Policies
Privacy Policy
Our medical centre complies with all confidentiality and privacy obligations. Please refer to our
Privacy Policy or ask reception.
Specialist referrals
These must be done during a consultation with your GP. Repeat referrals are given at your GPs discretion and you may be charged a fee.
Telehealth
If you are a regular patient, telehealth services may be available. Telehealth services are at the discretion of your GP. For more information, please contact the practice.
Translator services
For patients with language difficulties, a telephone translator service can be arranged by calling 131 450.
For patients with hearing difficulties, Auslan interpreters can be arranged by calling 1300 287 526.
Please advise the receptionist if you think this might be needed.
Walk-ins
This centre operates on an appointment basis. Walk-ins are accepted, however, there may be an unavoidable wait as priority is given to patients who have a booked appointment with their GP.
Waiting times
At times, you may experience a waiting period due to your GP attending to urgent or complex medical issues. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
Communication Policy
GP Belconnen is committed to providing timely, respectful and confidential communication with our patients.
Telephone Calls
Our reception team is available during practice opening hours to assist with appointments and general enquiries.
If you wish to speak with your GP, reception will take a message. As doctors are usually consulting with patients, they may not be able to take your call immediately.
Where appropriate, your doctor or another member of the clinical team will return your call as soon as practical, usually within one business day. If your concern is urgent, please advise our reception staff so the message can be prioritised.
Email Communication
General enquiries may be sent to reception@gpbelconnen.com.au.
Emails are reviewed during normal business hours only and are not continuously monitored. We aim to respond to routine enquiries within one to two business days.
Please do not use email for:
- urgent medical problems
- emergencies
- requests requiring immediate medical advice.
SMS Communication
With your consent, we may send SMS messages for:
- appointment reminders
- recalls
- test result notifications
- preventive health reminders.
SMS messages should not be used to seek medical advice.
After Hours
Outside normal opening hours, if your condition cannot safely wait until the practice reopens, please contact an appropriate after-hours medical service.
If you have a medical emergency, call 000 immediately or attend your nearest Emergency Department.
Privacy
Telephone messages and electronic communications are managed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the Australian Privacy Principles. Clinical information will only be communicated using secure methods where appropriate.
Cancellation and DNA Policy
Please ring the centre and inform the reception team if you are running late. Staff will do their best to help you and accommodate your needs. But being late may be unfair to other patients who would be made to wait.
Missed or cancelled appointments with less than 4 hours’ notice may attract a cancellation fee of $40 for short consultations and $80 for long consultations.
Appointments booked between 8 a.m. and 12 noon must be cancelled before the close of business the previous day.
Some more detailed procedures incur an additional cost. Please note that you will be unable to see any of our doctors until the fee is paid.
Electronic Communication
Our practice values your privacy. At times, we may email you from our secure email system or practice software. You may also receive SMS messages if you have opted in to receive them.
Emergencies
Please dial Triple Zero (000) or attend the nearest hospital in an emergency.
The nearest hospital to the centre is:
North Canberra Hospital
Mary Potter Circuit, Bruce ACT
Test Results
It is our Practice policy that patients make appointments to come back and see their GP for their test results. Appointments can be face-to-face or via a Telehealth consultation. Results are not given over the phone by receptionists. If the result is urgent, you will be contacted to come in earlier for review. Non-urgent review of results should be done within 2 weeks of receiving the notification. We may contact you through SMS, phone, and/or letters regarding your results, follow-up appointments or routine preventative healthcare like vaccinations or screenings. To ensure we can contact you about your results and appointments, please advise our reception team that you would like to opt in to receive SMS communications, or if you need to update your contact details on our records.
Medical Certificates
You must make an appointment to get a medical certificate, and we regret that they cannot be backdated.
Consultation Notes
GP Belconnen may use secure clinical documentation assistance software to support doctors in recording consultation notes. The software operates under clinician supervision and does not make clinical decisions. Information is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Australian Privacy Principles, and RACGP confidentiality standards. Patients may opt out at any time without impact on care.
Use of AI-Assisted Clinical Note-Taking
At GP Belconnen, our doctors may use secure artificial-intelligence (AI) technology during consultations to assist with recording clinical notes.
This allows your doctor to spend more time listening to you and focusing on your care, and less time typing during the consultation.
The AI tool simply helps document what is discussed and does not make medical decisions — all clinical decisions are made solely by your doctor.
Your privacy and confidentiality remain very important to us. The information is handled in accordance with Australian privacy laws and medical confidentiality standards.
If you prefer not to have AI-assisted note-taking used during your consultation, please let your doctor know at any time — this will not affect your care in any way.
Social Media Policy
GP Belconnen uses social media to share general health information, practice updates and information about our services.
Medical advice and emergencies
Our social media pages are not monitored continuously and must not be used for:
- Medical advice, diagnosis or treatment
- Emergencies or urgent health concerns
- Appointments, prescriptions, referrals or test results
- Sending personal, medical or confidential information
For appointments or enquiries, call (02) 6188 9881. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or attend the nearest emergency department.
Privacy
To protect your privacy, please do not post personal health information on our pages or send it through social media messages. GPB cannot discuss or confirm whether a person is a patient or respond publicly to matters concerning an individual’s care.
Comments and moderation
We welcome respectful, relevant feedback. GPB may hide or remove content that:
- Contains personal, medical or confidential information
- Is abusive, discriminatory, threatening or defamatory
- Contains spam, advertising or misleading information
- Provides unsafe medical advice
- Includes clinical testimonials or other content that cannot lawfully appear in health-service advertising
- Infringes another person’s privacy or intellectual property
Users who repeatedly breach these standards may be blocked.
General information
Health information published by GPB is general in nature and does not replace individual medical advice or a consultation. Following, liking or commenting on a GPB social media page does not establish a doctor–patient relationship.
For concerns about GPB’s social media content, contact the Practice Manager at
pm@gpbelconnen.com.au or
(02) 6188 9881.