Frequently asked questions
About the clinic
What time is the Bright Medical Centre open?
Bright Medical Centre is open
Monday - Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
What if I have an urgent medical question?
If you are at home and you have an emergency always call
000 for an ambulance.
If you attend the clinic and you require urgent medical attention, our practice nurse is available for triage. After your initial assessment a doctor will be briefed on your condition and the appropriate medical care will be taken.
Click here for our after hours procedure or contact Alpine Health Bright (the Bright Hospital) on
57550100. Bright Hospital staff will contact the doctor on call where necessary.
Please note that out of hours consultations will be billed for services provided by the doctor.
What are your fees?
Your account must be settled at the time of your consultation.
Consultation fees usually range from $64 to $112, depending on duration and complexity. If you are having a procedure or an ECG for example, these will be added to your account.
If an account is not paid in full at the time of consultation, we may add up to $21 in account fees.
Higher fees apply at weekends, public holidays and after-hours.
Does the clinic provide home visits?
Yes - we do but only in special circumstances like palliative care.
We much prefer that you attend the clinic where we have a much greater range of equipment to help us to look after you.
To help make this process easy we ask that you call the clinic first thing in the morning so that your request can be organised.
Please note, you may not get your regular doctor.
How do I see a doctor out of hours or on the weekend?
If you require medical treatment outside of our opening hours,
click here or please attend Alpine Health Bright (the Bright Hospital) where you will be triaged by the nurses at the hospital.
If a doctor is required, the doctor on call will be contacted. If it is an emergency please call
000 for an ambulance.
Bright and Myrtleford participate in a rotating on call roster for the weekends. From Friday night until Monday morning, one doctor is on-call for both towns. You should always attend Bright Hospital in the first instance. The staff will contact the on call doctor and you will be advised how to proceed.
Can I choose my GP?
Yes, you can. The Bright Medical Centre will always try to give you an appointment with your preferred doctor. On some occasions however, this cannot happen because your doctor is away, or your doctor is consulting at our medical clinic at Mt Hotham Medical Centre. In most cases, you will be able to see any doctor within 1-2 days for non-urgent routine appointments.
You are also welcome to consult any doctor at this clinic and to change doctors within the clinic at any time - your new doctor will have access to all the records and notes made by the previous doctor.
You can also ask that your notes are made confidential to only one doctor, although we don't generally recommend this, especially with vital information.
What other health services do you provide?
We offer a range of services at the medical centre. Please see the Services page.
Do you have a translation service?
A free service is offered to doctors where an interpreter is required for a consultation for a non English speaking patient.
This service is available through the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
www.immi.gov.au or telephone
1300 131 450
This service is only available free for residents of Australia and not tourists.
What happens if I miss or cancel my appointment?
We expect that if you cannot attend an appointment you ring the surgery at least 24 hours prior to the appointment to cancel it as this allows the appointment to be available for another sick person.
Non attendance may result in you being billed the standard consultation fee for a missed appointment.
If you regularly fail to attend appointments you may be asked to find another clinic.
Do you provide COVID 19 vaccinations?
Yes, we provide both Pfizer and AstraZenca vaccinations. Please refer to our COVID 19 page for more information
Do you provide telehealth appointments?
Yes, you can consult your doctor by telephone or video if you wish. You don't need to come to the clinic.We can call you on the phone or by Skype, Zoom, Whatsapp or FaceTime - just let us know.
Our fees are the same as our face-to-face consultations and the Medicare rebate is exactly the same too. Please see our
Telehealth page for more information
About my health
Are my medical records confidential?
ABSOLUTELY!
Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain privacy and security of personal health information at all times (you can view our full policy
here).
This practice does not disclose your personal health information to third parties unless you have consented to this disclosure, or the disclosure is necessary because you are at risk of harm without treatment and you are unable to give consent. Personal Health Information and your Medical record, may be collected, used and disclosed for the following reasons only:
For communicating relevant information with other treating doctors, specialists or allied health professionals.
For follow up reminder/recall notices.
Accounting/Medicare/health insurance procedures.
Quality Assurance activities such as accreditation.
For disease notification as required by law (eg. Infectious disease)
For use by all doctors in this group practice when consulting with you.
For legal related disclosure as required by a court of law (eg subpoena, court order, suspected child abuse)
For research purposes (de-identified).
Do I need to tell you if I've moved house?
It is very important that we have your up to date contact details at the clinic. If you move house, change phone numbers or receive a new Medicare card in the mail please ensure you let the reception staff know. It is also very important that you keep your doctor up to date with any changes to your health.
Do you have a reminder system?
The Bright Medical Centre has reminder systems in place for lots of different health conditions with the underlying benefit of preventative care.
For example -
If you have your PAP smear at our clinic, you will be placed on a reminder system and sent a letter when your next test is due.
If you are over 75 years of age, you will be on a reminder system for an annual health assessment by our practice nurse.
If you are a diabetic, have heart disease or cancer you may be placed on a reminder system for regular check-ups with your GP and other allied health personnel. I
t is important that you take notice of your reminder letters and ring to make an appointment when you get a letter
How will I get my test results?
It is vital that you follow up all your test results by calling the surgery, even when you think they are normal. In this way, we can confirm that all tests have been completed and received here at the clinic. Your doctor will have explained to you the length of time it will take for those results to come in. Our staff can tell you what the doctor has said about your tests and whether they needs to see you again.
For your privacy, they can NOT see the actual tests.
Our staff are instructed to call only the patients that require follow up appointments or further investigation. If the matter is urgent, your doctor will contact you directly.
On VERY rare occasions, test results can get lost prior to being received by your doctor. For this reason it is essential that you call, every time you have a test, even to hear just a simple "Yes, they are all normal".
Where can I find out more about my medications?
Your GP is the best source of information about your medicines. If you are on multiple medications we will recommend a pharmacy review, where you will see the pharmacist in your home. The pharmacist will prepare a report for the GP which you can discuss at a special appointment with your doctor.
The NPS provides comprehensive information on all matters related to medicines. You can find your medications on the NPS
here
Complaints and Feedback
What if I have a complaint?
If you have a complaint about our clinic, staff or doctors; you can call our business manager, Peta Cherry, with your concerns or write us a letter.
Very often, complaints can arise from a simple misunderstanding and can be quickly resolved by our manager.
Of course, if you are not happy with our response you can contact the
Health Services Commissioner who will investigate the matter for you.
Please note, however, that any abuse towards staff will not be tolerated and you will be asked to leave the premises immediately, for your and our safety
Can I email the clinic?
You can send your request by email to us here. Your email will be transferred to your patient file and your doctor will access your request the same way they would any pathology results or specialist letters we receive for you.
Please do not send matters of urgency via email as the best method of contact in this instance, is by telephone
(03) 57501000
Can I provide feedback?
Your feedback is always welcome. We understand that most people attending the doctor’s are unwell and therefore our staff try to make everyone feel comfortable in the waiting room. The staff at reception are often the best people to give feedback to. The staff can often deal with issues as they arise.
What if I have another question?
If you have any further queries, please don't hesitate to contact us at the clinic. Find our contact details here
