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The GP clinic

Posted By pagertm75

"The GP clinic"

About: Swan Hill District Health Medical Centre

(as the patient),

I attended the GP clinic last week to get a form signed off to commence my university placement. The GP advised me that I would need to get a further vaccine and blood test. The GP advised booking in to do this through reception.

I called to book in getting the vaccine and a final doctor's appointment to get the form completed.

I called again today to see if I could change the appointment time as it did not fit my work needs. The receptionist informed me that no appointment had been made. The receptionist then told me I would need to book another doctor's appointment, attend a pharmacy, then book a nurse appointment, then book another doctor appointment. I had already been assured by the first doctor that it would be simple as a vaccine and then follow up.

The receptionist also could not confirm if I would be bulk billed and said, "maybe they could bulk bill on the day". Throughout the conversation the receptionist also kept calling me a different name to my legal name despite getting me to repeat my name and D.O.B for legal purposes. As I work full time I am unable to attend the expected four follow up appointments without substantial financial impact from unexpectedly having to miss work and pay out of pocket for four separate medical appointments in a short period of time. If I was given adequate advice from the start, I would have been able to organise rather then booked ghosts appointments. I wonder what would have happened had I turned up on the original appointment I had booked,

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Responses

Response from Ashleigh Graham, Practice Manager, Swan Hill Primary Health Medical Centre, Swan Hill District Health 6 days ago
Ashleigh Graham
Practice Manager, Swan Hill Primary Health Medical Centre,
Swan Hill District Health

Submitted on 25/05/2026 at 12:04 PM
Published on Care Opinion Australia at 12:23 PM

Dear pagertm75,

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback regarding your recent experience at our clinic. We sincerely apologise for the frustration and inconvenience caused throughout this process.

We understand how stressful and time sensitive university placement requirements can be particularly when balancing full time work and financial commitments. We are sorry that the information provided to you regarding your appointments, vaccinations and follow up requirements was not communicated clearly or consistently. We also apologise for the confusion surrounding your booking and for the uncertainty regarding billing information.

Additionally, we acknowledge your concerns regarding being addressed by the incorrect name during your interactions with reception staff. We understand how important it is that patients feel respected and correctly identified at all times and we are sorry this was not your experience.

Your feedback has been taken seriously and will be discussed with the relevant staff members to improve communication, appointment coordination and patient experience moving forward. We are also reviewing our processes to help ensure patients receive clearer guidance regarding placement -related requirements and associated appointments from the outset.

We appreciate you bringing these matters to our attention, as patient feedback helps us identify areas where we can improve our service.

If you would like to discuss your concerns further, please feel welcome to contact me directly.

Kind regards,
Ashleigh

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