Patient Information
Information at your fingertips
If you are a new patient to our clinic, please arrive at least five minutes before your consultation or fill out a new patient form here and bring the following to your consultation:
- Photo ID
- A valid Medicare card
- Workcover patients will need to inform their employer and bring their employer’s contact details for verification to arrange payment.
Fees
Billing Policy
We are a mixed billing practice. Most consultations are time based and will incur a private fee that must be paid on the day by cash or card. Childhood immunisations, health assessments for eligible patients and chronic care management plans are bulk billed. Further information is available at the time of bookingand on our website.
We are still able to bulk bill eligible patient groups for most of the consultation types:
- Children 15 years and under
- DVA Gold Card Holders
Booking Appointments
Appointments can be booked online via HotDoc, by calling (02) 6761 81300, or in person from
Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 5.00 pm or Saturday, 9 am to 12 md.
Standard appointments are 15 minutes. If you have more than 2 items to discuss you may need a longer appointment, please inform the receptionist at the time of booking.
Appointments for health assessments, care plans, complex medical issues, driver licence medicals, wound care, paperwork and mental health usually require longer appointments, please notify reception when booking.
New patients are welcome after completion of registration and medical records transfer forms. To ensure that the best possible care is provided, we prefer to obtain your previous medical records before booking your initial appointment. While our doctors strive to minimise wait times, delays sometimes occur and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
Contacting Your Health Professional
Most health related queries are best addressed during an appointment with your GP. If you phone with a medical query you will be either put through to a nurse or have your call returned by a nurse when they are available. If your query is unable to be easily resolved it will be recommended that you make an appointment to discuss further with your GP. Our GPs do not have time allocated during their days to take phone calls, however in some instances a telephone consultation may be booked.
Reminder System
At Windmill Practice, we believe in proactive health care. Our recall and reminder system helps patients keep up with routine screenings and care plans, so from time to time you may receive a text, call, or letter reminding you to arrange an appointment.
Location and Parking
There is accessible parking available.
Results
It is recommended that you follow up results of all investigations. You may be advised to schedule an appointment to discuss your results with your GP. Alternatively you may receive an SMS (with your consent) or a phone call from the nurse or GP. If we have not been able to reach you this way you may receive a letter asking you to schedule an appointment. Please ensure that you respond quickly to requests for follow-up.
Referrals and Prescriptions
Referrals and prescriptions are integral components of medical care and are best provided in a setting of consultation and review. In most cases a standard consultation with your usual GP is necessary. Script clinics are available for routine, repeat prescriptions that do not require special authority. Occasionally the GP may agree to provide an emergency script or referral without an appointment; this will incur a $25 fee that is not Medicare rebateable.
After Hours/Emergency Services
We reserve emergency appointments everyday to enable us to fit in and accommodate urgent medical needs. It is important that the administrative staff have enough information to triage these appointments appropriately. Urgent appointments are available Monday-Friday and Saturday morning.
For urgent medical attention outside of our opening hours Tamworth has a Medicare funded Urgent Care Clinic co-located with Northwest Health.
They are open Mon-Fri 10 am-8pm, Sat, Sun and PH 9 am-5pm, phone: (02) 67683260. For emergencies call 000 or present to the Emergency Department at Tamworth Regional Referral Hospital, phone: (02) 67677435.
Windmill Practice has an emergency phone number which should be used only for urgent
medical queries: 0459658300. This number does not take messages and should not be used for any other purpose such as changing or scheduling appointments. For all appointment queries, please contact the practice on (02) 67618300.
If URGENT CARE is required, please call the Ambulance Service on 000
Confidentiality-Privacy and Health Information
Your medical record is a confidential document. It is always a policy of this Practice to maintain security of personal health information. Information is only accessed by authorised members of staff for the purposes of improving or enhancing your health care.
Compliments and Complaints
If at any time you have a concern, comment, suggestion, or compliment, please do not hesitate to let us know directly at reception. Alternatively, you can contact the Health Care Complaints Commission by calling 1300 582 113 between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday, or by mail at: Level 12, 323 Castlereagh Street (Corner of Hay Street), Sydney NSW 2000.
MyMedicare
MyMedicare
We invite all existing and new patients who consider us to be your preferred practice, to register for MyMedicare. To complete a registration, scan the QR code or register using the link provided on this page. If you have any questions, please contact our team.
What is MyMedicare?
The Australian Government has introduced a new voluntary patient registration model called MyMedicare to drive improvements in primary health care for all Australians and deliver new funding packages to primary care providers. MyMedicare will strengthen the relationship between patients and their health care teams by allowing patients to register with their regular general practice and select their preferred GP and providers within the practice. This registration aims to strengthen the relationship between you, your GP, and the team at Windmill Practice. For more information, please see the Registering in MyMedicare Factsheet for Patients.
What are the benefits of MyMedicare for our patients?
The key benefits to you include better access, better continuity of care, and better planning. Registration in MyMedicare is not compulsory, however it is recommended to improve continuity of care for patients. You can also change your mind and leave the program at any time. It does not affect your Medicare rights or benefits. Please reach out to our team if you have any questions.
