Policies
Privacy Policy
Your medical record is a confidential document and your privacy is important to us. It is the policy of this practice to maintain security of personal health information at all times, and ensure this information is only available to authorised members of staff. To read our full privacy policy please click the link below.
Pathology & Test Results Policy
For patient confidentiality and privacy reasons, pathology and test results will not be provided over the telephone by reception staff or practice nurses. In many cases, results require clinical interpretation and discussion with your doctor. Patients will therefore need to arrange an appointment with their doctor, either face-to-face or via telehealth, to discuss their results.
Please note that some pathology and diagnostic tests take longer to process than others. Your doctor will advise you when you should return for review of your results.
Edge Medical Centre has a recall system in place for significant abnormal results. It is therefore important that your contact details are kept up to date at all times.
If you have not received a phone call or SMS advising that your results have been received and are ready for review within the timeframe advised by your doctor, please contact the practice to confirm whether your results have been received and to arrange an appointment if required. Patients are encouraged to follow up their results and should not assume that no news means normal results.
Reminder System
Our practice is committed to preventative care. We will issue you with a reminder notice from time to time, offering you health services appropriate to your needs. This may come in the form of phone calls, SMS Text Message or a Formal Letter
Practice Communication Policy
Telephone calls from patients will not generally be put through to doctors unless it is an emergency and the patient is unable to attend the practice and requires immediate medical advice. Otherwise, patients are encouraged to make an appointment to speak with their doctor. Our reception staff are happy to take messages or assist with general enquiries regarding your healthcare.
Emails and facsimiles are reviewed regularly throughout the day. Any urgent faxes received will be promptly forwarded to the appropriate doctor for review.
Please note that Edge Medical Centre does not provide clinical advice, medical consultations, prescription requests, referral requests, test results, or routine patient communication via email. As email is not a secure form of communication and cannot be monitored continuously, patients are encouraged to contact the practice directly by telephone regarding any questions, concerns, appointment requests, prescription requests, referral requests, test result enquiries, or healthcare-related matters.
Patients should not send urgent, detailed, confidential, or sensitive medical information via email. Emails are not monitored continuously and are not monitored outside of normal business hours, including weekends and public holidays when the practice is closed. Email should not be used for urgent medical matters. If you require urgent medical attention, please call 000 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.
Any relevant telephone, facsimile, or written communication received by the practice may be documented in the patient's health record to ensure continuity of care.
Any complaints received via email will be acknowledged and managed in accordance with the practice's complaints handling procedure. Appropriate action will be taken, and patients will be notified of the outcome via telephone or, where appropriate, email.