Patient Information
We welcome all new patients to Harar Medical Centre, our family practice serving the Dandenong community, open 6 days a week. We strive to provide clarity and convenience when it comes to appointments and billing. Here’s some helpful information regarding how to book, our billing processes and fees.
How to book
To see a doctor at our practice, it is always best to book appointment. Bookings can be made by phoning the practice during our opening hours, or you can book online using HotDoc, in the HotDoc app or the book online buttons on our website.
We do our best to accommodate walk-in patients although we cannot guarantee you will be seen promptly. If you would like help to choose a doctor for any specific needs, let us know.
Billing and payments
We operate as a mixed billing practice which means some eligible patients may be bulk billed, while other patients will pay a gap fee in addition to the amount paid by Medicare.
Charging a gap fee allows us to afford to take the time needed to provide quality care. We offer bulk billing for individuals under 16 and for healthcare card, pension and concession card holders.
Fees for your appointment are determined based on the concerns discussed and the complexity and length of your appointment. See our fees table for specific pricing. Payment is required on the day of your appointment by cash, credit card or debit card.
Medicare rebate
Our practice is equipped with a facility to directly lodge your receipt for Medicare, so you can receive your Medicare rebate directly into your bank account, saving you time.
Additional charges may apply for procedures, biopsies, dressings and other consumables, and it’s best to discuss these fees with our reception team before the procedure or appointment.
Our Policies
Please call and notify reception if you require an urgent appointment. The doctor will then triage the urgency according to our protocol and we will do our best to fit you in when appropriate.
Consultations with a doctor are by appointment-only. We accommodate walk-ins in case of emergency. Non-urgent walk in’s will be asked to wait as patients with appointments are prioritised. It is advisable to call ahead to avoid prolonged wait times.
We offer home visits under certain circumstances and by special arrangement for existing patients only. Please speak to our reception staff for further details including fees.
In case of an emergency, please dial 000 immediately. For non-urgent medical appointments after hours, our after-hours service is available at 13SICK. Dial 13 74 25 from your phone.
We use Hotdoc to send recalls and reminders to patients who have consented to receive them. Appointment reminders are sent out 24 hrs prior to appointment time. Please confirm your attendance or cancel the appointment when you receive this message. A no-show fee may apply if you do not cancel your appointment and do not attend.
If you would like to give feedback about your experience, this can be shared:
- Verbally to any doctor or member of our nursing or reception team
- Via our suggestion box in the waiting room
- Online feedback can be providing using the feedback form on our Contact page.
We reserve your appointment especially for you so we ask that you contact us promptly if you are unable to attend. This will free up your appointment for another patient. All no-shows and cancellations within 2hrs of your appointment time will incur a fee of $40 (this must be paid before any further appointment can be made).
Please note we do not contact patients for normal results. However, you are more than welcome to book in with your doctor to discuss normal results.
Results follow up is usually discussed at the end of your appointment. Your doctor may ask you to book a follow up appointment in advance for your results. In some cases we may send you an SMS to discuss non-urgent result, provided you had not opted-out of sms reminders and recalls/results. If you have opted-out, you will not receive an sms from us.
The results SMS notification comes from HotDoc, which contains a link to a secure site. It will ask you to confirm your identity with your surname and date of birth. The message will advise that you make an non-urgent appointment to see your doctor. In the event that your results are urgent, sthe doctor or practice nurse will call you as appriopriate.
If you would like to check if you are opted-in/out of reminders or results/recalls, check with our reception staff or your doctor at your next appointment.
Our practice uses email in certain settings to provide convenience to our patients. All emails are outgoing from the practice.
There are some risks associated with the use of email, particularly as we are dealing with sensitive information. We require patients to read our email policy and have signed an email consent form prior to receiving any emails from us.
We DO NOT take appointment bookings or accept medical requests via email. There are a few reasons for this:
- Email is not a secure mode of communication and there are cybersecurity risks associated with unnecessary use of email
- We also cannot guarantee an immediate response to our emails – it may take us 1-2 working days to get back to you. This can be dangerous if your request is urgent.
- We have systems in place to triage patient requests. Following these systems ensures a smooth process and makes sure you, the patient, is looked after as best as possible and ensures a positive experience. As part of our system, we do not accept such request via email.
If you wish to make a booking please book online via Hotdoc or call reception. If you have a specific medical request please call our friendly reception team who can help.
To prevent illness spread, we request patients with cold/flu symptoms please wear a mask while in the clinic. If you experience respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, please inform our reception in advance. On arrival, you may be asked to sit in an isolated area or wait in the car. These steps help protect other patients and our staff. We are a small clinic and infection spread can result in significant staff shortages . We can only help you if we are well. Please contact our clinic if you have any concerns or queries.
Our practice has a code of conduct which outlines the expected standard of behaviour by all patients. By attending our practice you are agreeing to meet this standard.
In summary we do not condone:
- Swearing or abuse toward our team or Doctors
- Questioning or refusal to follow our practice policies (which are in place for patient and practice safety)
- Private patients leaving the practice without paying
- Attending the practice if affected by alcohol or drugs
- Attending for the purpose of obtaining drugs of addiction
- Intimidation or bullying behaviour toward the Doctors or our team
For further information please ask at Reception.
Click here to see the Privacy Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that has not been answered below, please contact our friendly staff.
Fees and Payments
You can see our list of fees here.
We use Medicare Easyclaim to direct debit the rebate into your nominated bank account. If you have not set up your bank account with Medicare we can provide you with a receipt to claim your rebate via MyGov.
We accept payment via cash or credit/debit card. We do not accept direct debit/bank transfers.
Standard consultation fees apply to those without a Medicare card and are payable at the time of consultation. A receipt will be provided and those with private health can claim a rebate from their private health insurer.
For newborn babies who yet have not received their Medicare card a consultation fee of $65 is payable on the day by the parent/guardian. A receipt will be provided which can be used to claim a Medicare rebate once they receive their Medicare card.
There is no out of pocket fee for Work Cover or TAC consultations, however the full consultation fee is payable by the patient at the time of consultation, which can later be claimed back by the patient from the relevant insurer. We are unable to directly bill the insurer.
Please note we do not accept new Work Cover or TAC patients. This service is only available to existing patients.
Preparation of GP Management Plans, Team Care Arrangements, Mental Health Care Plans and Health Assessments are bulk-billed. This means there are no out of pocket cost to the patient for these services.
Regarding GP Management Plans/Team Care Arrangements: Please note allied health providers may charge a private fee for their services, the above information refers to the preparation of the care plan by your GP only.
Appointments
A standard appointment is up to 15 minutes. This appointment type is suitable to address 1-2 straightforward issues. eg. sick with cough/cold and a repeat prescription.
if you have a complex medical issue, or for 2 -3 straightforward issues please book a double appointment (15- 30 minutes). If you have more than 3 issues or complex medical needs you may require multiple appointments.
Extended appointments (>30mins) are available on case-by-case basis. Please speak to our friendly reception team if you feel you require an extended appointment.
Yes, under certain circumstances and by special arrangement for existing patients only. Please speak to our reception staff for further details including fees.
This service is only available to existing patients. New patients are required to book a standard appointment and standard consultation fees apply.
Results
No. To ensure a high level of care if provided we require you to discuss your results with your doctor prior to releasing the results. This makes sure you fully understand the results and have a clear plan from your doctor moving forward.
Even if your tests results are normal your GP may need to assess if further examination or investigations are required.
Furthermore, only your doctor has access to your medical file therefore it is not possible to get your results over the phone from reception staff.
Accessing the clinic
Yes, everyone who visits can access all areas of the clinic. This includes people using wheelchairs and mobility aids.
We have plenty of free on-site parking available at the clinic.
Additional parking options:
- Unlimited free street parking is available along Cleeland Steet.
- Parking is available at JC Mills Reserve which is located opposite our clinic.
Yes we welcome and can accommodate for patient with hearing impairments and language barriers. Some of our doctors are multilingual and may speak your language, please ask reception staff if you require a doctor who speaks a specific language.
If your doctor does not speak your language we are able to use an interpreter service if necessary. This helps your doctor ensure they fully understand the nature of patients’ problems, and to ensure patients understand the outcome of their consultation.
Further information about the Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS) can be found here: https://www.tisnational.gov.au/.
If you are hearing-impaired the TIS can contact us and verbalise what you are typing to them.
Pre-booking is preferred for hearing barriers as an interpreter is needed on-site but language barriers can often be helped there and then if your Provider rings the TIS service.
Some languages may need a pre-booked interpreter so best to contact the website above to check prior to the appointment.
Yes, our practice is participating in the ‘Close the Gap’ government initiative. Please tell reception, our nurses or your doctor if you identify with being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island origin.
Vaccinations
National Immunisation Program (NIP) vaccines:
We offer and stock all National Immunisation Program (NIP) funded immunisations in the clinic. These are free and includes all NIP childhood immunisations, catch-up immunisations, Shingles vaccination for those aged 65 and over, pneumococcal vaccinations for those aged 70 and over, whooping cough for pregnant women and flu shots for >65yo and at risk patients, amongst others. Please note Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients may be eligible for more vaccinations or vaccinations at an earlier age.
We also provide and stock the whooping cough (pertussis) and influenza vaccines which are free for pregnant women under the NIP.
*Please note the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine is now only free under the NIP for pregnant women. Other family members including their partner will require a script to purchase the script privately.
You can find a copy of the NIP Schedule here:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-immunisation-program-schedule?language=en
Catch up vaccinations:
Eligible people under 20 years old and refugees and other humanitarian entrants of any age can get a free catch-up vaccination. This is if they did not receive the vaccines in childhood and it is recommended to receive the vaccine.1
For catch up vaccinations please book a consultation with the doctor to organise a catch-up schedule first.
Flu shots:
We offer and stock flu shots for all patients 6 months of age and above. We provide both NIP funded flu shots for eligible patients and private flu shots for all other patients.
Free seasonal influenza vaccine is funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for the following groups at higher risk of complications from influenza:
- people aged six months to less than five years (can be given at the same time as childhood vaccines)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and older
- pregnant women (can be given at any stage of each pregnancy)
- people aged 65 years and older (a vaccine that is specifically designed to produce a higher immune response is available for this group).
- people aged six months and older with medical conditions putting them at increased risk of severe influenza and its complications
Private flu shots are available at the clinic for $20.
For more information on NIP funded flu vaccines see here: https://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation/seasonal-influenza-vaccine
COVID vaccines:
We offer and stock Pfizer COVID vaccines boosters at our clinic. COVID vaccines are government funded (free) for all patients eligible for a booster dose. They can be co-administered with the flu vaccine.
If you wish to book for a COVID vaccination please call our reception as we are not accepting online bookings for COVID vaccination.
Travel vaccines:
We offer travel vaccines however we do not stock them at the clinic. The vaccines required will depend on lots of factors including your travel destination, your medical history and when you last had travel vaccines. You will need to book an appointment with your doctor to discuss which vaccines are required for your travels as well as to discuss any other travel health needs – prescriptions, etc.. during your appointment your doctor can provide you a script for your travel vaccines which can be filled at the pharmacy. We can then book you in for administration of the vaccine with either the nurse or doctor.
Vaccinations can be booked with either the doctor or the nurse. Consultations with the nurse are bulk-billed.
No we do not offer yellow fever vaccination at our clinic. You can find a list of nearby yellow fever vaccination providers here https://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation/yellow-fever-vaccination-centres
We do offer other travel vaccines. You will need to book an appointment with your doctor to discuss which travel vaccines are required for your trip and to get a prescription for the vaccines.
No, we do not offer Q Fever vaccinations.
