Services Available

We provide after hour home visits to patients requiring medical attention when the regular doctor is not available. We encourage patients to continue to see their own doctor for routine consultations and follow up care. Our service provides backup if you have a medical condition that requires review and cannot wait until the next day or if you are unable to see your doctor within normal surgery hours. We communicate with your doctor to facilitate continuity of your treatment and ongoing care.

How we can help you

Calls are answered by our friendly, qualified staff who will record all patient details and confirm the booking. Every call is treated as genuine and all calls are recorded for quality assurance purposes. Bookings are then referred to the locum doctors on duty who will attend to you in the comfort of your own home.

We have several locum doctors operating in various areas each shift to allow efficient operation of services. Should we experience any unforeseen delays our staff will attempt to contact you.

If the patient deteriorates, we ask that you contact the office to discuss an alternative course of action if needed. If you consider the condition to be life threatening please call 000 for immediate assistance.

Not for emergencies

Our service provides urgent medical care for patients in the after-hours period. We are not for medical emergencies. If symptoms are critical or life-threatening, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance or go to hospital immediately.

Routine medical care

Routine medical care is not for our Doctors. Routine medical care and treatment such as regular scripts, immunisations, referrals for investigations, chronic disease management or regular check-ups should be handled by your regular GP to ensure appropriate regular care.

Urgent medical care

What is urgent medical care that our doctors treat. These are illnesses such as; gastro, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, migraines, ear infections, fevers or injuries from falls that are not serious. If the condition is not life-threatening and requires urgent medical attention before your regular GP is open our doctors may attend.

Results follow up

Where our doctors raise requests for pathology / diagnostic or specialist investigations where the patient agrees that they are responsible for having the recommended tests performed and they are responsible for obtaining the results and following up with their regular GP. The request will include instructions that a copy be sent to your regular GP.

Where abnormal or unusual results are received within the after hour period our Medical Directors will review and co-ordinate the required treatment. A copy of your results and the treatment given will be advised to your nominated regular GP next working day.

Sydney Medical Service Hours

Our hours of operation are:

• Weeknights 6pm until 8am
• Saturday from 12pm
• Sundays and Public Holidays are 24 hours

Please telephone (02) 8724 6300 during the hours listed to arrange a home visit. Alternatively, you can download the smart phone App or book online via the online booking form.

Management and continuity of health records

Following your home visit a detailed medical report will be sent to your nominated regular General Practitioner. Where appropriate, e.g. in the instance of hospital admissions, deaths or other special circumstances, your GP is contacted via telephone the following working day advising any special details.
Your medical report is a confidential document. It is the policy of Sydney Medical Service to maintain the security of personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff and to your doctor.
In the instance that we receive any pathology results, these will be forwarded onto the patient’s regular GP for follow up treatment. If abnormal results arise the regular GP will be contacted by phone immediately or the patient will be referred to our Medical Director who will then organise appropriate follow up care.

Accreditation

We have been accredited to the standards required by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

This accreditation process demonstrates that we:

• Respect the rights and needs of our patients.
• Are committed to improving patient outcomes.
• Apply accredited practice systems.
• Have quality communication between patients, doctors and the Service.
• Are committed to ongoing education

Your Rights

If you have a problem you would like to discuss please feel free to talk to our office staff. We take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. You may also send a written complaint to our Chief Executive Officer who will complete an appropriate investigation and inform the complainant of the outcome. However, if you wish to take the matter further you can contact:

Health Care Complaints Commission
Locked Bag 18
Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Telephone: 9219 7444