Our Policies
A summary of our policies, requirements
and your responsibilities:
Paediatric health care in private practice is complex, highly regulated, and involves substantial practice costs. Fees are set to cover costs and ensure the sustainability of services.
A set of policies and procedures helps support and structure your provider’s practice and allows efficient, consistent, sustainable, and affordable provision of services with the highest possible quality of paediatric care.
Informed consent to care and the costs of care are important to families and includes consent to our policies.
The policies detailed in this section/menu of the website explain and advise the terms and conditions upon which your provider offers their services. Your consent and agreement is needed for
acceptance and holding of an appointment for your child;
requesting the commencement or continuation of a healthcare relationship with the associated provider and provision of their healthcare services to your child;
liaising with the Prosper Paediatrics staff as they provide administrative and reception services on behalf of the associated provider.
before the start of each new referral or yearly if your child has an indefinite or 3-month referral.
The policies are detailed in the Policies Menu of the website. Policies are also explained, summarised, referenced or linked in the Booking Emails and other written communications sent to families. Policies may be amended from time to time to adapt to changing circumstances or to improve them, and we recommend they be reviewed at least yearly.
The policies are briefly summarised here:
Respect & Trust
We understand that families can be frustrated and distressed or may misunderstand situations or policies. We work conscientiously, efficiently and consistently to provide the best care possible. We are humans and have a right to a safe workplace free from aggression, accusations, deliberate rudeness, argumentativeness, or harassment. All policies are carefully advised in advance and should be followed.
Privacy.
How your child’s healthcare information is collected, administered, used, held and shared to protect your child’s and your privacy under Australian Privacy Law and medical ethics.
Bookings, Fees & Cancellations, when Fee payment is due, policies and fees for late payment.
Your provider does not bulk bill. Fees are advised in advance via a link to your provider’s Fee Schedule. This link is provided for families inquiring about new patient appointments and in every Booking Email. The Fee Schedule sets out the fees and is updated if there are any changes. Fees may change to accommodate increased practice costs. Fees are invoiced at the discretion of the provider. Temporary concessions are only available in very limited circumstances for long-established patients. Fees are charged for all services, including appointments for consultations; appointments that are cancelled or not attended with notice of less than 16 business hours; for provision of prescriptions, letters and forms outside of appointments; additional account services made necessary by delayed account settlement, or other requested services.
Appointments may be delayed or cancelled if your provider unexpectedly cannot provide services. This may be due to factors such as your provider becoming ill or unexpectedly closing their private practice. If your provider can no longer provide services, another associated provider may be able to accept your child’s referral as a new patient, subject to their professional judgment regarding their current patient load, practice scope, and capacity constraints.
Your responsibility for the provision of a current & valid referral, to allow the claiming of advised rebates.
Medicare rules are strict. We provide information about your child’s referral status in Booking Emails so that you can check if a new referral is needed. Invoices will be payable, but the services will not be billed using Medicare items that require a referral if you have not provided one in time. Referrals cannot be used unless they are valid for Medicare claiming. Families should provide referrals when requesting an appointment, and no later than one week before the appointment, to allow for unhurried filing and for any validity issues to be identified and resolved.
Your child must attend their appointment
to be eligible for advised Medicare rebates.
for clinical reasons.
Medicare cannot be claimed unless your doctor ”attends upon the patient”. This means your child must be present, able to participate in, be observed, examined and interact with the doctor during most or all of the consultation.
Joint Parental Responsibilities & involvement.
Even when separated or divorced, parents have joint responsibility for healthcare involvement, decision-making, and accounts and can access their child’s record until they are 16. In rare cases, this may be limited by Court Order. Any current Court Orders about parenting, access or proximity should be provided as soon as possible. Contact details for both parents are required in most circumstances. If, for serious reasons, you require that your contact details or address be kept private, this must be advised, without delay, in writing to Prosper Paediatrics and your associated provider.
Unless court orders require otherwise, parents should ensure that they share any information regarding bookings, billing, or care with their child’s other parent whenever this is relevant to their joint parental responsibilities. If this information is not shared appropriately, it may create difficulties regarding the care of your child and necessary parental responsibilities. If this emerges as a significant concern, parents will be required to provide email addresses that may be displayed to the other parent in the primary recipient field of emails sent by Prosper Paediatrics or your associated provider, or their locum.
Patients aged 16 to 18 years of age
Generally, information will not be provided to a parent without the patient being present, unless clear written consent has been obtained in advance from the patient, who is 16 years or older.
However, for patients aged 16 years or older, your paediatric provider will usually require that parents continue to provide assistance and support. Hence, the practitioner will normally need to share information with parents or the child’s usual parent carer, as previously, for continuation of care. The administrative team will need to continue communicating and managing bookings and billing with a parent or guardian. Mature patients will normally be required to consent to their parent or carer continuing as their Account Holder with responsibility regarding fees.
If wishing to continue with their paediatric provider, a mature patient should clearly indicate their consent for this by their actions, verbally and in writing. Mature patients should, in any event, provide their personal contact details to their provider, notwithstanding that parents will generally remain as the primary contact for their care.
Written consent should be provided using our Consent to Share with Parent Form.
If the patient has concerns or wishes to limit or stop their parents’ or carer’s sharing of information and involvement, they should discuss these concerns or wishes with their provider. If satisfied that there are exceptional reasons and the limitations requested would be in the patient’s best interest , the provider may agree to a special arrangement or accommodation and note this on file.
Consultation is to be conducted in booked and billed appointments.
Consultation over the phone or by email is not offered except where a provider judges this is appropriate. This will generally only be for very simple or brief matters that do not require further discussion or are related to a recent consultation. Staff are not permitted to provide or advise results.
Further requirements for attending appointments
Children must be supervised and their behaviour managed to avoid difficulties, unsafe situations, disruption, soiling or damage.
Families should not bring food, including any snacks or drinks other than water, into the practice when attending appointments
Babies’ needs for formula or breastmilk are the exception.
Notice of at least 16 business hours must be provided if you no longer wish to attend an appointment.
Email is our primary method of communication for
providing information & resolving questions or requests
booking details, or
accounts.
We use email as our primary means of communication with you and require that you read, check, and save our emails, especially our Booking Emails. Your booking is a serious commitment and responsibility.
Our phones are often busy, but leaving a voicemail or sending an email allows us to respond quickly.
Written information allows us to provide services consistently, accurately, efficiently and cost-effectively. Parents with ESL often find that written information is easier to manage or can be understood with the assistance of a translator.
Templates and procedures are used for written communication to help us
provide consistent and accurate information cost-effectively
routinely employ measures to mitigate cybersecurity and privacy risks.
SMS
We use SMS to alert you to important emails, provide reminders, or notify you of our need to speak with you about matters related to your child’s care or account.
We do not accept notice of cancellations via SMS, as it may be missed. Please ensure that cancellations are advised over the phone or by email.
Prescriptions are by eScript.
You are responsible for remaining readily contactable by email, phone and SMS.
At all times, parents or guardians are responsible for
Settling accounts promptly regarding any requested services;
Advising us of changes to contact or demographic details;
Advising a change of GP;
Provision of any court orders relating to parenting or contact;
Sharing booking, account, or healthcare information about your child with their other parent or guardian in accordance with your joint parental responsibilities.
Advising us, if, for serious reasons, an address or contact information must be kept private from another parent, or other current or previous guardian, carer or other third party.
Conducting all interactions with Prosper Paediatrics, its staff and its associated doctors in accordance with the Respect and Trust Policy.
And for any other matters set as your responsibility in the policies advised on this website, or in emails or handouts.