Patient Information

To help ensure patients are booked into the most appropriate appointment type, our reception staff may ask questions regarding the reason for your visit. This allows us to allocate sufficient time and resources for your care.

Standard appointments are generally 15 minutes and are intended for one health concern. If you have multiple or more complex concerns, a longer appointment may be recommended by either you or your GP.

Our practice utilises practice nurses to support both patients and doctors. Nurses assist with a range of healthcare services including:

• Immunisations
• Health assessments
• Care plans
• Cervical screening
• Medicals
• Procedures
• Preparation of paperwork and forms

Our nurses may also see patients prior to their GP appointment to obtain medical histories, blood pressure, weight, and other clinical information, as well as identify preventative health needs.

Our practice welcomes new patients.

New patients can book appointments:

• In person
• By phone
• Online via HotDoc

Please note that our GPs exercise clinical discretion regarding prescribing and the provision of medical care. In some circumstances, your doctor may require records from your previous practice before providing certain treatments or prescribing medications to ensure safe and appropriate care.

Initial appointments for new patients are standard 15-minute consultations.

New patient registration forms can be completed:

• In person at the practice
• Electronically via links provided through HotDoc

A limited number of same-day appointments are available each day for urgent medical concerns.

These appointments can only be booked from 8:30am on the day and are triaged according to clinical urgency. Availability is limited and cannot be guaranteed.

Better Health South Tamworth is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm.

For medical care outside these hours:

• Contact 13CURE for after-hours GP services
• Call Healthdirect Australia on 1800 022 222 for health advice

For emergencies:

• Tamworth Hospital Emergency Department
• Call 000 immediately for life-threatening emergencies

Better Health South Tamworth is a bulk billing practice.

Services provided under eligible Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item numbers are bulk billed for patients with a valid Medicare card.

Some services are not covered under Medicare and may incur a private fee. Our team aims to advise patients of any applicable fees prior to their appointment wherever possible.

Payment is required at the time of consultation. We accept:

• Cash
• EFTPOS
• Credit card

A schedule of fees is available from reception.

Better Health South Tamworth believes that the highest standard of healthcare is generally provided through face-to-face consultations.

Telehealth and alternative appointment arrangements may be offered in certain circumstances at the discretion of the treating GP. Eligibility for these appointments is determined based on clinical appropriateness, patient safety, and current Medicare requirements.

Patients requesting telehealth services may be asked to attend the practice for an in-person appointment where clinically required.

Our practice is committed to providing patients with timely access to care. Appointment availability can vary depending on demand, doctor availability, and the nature of appointments required. We aim to offer routine appointments within 2–3 weeks where possible.

When attending the practice, every effort is made to minimise waiting times. However, unforeseen circumstances and medical emergencies may occasionally result in delays. Our team will endeavour to keep patients informed of any extended wait times.

If you are unable to wait for your appointment, please speak with our reception team to discuss alternative arrangements.

Our practice is committed to safe, respectful, and confidential communication with patients.

We communicate with patients:

• Face-to-face within the practice
• By telephone during business hours
• Via email for non-clinical matters
• Through HotDoc

All communication is managed in accordance with privacy and confidentiality requirements. We are happy to work with patients to accommodate communication needs wherever possible.

Our GPs prescribe medications in accordance with current clinical guidelines and best practice recommendations.

Prescribing decisions remain at the discretion of the treating doctor. Our practice does not prescribe drugs of dependence or addictive medications unless clinically appropriate and in line with regulatory requirements.

To ensure safe and appropriate care, repeat prescriptions and referrals require a face to face consultation with your GP.

Our priority is to provide safe, high-quality healthcare and ensure that all medications and referrals remain appropriate for your individual circumstances.

As a practice, we do not routinely provide repeat prescriptions or referrals without a consultation. We encourage patients to monitor the expiry of their prescriptions and referrals and to book review appointments advance. 

Our doctors prescribe medications in accordance with current clinical guidelines, evidence-based practice, and individual patient needs. All prescribing decisions are made at the discretion of the treating GP.

We support the safe and responsible prescribing of medications. "Drugs of dependence, addictive medications, and other high-risk medicines will only be prescribed when clinically appropriate and in accordance with relevant legislation, regulatory requirements, and practice policies."

We do not believe that it is in the best interests of your health to issue repeat prescriptions and referrals without seeing you. Please ensure that all your prescriptions and referrals are up to date when consulting your doctor.

At Better Health South Tamworth, we use HotDoc to securely send some non-urgent test results and clinical updates.

If your doctor has reviewed your results and no urgent action is needed, you may receive a HotDoc message confirming this. These messages are for non-urgent results only and do not replace medical advice.

If your results need urgent attention, a member of our team will contact you by phone.

Reception staff cannot provide test results over the phone or in person. If you would like to discuss your results, please book an appointment with your doctor.

We recommend booking a follow-up appointment when your tests are requested, as some results need to be reviewed with your doctor. This helps avoid delays due to appointment wait times.

If you have not received your results or have any concerns, please contact the practice to arrange an appointment.

Our practice operates a reminder and recall system to help patients stay up to date with recommended health checks, vaccinations, screening tests, chronic disease reviews, and clinically important follow-up appointments. 

You may receive reminders or recalls by SMS, HotDoc message, telephone, email, or letter.

Our practice supports preventative healthcare and may issue reminder notices for services such as health checks, screening tests, immunisations, and chronic disease management.

If you do not wish to participate in our reminder system, please notify your doctor or reception staff.

Better Health South Tamworth is committed to providing accessible and inclusive healthcare for all patients.

Our practice offers:

• Wheelchair access
• Accessible parking
• Accessible toilet facilities
• Access to interpreter services through TIS National
• Support for patients with additional care or communication needs

Carers, family members, and support persons are welcome to attend appointments with patient consent.

If you require additional assistance when attending the practice, please advise our reception team so we can support your healthcare needs appropriately.