FAQ's

We are committed to having our appointments run on time. We do have to balance this goal with our need to provide timely access to people with urgent acute illness or injury. If you are pressed for time please let reception know on check in so that we can meet you needs.

If there is a delay in seeing your doctor we will endeavor to make this wait as pleasant as possible or find an acceptable alternative solution.

A standard appointment is usually booked for 15 minutes.

Please ask the receptionist to book a longer consultation if you need a general check-up, have multiple or complex problems or need a consultation that will include counselling.

If the doctor has asked you to arrange an appointment for a procedure, they will indicate how long will be needed for that procedure, and whether our nurses and treatment rooms needs to be booked as well.

Yes in most cases you will need to make an appointment unless there is a specific reason that makes that unnecessary or not possible. If you require only a prescription to be written, then the doctor may bulk bill that consultation.

Prescriptions for medications used to manage chronic conditions do require regular appointments to ensure the goals of treatment are being achieved with safety, for instance checking blood pressure tests or requesting blood tests.

The frequency of visits should be discussed with your doctor so that you are seen at appropriate intervals that meet your specific health needs.

Medicare requires that you have a current referral letter from your GP to see a specialist. Referrals to specialists are valid for only twelve months and it is not legal to backdate a referral. Therefore we request that you make an appointment with your GP at least one week prior to your specialist appointment so that we can write a letter containing all the current relevant information.

Yes. A certificate states that the doctor has seen you to certify any illness or injury. This document has legal standing so you must make an appointment to see a GP if you require a medical certificate.

There are now two ways to make an appointment.

Firstly you could simply telephone for an appointment any time after 7:30 am Monday to Saturday. Our main telephone number is 07 3208 6122.

Our receptionists will make an appointment and ask you which doctor you would like to see, on which day and at what time of the day you prefer.

If you require anything other than a standard appointment please let reception know that you might require a longer appointment or an additional appointment with our practice nurses.

If you require an urgent appointment for the same day please let our reception staff know as early as possible so that we can arrange an appropriate time.

Secondly you can make your own appointment online with most of our doctors using the Appointuit software app. You will find a link to this application on our website which works for both Apple iPhones and android phones as well as directly from your personal computer.

Appointments are available every day for urgent bookings. These urgent same-day appointments are available by telephoning the practice after 7:30 am. We suggest you telephone as early as possible when you have determined that you have an urgent medical problem. The reception staff member may ask you to speak with a doctor or nurse to determine the best approach to managing an urgent appointment.

Yes we are able to confirm test results over the phone and provide advice from our practice nurses within two working days following test collection.

The doctor will usually attach a message to the test result and our nurses will assist with any explanations and advice for follow up.

Very soon will also be implementing an electronic access portal for appropriate patients to view their test results and advice online via a secure login.

If you need further information about your test results you may need to speak to the doctor directly or make an appointment with your doctor.

A family member can access your test results only with your permission. Privacy laws make it illegal to disclose any information about a patient without their prior consent. If you want a family member to have access to your results, you will need to have that noted that in your file.

Yes if there is an urgent medical issue we can arrange for phone contact with a nurse or doctor.

Most of our doctors will not be able to take non-urgent patients’ phone calls during a consultation, as it is important to keep interruptions to a minimum. If you can provide a contact number a nurse or doctor will return your call as soon as is practicable.

If the matter is urgent please let reception staff know the general nature of the urgency so that your call can be dealt with appropriately.

Some of our doctors can assist with pre-arranged home visits. Home visits are only available if the patient is unable to come to the surgery due to illness or frailty. A home visit will usually be scheduled at the completion of a doctor’s usual practice session.

How practice aims to provide the best quality care at all times. We believe that if we can deliver excellent healthcare and advice during our regular opening hours, then we will also be able to manage the provision of non-emergency after hours care ourselves. Dr. John Kastrissios and Dr. Ian Cheong are available to take phone calls from regular patients of our practice in the after-hours periods.

If you telephone after hours you will hear a recorded message giving the phone numbers for our own practice doctors who provide after hours cover.

Practice phone number: (07) 3208 6122

Dr. John Kastrissios: Mobile phone: 0412 011 448
Dr. Ian Cheong: Mobile phone: 0404 540 570

You may also contact an after hours medical service who can provide home visits after hours if appropriate. Brisbane After Hours Doctors Phone: 1300 466 337

Our medical record is stored in a secure computer system that can be accessed only by our authorised doctors and nurses. Any doctor or nurse at our practice can use the medical record to assist you to manage your health.

Some specialist letters and most blood test results and radiology reports are sent to the practice electronically by secure email. Some public hospital discharge summaries are now also sent via secure encrypted email.

Our practice supports the national e-health record called the Person Controlled Electronic Health Record. The PCEHR safely stores your health record summary where you can then authorise access for nominated health care providers. Your GP can contribute to your health record by uploading summary past medical history, medication lists and allergies with your permission. The PCEHR will provide a secure national system for emergency access to your health record with appropriate controls that you manage.

Our practice complies with the national standards regarding the management of health records and the relevant legislation regarding privacy.

Our medical practitioners adhere to the AMA code of ethics regarding privacy and confidentiality.

Springwood Group General Practice is open 6 days a week.

Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 7:30 PM

Saturday from 8 AM to 4 PM

We have both male and female doctors with a very wide range of experience and a mix of special skills. A practice also is committed to training and education of our medical and nursing workforce. We participate in the training of medical students and we employee advanced level doctors completing their general practice specialty training.

Yes most of the doctors are happy to see new patients. To find out which doctor is available please telephone reception.

You will find our patient enrolment form on this website. Please complete this document as accurately as possible and bring it with you at the time of your initial consultation. Very soon will be offering an online form that you can complete on your computer or tablet and send this to the practice securely.

Please arrive early for your first consultation so that our reception staff can enter your details and so that our nursing staff can record your medical history in our system prior to your consultation with the doctor.

Yes we are located directly next to a full service pharmacy in the Arndale Shopping Centre.

Yes we are located directly next to a pathology collection centre.

The Arndale shopping centre provides ample car parking including undercover sites, disabled parking bays and short stay parking for our medical practice.

We aim to continually improve our health care services. If you experience any problems with our care please contact our practice manager Robyn or one of our principal doctors.

If you have a problem that you believe can be easily resolved, it is generally best to speak directly to one of our doctors or nurses first. If you remain concerned please phone or write to the practice manager.

Should the matter not be resolved to your satisfaction after bringing it to our attention consider contacting the Health Quality and Complaints Commission.

See their: Tips for complainants or their fact sheet: Resolving your concerns.

Our practice employs a system for reminders either by SMS or mail for a variety of preventive activities if you would like to participate. Please discuss with your doctor if you would like to be included for a reminder for a health check, your Pap smear or any vaccination.