Practice information, policies and frequently asked questions.

Medical Emergencies

Please call Triple Zero (000) or go to your nearest hospital.

The closest hospital to the centre is:

Flinders Medical Centre
Bedford Park SA 5042
(08) 8204 5450

Making an Appointment

You now have the choice of booking online or calling the clinic to make an appointment.

A standard appointment time slot is 15 minutes. If more time is required, please book a double appointment (30 minutes duration) so that the doctor has time to address your concerns and to avoid delays to other patients.

A double appointment is required for the following consultations:

  • Full medical check up or insurance medical
  • Pap smear with other medical issues
  • Excision of skin lesions
  • Mental health care plans
  • Chronic disease management plans
  • New patients
  • Implanon/Mirena insertions and removals
  • Multiple problems

Appointment Reminders

Our clinic is now using mobile reminders to notify you of your upcoming appointments. Simply click on the link to confirm or cancel or rebook your appointment when you receive your SMS.

If you wish to opt out of appointment reminders, please speak with one of our reception staff or by selecting ‘Opt Out’ on your next appointment reminder.

Cancelling your Appointment

Please notify us as early as possible so that your cancelled appointment time may be offered to others. Failure to attend your appointment may incur a fee.
You can manage your appointments, including cancellations, through the HotDoc app, available on Android and IOS devices.

Waiting Times

Unfortunately, there are times when your doctor may be running behind for your appointment. The cause may be due to an emergency requiring the immediate attention of the doctor, external calls from hospitals or aged care facilities requiring an immediate response, IT problems that create delays and most commonly, giving attention to urgent patient care needs as they arise.

We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Ways you can assist your doctor:

  • By being aware that standard appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes only and that only one or two issues can be dealt with within this time limit.
  • By refraining from requesting that another member of your family be seen as well in the same appointment.
  • By arriving a couple of minutes early for your appointment. A lot of the time the doctors are running on time.

Car Parking

You may choose to park your car either on Belair Road or in George Street. The parking in George Street has some time restrictions as designated by Mitcham City Council. Please ensure that you park within the guidelines set down by the Council to avoid parking fines. There are two disabled access car parks in George Street at the Belair Road end.

Test Results

We will be initiating contact with you for all abnormal results, so you don’t have to call us. Depending on the urgency or seriousness of the test result, this may include a phone call from your doctor, the nurse or a call from one of our reception team to organise a follow up appointment with your regular doctor to discuss the result.

Most test results are best discussed at an appointment and we do encourage you to make a follow up appointment when tests have been ordered. We understand that this is not always possible, and so have put in place numerous systems to ensure all abnormal test results do get followed up within an appropriate time frame. If all of your test results are normal and your doctor determines that no immediate action is required we won’t bother you and you can rest assured that you will have been contacted if necessary.

Of course, if you would like a copy of your normal test results, please speak with your doctor. As with all of our services, we seek to continually improve and would welcome any feedback through our website feedback form.

Recall System

Our clinic is now using mobile recalls to your phone instead of letters to securely tell you when you need to book a follow-up appointment for things like immunisations, blood tests and skin checks.

For those who don’t have a mobile phone or prefer a letter, we will still be sending your recalls in the post.

Repeat Prescriptions

In the interests of better health care, repeat prescriptions will generally not be issued unless a patient/doctor contact is made. All patients are encouraged to request repeat prescriptions at the time of the consultation, thereby avoiding the need for an additional consultation.

Referral Letters

It is a Medicare requirement that an assessment of the patient by the referring doctor take place prior to specialist rebate rates being paid. Retrospective referrals cannot be written even if the referral has previously been discussed with your doctor. Patients are advised that gap payments may apply on specialist, x-ray and pathology services. Information regarding this may be sought from the relevant specialist but may range from $50 to $240. Please be aware that private hospital emergency departments charge a facility fee which may range from $350 to $750. Ambulance transport fees are the responsibility of the patient and may range up to $1200 for a single transfer if the patient is not insured or has no ambulance cover.

Disabled and Assisted Access

Whilst we have wheelchair access to both our sites, you will need to be aware that a portable ramp is used to access our clinic at 130 Belair Road. Our helpful trained reception staff will assist with entry and departure at this site. A door bell is also provided for anyone who may need assistance entering the premises.

Translator Services

Telephone translation 131 450
Auslan interpreter 1300 287 526

Home Visits and After Hours

House calls are provided to patients who are too unwell or frail to attend the clinic. An early booking and an indication of the urgency is appreciated so that the doctor is able to plan the visit appropriately and delays are kept to a minimum.

After hours consultations are provided to regular patients of the practice. This service is provided by our after-hours locum service who offer home visits. Please call 8272 5533 after office hours.

Patients in Distress

If you feel distressed either physically or emotionally, or if you have a contagious illness, please ask reception staff to show you to a private area where you can wait for your appointment with the doctor. While these are not always vacant for use, your request will be accommodated where possible.  Please alert the reception staff if you feel significantly unwell and you can have assistance immediately.

Practice Accreditation Process

Every three years our practice undergoes a rigorous accreditation process to ensure our level of patient care meets the standards for general practice set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP).  We are independently audited to ensure these standards are met.  We will be re-accredited in 2021 and as part of our accreditation process we may ask you to participate in a confidential patient survey. These surveys are aimed at collecting your views on our practice for continuing quality purposes.

Confidentiality and Data Breaches

All consultations and medical records are held in strict confidence and no information is released without written consent from patients. At times our doctors are involved with clinical audits with the National Prescribing Service. This usually takes the form of audits with your own doctor reviewing case notes for continuing professional education purposes.  No patient identification material is released to a third party. If you do not wish to have your notes reviewed for audit purposes please let the reception team know and this will be documented in your case notes.

At Crafter Medical Centre we take information integrity very seriously and use the latest computer technologies to secure your information as best as possible.  In the unforeseen event of a data breach involving your information, we will contact you and provide you with the details of the problem and the course of action. For more information, please read the following document:

Notifiable Data Breach – Patient Information

Providing Feedback, Suggestions or Making a Complaint

We appreciate patient feedback with the aim to maintain a high-quality medical service. We encourage you to use the Feedback tab that is available on the website at the bottom of each page. Alternatively, you can telephone or write to our Practice Manager, Kate Mackenzie, or any of the doctors to express your feedback or suggestions for improvement.

However, if you have a problem you wish to deal with outside the practice: for a complaint against a specific doctor, this can be done through the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Call 1300 419 495 or visit www.ahpra.gov.au

For a complaint against the practice, contact the Department of Health and Ageing (SA Health) on 8226 6000 or visit www.sahealth.gov.au

Privacy Policy

Privacy of Patient Health Information

Doctors at this practice use Pen CS software to help provide you with the best medical care.

This practice, like others around Australia, securely shares patient health information (that is not identifiable) with the Primary Health Networks, to improve health services in this area.

If you have any questions or wish to opt out, please ask reception.

Crafter Medical Centre Privacy Policy