Our Practice Policies

Fees & Billing Arrangements

One way of increasing access to quality health care is by reducing costs to the patients as much as possible.

Bulk Billing

We offer Medicare Bulk Billing Service to our patients who hold a current Medicare Card. However, some of our Special Procedures do require a Private Fee which is not covered by Medicare.  Before any procedure is performed, a Doctor will discuss the fee with you where applicable.

Appointments

Monterey Keyes Medical Centre runs an appointment  system.  You can make an appointment by contacting the practice by phone on (07) 5502 6789, or booking Online. We also offer Walk-in appointments.

      10 Minutes  –  Standard Appointment

      20 Minutes  –  Long Appointment

Please inform Reception when booking if you may require a Long Appointment.  If you have any forms which need to be completed, please also advise reception as this may require a Private Fee.

Each appointment is for one person. If you have other family members who require medical attention, please make a separate booking for them, or book a double appointment.

Monterey Keys Medical Centre aim to adhere to appointment schedules however,  the unpredictable nature of a Medical Practice means that Doctors sometimes run behind time.  This is mostly due to a patient requiring urgent Medical attention. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to patients when we fall behind with our appointment schedule.

We would really appreciate if you no longer need your appointment to please call and cancel so another patient can book the appointment.

Test Results, Repeat Prescriptions, Referrals

In order to monitor your health and fulfil our ethical and legal responsibilities, we require that you attend your doctor in order to receive all results, scripts or referrals. Our Receptionists are unable to provide you with your results over the phone.

If your Doctor is unavailable another Doctor in the practice would be happy to see you to help with your request.

Recall and Reminder System

Committed to preventative care, your doctor will seek your permission to be included on our reminder system.

Routinely, we may issue you with a reminder notice offering you preventative health care services appropriate to your condition: e.g. diabetic register, pap screening, asthma register, and aged care assessment programmes.

If you do not want to be part of this scheme, please let your doctor or reception know.

Communication Policy

It is our practice policy that doctors do not take phone calls from patients or return patient’s phone calls. If a patient needs to speak to a doctor they must make an appointment to come in and see their preferred doctor.

Reception are happy to put forward requests however it is at the doctors discretion in how they choose to proceed.

Disability Facilities

This practice is designed for wheelchair access. We have a wheelchair available if required. Should you have special needs please discuss them with your doctor.

Car Parking

For your convenience car parking is available in the Monterey Keys Village  car park.

Management of Personal Health Information

Your medical records are private and confidential and only available to authorized members of staff. All information at Monterey Keys Medical 

 Centre is managed in accordance with the National Privacy Principles of the Privacy Act available at www.privacy.gov.au/health.

My Health record is a secure online summary of your health information. Assisted Registration is available at this practice, ask your doctor or receptionist at your next visit.

This practice can now upload a health summary from your records to your My Health Record.

For further information visit www.myhealthrecord.gov.au

Suggestions or Complaints

If you have any concerns, complaints or suggestions about any aspect of our service we would appreciate hearing about them and will take them seriously.

      Please:

      Phone: (07) 5502 6789

      Email:   info@montereykeysmedicalcom.au

      Use the suggestion box

      Matters which are unable to be resolved within the practice may be referred to:

      Office of the Health Ombudsman

133646 (133OHO)

complaints@oho.qld.gov.au

      PO BOX 13281

      George Street

      Brisbane    4003

Privacy Policy

Monterey Keys  Medical Centre is subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (as from March 2014).Monterey Keys Medical Centre is also subject to similar State legislation operating in some States and Territories of Australia. This document sets out Monterey Keys Village Centre’s Privacy Policy.

The purpose of this document is to explain to you how Monterey Keys Medical Centre Complies with confidentiality and privacy obligation. This policy is readily available to all practice patients.

By attending this medical centre, you consent to your personal information being collected, stored and used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Patient records

All patient records are the property Monterey Keys Medical Centre (and not the property of either the patient or the health service provider). This requirement assists, if the need arises, other health service providers in the medical centre in continuing the management of a patient’s needs.

Why do we collect your personal information?

Monterey Keys Medical Centre collects personal information about you for the primary purpose of providing quality health care, we require your consent to collect this information. It is essential you provide us with your personal details and a full medical history so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat, and be proactive in your health care needs. We use your information you provide in the following ways.

• Administrative purposes in running our medical practice.
• Billing purposes, including compliance to Medicare benefits
• Disclosure to others involved in your healthcare needs, including treating doctors and specialists outside of this medical practice. This may occur through referrals to other doctors, or for medical tests and in reports returned to us following the referrals.
• Disclosure to other doctors in the practice, locums, registrars and medical students attached to the practice for the purpose of patient care and teaching.

What type of personal information is collected and how is it used?

To enable ongoing care, quality improvement with the practice, and keeping up to date with the Privacy Act March 2014  and the National Privacy Principles we wish to provide you with sufficient information on how your personal health information may be used or disclosed and record your consent or restrictions to this consent.

• For accounting procedures and the collection of professional fees.
• The diagnosis and treatment of any health condition, including the communication of relevant information only to practice staff, specialists and other health care providers to ensure quality care is delivered. Accreditation and quality assurance activities are conducted by professional trained non treating practitioners and qualified persons, for example general practice managers.
• For legal related disclosure as required by law.
• For disease notification as required by law.
• For use when seeking treatment by other doctors in this practice.
• For the purpose of obtaining medical records, previous clinical reports and management regimes from other healthcare providers, when the MKMC GP’s are not able to  provide  such consent” 
• Follow up reminders and recall phone calls/notifications for treatment and preventative healthcare.

You are entitled to request access to your medical records. We ask that you put your request in writing and we will respond in a reasonable amount of time. We may deny access to your medical records in certain lawful circumstances, such as if disclosure may cause a serious threat to your health or safety.

We will always explain the reasons behind our decision and your further options. There may be an administrative fee for the costs of providing you with copies of your medical records.

Disclosure of personal information

Monterey Keys Medical Centre will not disclose your personal information to any third party, except in the following circumstances:

• it is for the purpose of provision of health services to you, as described above; or
• it is for a regulatory purpose described above; or
• it is part of bulk de-identified health information, as described above; or
• it is otherwise required by law.

Supplying bulk de-identified health information

Monterey Keys  Medical Centre with your consent will provide third parties with a bulk quantity of de-identified health information. Before any health information is provided to a third party it is de-identified, that is, the name and address of the patient and any other information that could otherwise allow an individual to be identified, is removed from the health information.

That de-identified information is then aggregated with the de-identified health information in respect of other patients. The third party (eg, Primary Healthcare network) uses the bulk de-identified information it receives from Monterey Keys Medical Centre for the business purposes of the third party (eg, analysis of statistics, planning and management of their health services business).

Other than as described in this policy or permitted under the National Privacy Act, Monterey Keys Medical Centre uses its reasonable endeavours to ensure that identifying health information is not disclosed to any person. We keep health information for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last entry in the patient record (unless the patient was a child in which case the record must be kept until the patient attained or would have attained 25 years of age). We are required to maintain such records under some laws.

Because of the sensitive nature of the information collected by us to provide its services, extra precautions are taken to ensure the security of that information.

 Our electronic files are password protected on several levels, and the computer back up tapes are stored off site. We require all our employees and contractors to observe obligations of confidentiality in the course of their employment/contract. We require independent contractors to sign a confidentiality undertaking.

How you can correct your personal information

If you believe that the personal information Monterey Keys Medical Centre holds about you is inaccurate, incomplete or not up-to-date please, let us know. Provided Monterey Keys Medical Centre agrees with you, we will correct it. In the case of health information you allege is incorrect, Monterey Keys Medical Centre will consult relevant health service providers about the matter. If Monterey Keys Medical Centre does not agree with you, we will place a statement of what you allege is correct where that information is kept and accessed.

Currency of this Privacy Policy

Monterey Keys Medical Centre reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. The varied policy terms will be made available to all patients at the reception counter of the medical centre. They will apply to each patient from the date that patient next visits the medical centre after the new policy was made available. You accept that by doing this, Monterey Keys Medical Centre has provided you with sufficient notice of the variation and agree you will be provided with no separate notification.

This Privacy Policy was created in January 2022.

How to contact us

Accessing your information, complaints and obtaining further information.

Any individual who wishes to:

• Complain to us about a breach of privacy; or
• Access his or her own information held by us; or
• Correct any information held by us concerning his or her own information; or
• Find out more about how we deal with personal information, that individual can contact

The Practice Manager Monterey Keys Medical Centre