgical instruments are cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner and sterilised using a modern autoclave by our fully trained staff.

Parking

Car parking is available at reasonable rates at David Jones and King Street Council Car Park (however, if your appointment is late in the afternoon, check for the closing times). Metered car parking is available in surrounding streets, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. A disabled parking spot is available directly outside the surgery and a wheelchair is available for patients use, while at the surgery.

Home Visits

Our home visit area is Newcastle, Cooks Hill, Bar Beach, Merewether and The Junction. When necessary doctors from our practice visit homes, nursing homes and hostels in the same area, within surgery hours.

Telephone Calls

• For results, contact our reception staff 7 working days after the test was performed.
• Any other query will be handled by our receptionists who will contact the appropriate doctor or nurse if necessary.
• Phone calls cannot be transferred to your doctor whilst they are consulting patients.
• Full consultations cannot be conducted by telephone

GP Registrars

We are fortunate to have registrars completing their postgraduate specialist qualifications while working with us. These doctors are fully qualified and work closely with our senior doctors.

Rights of Patients

King Street General Practice has developed a privacy policy in compliance with the Federal Privacy Act in all areas relating to patients personal information.

All patient consultations and medical records are dealt with in a non-discriminatory manner. The Practice recognises that some patients may have difficulty in asserting their wishes during their visit to their doctor. Doctors are to be alert for and responsive to any indications that the patient has any reservations about their treatment or about the conduct of their consultation.

The Practice recognises patients’ rights to refuse medical treatment or advice.

The Practice recognises the rights of patients to seek a further opinion. Doctors will facilitate this by encouraging patients to discuss their concerns and by inviting patients to have follow-up with their doctor after a specialist’s appointment and by frequent consultation with colleagues, both within and outside the practice.

We encourage patients to work in partnership with the medical staff in management of their health.

Repeat Prescriptions

In the interest of our patients” health, out doctors will not issue repeat prescriptions or referrals without a consultation. Where a doctor believes it appropriate to make an exception, an administrative charge will be made.

Drugs of Addiction

This practice strictly follows the NSW Dept of Health guidelines concerning the prescribing of sedatives, strong analgesics and narcotics.
This means that such drugs will only be prescribed for patients known to the practice doctors.

Visiting patients requiring sedatives, strong analgesic or narcotics are advised to make arrangements with their own doctor.

Medical Students

Occasionally, medical students from the University of Newcastle sit in with our doctors as part of their medical training. The reception staff will ask you to sign a consent form giving your permission for the medical student to be present during your consultation. Please feel free to decline the students presence if you prefer.

Suggestions/Complaints

Although we try our best it is inevitable that from time to time one of our patients will have a complaint about our service. These complaints are very important to us as they alert us to problems with the service we are providing.

If you have any suggestions, ideas or criticisms please notify us by telling the receptionist or your doctor or write them down and place them in the suggestion box in the waiting room.

If you prefer you may contact the:

Health Care Complaints Commission
Locked Bag 18
STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012

Telephone: (02) 9219 7444