Appointments & Billing

Our regular clinic opening hours are:

The After Hours Service is only available to current patients of Alice St GP Rooms:

1. When the practice is closed (see Clinic Hours above), current patients can contact the doctor on duty by calling the paging service on 9962 9896.
2. When leaving a message, please provide your full name and contact number.
3. The duty doctor will decide if an after hours consultation is warranted, for which a private fee of $150 applies. 

Please note after hours care is available at the following alternative providers:

• Hospital emergency departments at no cost
• General Practice Casualty at Balmain Hospital at no cost
• Or you may phone Sydney Medical Service on 8724 6300 for an after hours home visit.

In the event of an emergency, please call 000.

Consultations at the Alice St GP Rooms are by appointment only.

Appointments can be made by calling (02) 9550 6201 and speaking to one of our friendly reception team. Alternatively, current patients can book an appointment online.

Please be advised that Dr Nyrie Dodd and Fiona Shaw RN are not available for online bookings. To make an appointment with one of our practitioners not currently offering online bookings, please call reception on (02) 9550 6201 . 

Appointments are confirmed by SMS reminder 24 to 48 hours ahead of time. Please advise reception staff if you would like to opt out of this service.

We kindly ask that you request a longer appointment if you have a complex health problem or need to discuss a number of issues with the doctor. Longer appointments are allocated for a range of health issues, e.g., new patients to the practice, 6-week mother and baby checks, pap smears, mental health consultations, minor surgical procedures, and health assessments. 

If more than one person from your family would like to see the doctor at the same time, please make a separate appointment for each family member.

Our doctors aim to see our patients in a timely manner. However, sometimes we run late due to unexpected emergencies or difficult problems. We thank you for your consideration and understanding.

We kindly ask that new patients call us on (02) 9550 6201 and speak to reception staff to book an appointment with one of our doctors. New patients to the practice will be scheduled for a longer appointment for their first visit.

IMPORTANT: Do not book your appointment unless you are certain you are available. A deposit of $50 is required to secure your booking and will be forfeited if you cancel or reschedule within a 3 hour window other than in extreme circumstances.

Your health is of paramount importance to us. So, we can provide you with premium quality service, it is critical that you honour your appointment. If you don’t, it may:

• Put your health at risk;
• Put our medical obligations to you at risk;
• Waste our preparation for your appointment / procedure;
• Impact other patients; and
• Result in us spending time chasing you that we would rather spend servicing our patients.

For these reasons, we ask that you commit in advance to your appointment by paying $50 at the time of booking. This payment:

• Will be deducted from the total cost of your appointment on the day.
• Will not be refunded if you later cancel the appointment, unless it is in circumstances outside of your reasonable control, such as a natural disaster or medical emergency; or in accordance with your rights under the Australian Consumer Law regarding the safety or quality of our services.
• Will not be applied to a rescheduled booking (i.e., a further deposit will be required).

By booking your appointment and paying the deposit you agree to the terms of this policy.

Once your appointment is booked, you can download our New Patient Registration Form on our Forms & Links page if you wish, or this form is available at reception.

Home visits are available for current patients who live within a reasonable distance from the practice, by prior arrangement only. Home visits incur a private fee and should be negotiated with your doctor. 

Current patients of the practice can request a telehealth (online video call) appointment by calling the practice or booking an appointment online.

What do I need to make a video consultation?

• A good internet connection,
• A private and well-lit area where you won’t be disturbed,
• A web camera, speakers and microphone,
• And one of the following search engines: Safari, Google Chrome and/or Firefox 68+

How do I get ready for my video consultation appointment?

1. Click on the link provided to you via SMS which will direct you to the Health Direct video call portal – you can use a phone, computer or a tablet ensuring either Google Chrome or Safari is on the device.
2. Click “start video call” which will then ask for microphone and camera access – make sure you click “allow”
3. Enter your details when prompted. This will usually be your first name, last name and mobile number.
4. All you need to do now is wait for your GP to join the consultation.

For more information, please refer to the Health Direct Video Call information from the Australian Government. 

Urgent on the day appointments are available for people with illnesses which must be dealt with promptly (e.g.,difficulty breathing, earache, high fever, urine infection etc).

If your problem is urgent, please say so when you call to make an appointment.

We kindly ask that you provide sufficient notice if you are unable to make your appointment so that we can offer the time to another patient.

Your health is of paramount importance to us. So, we can provide you with premium quality service, it is critical that you honour your appointment. If you don’t, it may:

• Put your health at risk;
• Put our medical obligations to you at risk;
• Waste our preparation for your appointment / procedure;
• Impact other patients; and
• Result in us spending time chasing you that we would rather spend servicing our patients.

A cancellation fee of $50 will be charged by your doctor if you do not attend a scheduled appointment.

We ask for 3 hours’ notice for cancellations if you cannot attend your appointment. You can cancel your appointment by calling the practice on (02) 9550 6201 .

The surgery is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Please call ahead if you require assistance with the child safety gate at the front of the premises. There is a bathroom in the practice. 

Please note our practice is a fragrance free environment.

Sometimes repeat prescriptions and referrals can be done without a consultation, subject to your doctor’s approval.

Current patients of the practice can request repeats online or by calling the practice.

Repeat scripts/referrals are charged a service fee of $30 for pick up, fax and eScript to mobile or email. Urgent repeat scripts/referrals are charged a service fee of $45.

All patients having tests are expected to return to the surgery for results to be given by their doctor in a follow up appointment. This ensures privacy and timeliness of follow up.

You can leave simple messages for your doctor by telephone during normal surgery hours. The doctor will aim to contact you back if it’s necessary. If it is an emergency, please let the receptionist know it is an urgent matter.

Electronic communication is used only for correspondence of a non-sensitive nature with email being checked on a daily basis.

Appointments are confirmed by SMS reminder 24 to 48 hours ahead of time. Our SMS reminder system is via verbal or written patient consent only. Please advise reception staff if you would like to opt out of this service.

We are also able to offer computerised reminders for some services with your consent e.g., vaccinations, Pap smears, diabetes checks, health assessments etc.

If you are having a Pap test, we will ask you if you wish to be enrolled in the NSW Pap Test Register to receive Pap reminders.

Please make sure your postal address is up to date.

Under 15 minutes consultation:

• Private fee – $92.00
• Concession fee – $76.00
• Medicare rebate – $41.40

15–30 minutes consultation:

• Private fee – $145.00
• Concession fee – $115.00
• Medicare rebate – $80.10

30–45 minutes consultation:

• Private fee – $220.00
• Concession fee – $177.00
• Medicare rebate – $118.00

Implant kits:

• Fee – $45.00

Alice St GP Rooms charges higher fees depending on the day and time. When we are open on a public holiday or after 1pm on a Saturday the following fees will apply:

• Under 15 minute consult – $100 (Medicare rebate $53.65)
• 15–30 minute consult – $180 (Medicare rebate $92.45)
• 30–45 minute consult – $240 (Medicare rebate $129.65)

Please be aware we do not offer bulk billing on Saturday appointments.

Concession rates are available for those with a valid government healthcare concession/pension card.

Extra charges may apply for procedures, travel vaccines, pregnancy tests, wound care, and after-hours consultations.

Cancellation fees are charged if you do not attend a scheduled appointment or don't provide sufficient notice. See more about cancellation fees in the Appointments section above.

Repeat scripts/referrals can be requested online or by calling the practice. This service is priced at $30 or $45 for urgent requests. 

Requests for a transfer of medical records from Alice St GP Rooms are charged a service fee of $30. See more about record transfers below in the Privacy, Records & Feedback section.

Alice St GP Rooms is a privately billing practice. Concession rates are available for those with a valid government healthcare concession/pension card. 

Please note Saturday appointments are not eligible for bulk billing.

All accounts are to be settled at the time of consultation. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we ask that you please let the doctor know.

• Visa, MasterCard, and EFTPOS facilities are available. We do not accept American Express.
• We no longer accept cash payments due to COVID.

We are pleased to offer secure electronic Medicare claiming for healthcare rebates.

If you would like to claim the online Medicare rebate, we suggest you register your bank account details with Medicare prior to the appointment if you have not done so already.

In providing medical services, it is necessary for us to collect, store and transfer personal information about you and your health. We undertake to manage such information in a secure manner and to use it only for the purpose of your health care or directly related purposes.

All patients, including children and young people, have the right to confidentiality. 

Information will not be disclosed without your consent except in an emergency, or where required by law, or for billing purposes (e.g., Medicare, pathology).

Doctors at our clinic use POLAR software to help us provide you with the best medical care. The information is secure, is de-identified and is shared with your local Primary Health Network to improve our services in the area. The information is used to plan health services across your community. If you would prefer not to have your information included please inform our reception staff.

View our privacy policy in full. A copy is also available on request at reception.

You have the right to access your medical record.

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff.

Requests for a transfer of medical records from the Alice St GP Rooms are charged a service fee of $30. To release records, we require either a direct request from the patient’s new treating doctor (including patient signature) or a signed request letter from the patient which includes 3 separate points of identification data (e.g. full name, address, date of birth, Medicare number). Requests will be dealt with within 30 days.

We appreciate your comments and suggestions for improvements.

If you have problems with any staff member or doctor, please contact the Practice Manager, Hulya Coleman or the Practice Principal, Dr. Nyrie Dodd, for a confidential discussion of the problem.

We also encourage patients to use the suggestion box located in the waiting room to provide the practice with feedback. 

If your issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, please contact the NSW Government Health Care Complaints Commission:

• Phone: 02 9219 7444 or 1800 043 159 (toll free)
• Website: https://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/Complaints