Communications Policy
- Communications Policy
At Harding Street Medical Centre, we aim to provide timely and appropriate communication with our patients. - Phone calls
Please contact reception during opening hours for appointments and general enquiries. Reception may pass simple messages to doctors but an appointment is recommended where clinical advice is required. In some cases doctors may return calls from a private number.
We endeavour to address urgent issues on the same day where possible.
Non-urgent messages may require 2–3 business days for a response. - Emergencies and after-hours care
For emergencies, call 000.
For medical care outside our normal opening hours, we partner with Doctor Doctor (13 26 60) for after-hours care. - Email
Email is not our preferred method of communication.
Email details may be provided where appropriate for sending non-urgent documents to be uploaded to a patient file.
Emails are not checked every day, are always treated as non-urgent, and may take 2–3 business days to be actioned.
Please do not use email for urgent medical issues or clinical questions.
Email is generally considered to be non-secure and any information shared to Harding Street Medical Centre via email is done so at the senders risk.
Attachments received from Harding Street Medical Centre will be locked with a PIN unless there is consent stating otherwise. - SMS and reminders
Appointment reminders and confirmations are sent automatically through HotDoc. Our SMS system is one-way only. Please do not reply to reminder messages. - Online bookings and telehealth
Not all appointment types are available online. If you cannot book a suitable appointment online, please call reception for assistance.
Phone and video consultations are available where appropriate. Medicare rebates for telehealth are generally only available for patients who have attended the clinic for a face-to-face appointment in the last 12 months, or who are registered with the clinic through MyMedicare.
If a video consultation fails, your doctor will attempt to call you on a private number. If you cannot be reached, the appointment may need to be rescheduled. - Interpreter services
Interpreter services can be arranged through reception when booking an appointment. Please let us know if you need an interpreter, as a longer appointment is required. - Privacy
Electronic communication, including email and SMS, carries some privacy and security risk. Sensitive or urgent matters are best managed by phone or in a consultation. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information.