Appointments

APPOINTMENT POLICY

Your Appointment:

To minimize waiting times please book all appointments in advance. A number of appointments are left open each day for patients requiring urgent attention. Standard appointment times are 10-15 minutes. If you have a complex problem or more than one issue that needs to be discussed, please tell the receptionist when making your booking so a longer appointment can be arranged. Please note that medical emergencies and sick children are always given priority. Our doctors spend as much time as necessary with every patient, so sometimes there are delays. Again you can help us by making a long appointment for complex or multiple problems.

Cancellations:

Please provide 24 hours notice if you are unable to attend your appointment, as there are often patients with urgent problems who can see the doctor in that time. A cancellation fee applies to cancelled appointments with less than 24 hours notice. In the case of a patient not arriving for a scheduled appointment, the patient will be held liable for the consultation fee and any procedure fees that were allocated to the time.

The aforementioned is standard practice as published in the Government Gazette and supported by the South African Medical Association.

After Hours Service:

A doctor is available outside of practice hours for urgent medical problems. Please telephone 064 104 7502 and note that a call out fee applies, only part of which can be claimed under medical aid. This service is dependent on doctor availability. For medical emergencies please contact your local ambulance service on 082911 or 10177.

Home & Hotel Visits:

One Care Medical Centre now offers home and hotel visits. Appointments can be arranged directly with the receptionist dependent on doctor availability.

The call out fee is ZAR 2000.

Test Results:

We recommend that all patients make a follow up appointment to discuss the results of any tests including blood tests, scans and x-rays. If you do not attend for your follow up session it can occur that your results have not been reviewed or your results were not received at the practice. One Care Medical, its doctor, staff and employees will not be liable for any negligence due to this.

Prescriptions:

If the consulting doctor agrees, prescriptions for medications can be obtained without booking an appointment. Prescription requests must be made in advance and in writing using our request form which is available via email, fax or in person. A fee equal to the a standard consultation time will apply.

Medical Certificates:

An appointment to see a doctor must be made in order to be issued with a medical certificate. We regret that certificates cannot be backdated.

Telephone / Email / Skype Communications:

Doctors are not available to take calls if they are in consultation with another patient unless it is an emergency. A professional consultation fee applies to Telephone, Email, WhatsApp or Skype communications.

Personal Health Information:

All personal, health and medical information recorded by your doctor is safely stored in an encrypted electronic database and kept strictly confidential.

Reminder System:

Our practice is committed to preventative care. We may issue you with a reminder notice via email from time to time for follow up visits, etc..

Medical Aid Claims:

If you request One Care Medical to submit your account to your medical aid or insurance company it is your responsibility to follow up with them to ensure payment is made in full and to immediately settle any balance owed by month end. We do not send out statements and any unpaid amounts are automatically followed up by our medical aid collections company who will contact you directly for any outstanding settlement. As per the Debt Collection Act you will be liable for their costs interest and admin charges. One Care Medical is not a credit provider.

Tariffs:

Tariffs are contracted out of medical aids / insurance rates and are levied at private rates. Our preferred payment methods are bank cards, cash or on-site electronic fund transfer. A list of tariffs is available at reception and is posted on the wall. Should you require you can also ask for an estimated cost before any service or procedure is performed. All patients should settle their account in full after the consultation unless a specific arrangement is made prior to your appointment. If you request us to submit your account to your medical aid or insurance company it is your responsibility to follow up with them to ensure payment is made in full and to immediately settle the balance owed by month end. Please wait in reception for a copy of the account to be provided to you before you leave the practice. The practice uses a company to handle all outstanding accounts. We do not send out statements and any unpaid amounts are followed up by our medical debt collections company who will contact you directly for any outstanding amount.