Who can use this service?

Users of this service must be at least 18 years of age to book a consultation with a practitioner, or if under the age of 18 years, must have present with them a parent or their legal guardian at all consultations. Users of the service must agree to and accept our terms and conditions for the use of the service. For all appointments and consultations you will provide proof of identity with current valid driver’s license or other legal document if we
require you to do so.

Release of Liability

This website and service is owned and operated by Promed Australia Pty Ltd (ACN: 160 059 281) trading as “Petersham Family Medical Centre”. We operate as a general medical practice to facilitate the treatment of patients by independent General Medical Practitioners and other health practitioners registered in Australia, who offer both in-person and online/telehealth consultations to their patients. All of our doctors are Australian Medical Board Certified medical practitioners and all allied health practitioners are registered in Australia, supported by a wide range of health professionals, medical practice administration and recruitment professionals, and specialists in communications and information technology. Furthermore, users acknowledge that medical or healthcare services provided on the website, and by the service, are provided by the medical and health practitioners themselves, with Petersham Family Medical Centre facilitating the consultation by means of the web site and the facilities of the practice; and that Petersham Family Medical Centre does not in itself offer or provide the service.  Doctors using our website/facilities are independent practitioners and are individually responsible for their own clinical decisions, and patients acknowledge they will not hold Petersham Family Medical Centre, or their agents, servants, officers, contractors, directors, assigns or successors, liable for any medical or healthcare service or advice given by a practitioner associated with the service. Users of the service agree to indemnify Petersham Family Medical Centre against any and all liabilities, losses, claims, proceedings, actions, and expenses as a result of or in connection with the use of the site and associated services.

Online/Telehealth services for non-regular patients

Our Online/Telehealth services are not a substitute for ongoing regular face-to-face medical care. Online/telehealth services from Petersham Family Medical Centre cannot replace your usual ongoing healthcare from your own
doctor or other healthcare professionals. To use our online/telehealth service you agree to inform your doctor or GP afterwards about any medical or healthcare treatment you received via this service. Neither the doctors associated with our online/telehealth services, nor Petersham Family Medical Centre, are responsible for follow-up treatment after you use this service. You must contact your own GP or another healthcare provider immediately if you are advised to do so by a doctor on this service, or if your symptoms worsen or your condition changes.

Use of service not for emergencies

Services from Petersham Family Medical Centre are not intended for medical emergencies requiring urgent treatment. In the case of medical emergencies, please contact your local emergency services immediately.

Intellectual Property

The complete contents of the site (www.pfmc.net.au) are the exclusive property of Petersham Family Medical Centre and are protected by Australian and international intellectual property and copyright laws. Use of the site must be for non-commercial purposes only.

Privacy

Users’ personal health and other information is kept confidential at all times. It is a requirement of the Privacy Act 1988 that the security of users’ personal health information is maintained at all times. Petersham Family Medical Centre uses advanced technology to ensure and maintain data security. Data is kept secure through a comprehensive set of policies, processes and digital infrastructure including access controls, firewalls, data encryption, intrusion detection, system redundancy, and other security measures. These policies and procedures in place guarantee the protection of the personal information of users. By accessing or using this site and the service, users accept and agree to our privacy policy.

Prescriptions

All prescriptions, referrals and​ ​certificates​ ​given during a consultation by any of our practitioners are given ​at​ ​the​ ​discretion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Healthcare provider. ​Petersham Family Medical Centre cannot guarantee that a consultation with
a Health Provider will result in a prescription being issued.

In the event that a practitioner prescribes a prescription to a patient for any telehealth/online consultation, that prescription will be sent by the practitioner electronically either to the patient as an ePrescription or a
registered Australian pharmacy of the patient’s choice, or if the patient does not specify a pharmacy, it will be sent to an Australian accredited pharmacy situated in an area close to the patient’s home. The pharmacy will then
dispense the medication.All prescriptions, referrals and​ ​certificates​ ​given during a consultation by any of our practitioners are given ​at​ ​the​ ​discretion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Healthcare provider. ​ Petersham Family Medical Centre cannot guarantee that a consultation with a Health Provider will result in a prescription being issued.

Fees

All eligible patients who have a valid Medicare card will be bulk-billed.

Private Patients

Patients who do not have a valid Medicare card or not eligible for bulk billing will be privately billed. Private consultation fees vary with the nature and length of consultation.

For example, the fee for a standard (i.e. 10 minute or less) GP consultation is $45 and applies even if the consultation is less than 10 minutes. International/overseas patients will also be privately billed and these patients may make a claim for this fee through their travel insurance.

Users​ ​must pay​ ​the​ ​full​ ​fee ​ ​for​ ​a​ ​consultation​ and no refund applies if​ ​users​ do​ ​not​ ​make themselves available at the scheduled appointment time, or if they cancel an appointment within 60 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. However, if the practitioner cancels the appointment, then the consultation fee will be refunded in full, and the refund will be processed within 3-5 working days (it may take longer in some cases). No refund is available if ​the​ ​outcome​ ​of​ ​the consultation​ ​is​ ​a​ ​referral​ to another practitioner ​or​ ​if​ ​a​ ​script​ ​is​ ​requested by the patient but not​ ​provided by the practitioner.

In the case of privately billed patients, users agree to authorise Petersham Family Medical Centre to process all fees and charges relating to the consultation on the credit/debit card provided by the user. In providing payment card details, users agree that Petersham Family Medical Centre is authorised to use the credit/debit card provided to make the payment.

Availability of Doctors

Not all doctors are available for consultation to all patients at all times. If a particular doctor is not available at a given time, we will endeavour to offer you an appointment with another doctor on the site who may be available at your preferred time.

Duration of a standard GP Consultation and waiting times

A standard GP consultation is up to 10 minutes, which is usually enough time for a GP to see a patient if the issue is not complex. If you have several issues, you may need to book a long appointment to allow your GP to address each of your concerns. At the start of the consultation, please try to advise the doctor of all the issues you wish to discuss. If you have booked a standard consultation, i.e. up to 10 minutes, the doctor may not be able to extend your consultation time beyond the initial 10 minutes because, in most cases, doctors have back-to back appointments already booked. However, you can book a further appointment at another time if necessary with the same or a different doctor.

As patients have varying needs, and sometimes may require extended time with their doctor, doctors can at times run behind with their appointments. When this happens, you may be required to wait beyond the appointed time for your appointment. This is unavoidable, and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. Your doctor will call you on the phone number you have provided as soon as they are available.

What if you need a physical examination or diagnostic test?

In some circumstances you may require a physical examination and/or certain diagnostic tests, in which case the​ In the course of a telehealth/online consultation, you may need to undergo a physical examination and/or certain diagnostic tests which cannot be done online or over the phone. In this case the​ doctor may ​need to ​refer you ​​to​
​another​ ​health​ ​practitioner for a face-to-face consultation and a physical examination, or for further investigation(s).

Cancellation

If for any reason, we need to cancel your account, Petersham Family Medical Centre ​​reserves​ ​the​ ​right​ ​to​ ​do so​ ​and​ may decline​ ​you​ ​service at any time​ ​without explanation.

Unauthorised use

Your​ ​account​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​accessed or used​ ​by​ ​other​ ​user(s) and you will take all reasonable steps to stop a third party gaining access to your account.