Communicating via telephone calls

Doctors prioritise patient consults in the surgery and are generally unable to receive or return patient phone calls, and are not able to respond to emails. As most issues are best dealt with in a consultation, we encourage you to schedule an appointment at a convenient time. A telehealth consult can be booked if you would prefer an appointment via the telephone. Some conditions require a face-to-face visit and your doctor may communicate this to you during a telehealth consult.

The practice adheres to the principles of the Australian Privacy Principles and Privacy Act relevant to the ACT. The following guidelines guide communication practices.

Communicating by electronic means

When we communicate with patients electronically (eg by telehealth, email, secure messaging or text message), we :

• adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Privacy Act 1988 and any state-specific laws
• clearly state what content the practice team can and cannot send using electronic communication (eg your practice might require that sensitive information only be communicated in person by a medical practitioner or other appropriate health professional, unless there are exceptional circumstances)
• inform patients that there are risks associated with some methods of electronic communications and that their privacy and confidentiality may be compromised
• obtain consent from the patient before sending health information to the patient electronically (consent is implied if the patient initiates electronic communication with the practice) or through technology to undertake appointments
• document in patient health record the outcome of your request for consent to communicate electronically
• check that the information is correct and that you are sending it to the correct email address, phone number, or person, before sending the information
• avoid sending information that promotes products and/or preventive healthcare, because some patients can interpret this as an advertisement.

The practice uses email primarily to correspond with other health care professionals and does not encourage the use of correspondence with patients. All correspondence of an emergency nature should not be sent via email.

Complaints

Complaints can be made to The Practice Manager at Hughes Family Practice, 3 McNicoll St Hughes ACT 2605, or phone 0261815060. The Practice Manager will respond to your complaint within 7 working days. You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992. If you feel your complaint has not been adequately attended to you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner on (02) 6205 2222.
Health Reminders

We offer a recall and reminder system for essential screenings, immunisations, and care plan reviews. These reminders help ensure you stay on track with your health needs. If you prefer not to receive reminders, please inform our administration staff.