FAQ's
Please click on the bars below to see answers to most of our commonly asked questions
1. Locations, Opening Hours, After Hours
- Pyes Pa Shopping Centre - Shop 8, 83 Pyes Pa Road. Ph. 07 543 2221. OPEN: 8am – 4.30pm
- The Lakes Shopping Village, 1 Caslani Lane, The Lakes (Pyes Pa). Ph. 07 543 2229. OPEN: 8am - 4.30pm.
- Brookfield/Otumoetai, 223 Otumoetai Road (next to Caltex Service Station). OPEN: 8.30am – 4pm. Limited onsite parking is available. If you are able-bodied and not bringing young children, we encourage you to arrive early so you can park on a nearby street.
After Hours:
- After hours phone calls go to Homecare Medical where a trained nurse provides free healthcare information and support. This includes calling an ambulance if necessary.
- A walk-in after hours service is provided at Accident and Healthcare, Corner of 2nd Ave and Devonport Rd. 8am – 9pm. Phone: 07 577 0010. Charges will apply.
- The nearest Emergency Department is at Tauranga Public Hospital, 829 Cameron Road, Tauranga.
- In a life-threatening emergency, call 111 for an ambulance immediately.
2. Making an Appointment
- Appointments are made through a phone call to our reception staff during opening hours.
- Alternatively, you can sign up to our Patient App MyIndici, and go online 24/7 to book a standard appointment.
- NOTE: Online bookings are occasionally suspended when the risk of Covid-19 transmission requires booking via personal contact with a receptionist.
- We offer face-to-face (in person) and telephone consultations. The same fees apply.
- Please tell the receptionist if more than one family member needs to be seen.
- When you plan your appointments ahead of time, you are more likely to get the doctor and the time slot you prefer.
- At the start of your appointment, tell the doctor or nurse of all the reasons for your visit and what is most important to you.
- If you are told anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or nurse to clarify and re-explain.
- If you have several concerns to discuss, please ask the receptionist to book extra time. Fees are time related and an additional fee may be charged.
- Standard appointments are 15 minutes and your GP can generally discuss one new issue, or two existing issues in that timeframe.
- Some procedures are given longer time slots routinely – for example: driver licence medicals, minor surgery, diabetic reviews, and cervical smears. Please advise reception when making an appointment for one of these reasons.
Please ring our receptionist and let her know if you are running late. On some occasions you may be asked to re-schedule.
NOTE: In the mid-afternoon, allow time for Tauranga’s end-of-school traffic congestion.
- If you are unable to attend, please inform us at the earliest opportunity so the time slot is available for other patients who may have an urgent need for care.
- If no notice is given, you may be charged for your appointment (this includes a service fee for child appointments).
- If punctuality is important for you, try booking your appointment at the start of a morning or afternoon session.
- Aim to arrive at least 5 minutes before your appointment time. If you have been waiting over 25 minutes please inform the receptionist.
- We know some doctors can run late (some more than others!) Sometimes very unwell patients need urgent care and appointments may run over time.
- Running overtime can also be amplified by people bringing multiple issues which they want sorted on the day. This is inconsiderate of fellow patients who end up waiting longer.
- If you do have a significant issue or several issues, please book a longer appointment.
3. First Appointments
New Patients
After we have requested and received your medical file from your previous GP, we will contact you and ask you to make a New Patient appointment with one of our nurses.
This appointment can take up to 30 minutes - to go through your medical history, check that recalls are up to date, measure vital signs, and go over current health issues. After this appointment, you may make a GP appointment as required.
Can I see the doctor before my notes have arrived?
The usual procedure is for notes to arrive and to have a nurse appointment, before seeing the doctor. In exceptional circumstances a doctor may agree to see you earlier. A higher fee may apply.
4. Email and Phone Consults, Home Visits
We are able to do email and phone consultations, at a fee. We are also able to schedule a same day home visit during our lunch break or at the end of our working day, if at all possible, but there is a charge for this. Fees are displayed on our website and in our reception area.
5. Keep Us Informed
If any of your personal details change, for example your address or name or telephone details – please inform the reception staff as soon as possible as we may need to contact you urgently.
6. Repeat Prescriptions
- We offer repeat prescriptions for enrolled patients who are on regular medications.
- Most people on regular medication will still need to see their GP at least 6-monthly (some 3-monthly) to monitor health conditions.
- Online: The simplest way to request a repeat prescription is online, using our patient app MyIndici. Log-on and tick the regular medications required. Indicate which pharmacy you wish the script to be sent to. To register for MyIndici or for further information, click here.
- Voicemail: Alternatively, you can phone your Family Doctors location and select the prescription line (“Option 2”). Leave your name, DOB, phone number, and the list of medications you require by name. Say the name of the pharmacy to send your script to.
- You can also speak to one of our receptionists, or drop off a written list of medications at reception.
- A standard fee is payble for repeat prescriptions.
- An extra fee is incurred for urgent same day prescriptions. See if you can call us a few days before your medication runs out, to avoid the extra cost.
- Please pay your fee promptly by internet banking or at reception, to avoid a $10 end-of-month admin fee.
7. Test Results
- We only contact patients if a result requires further medical management or follow up.
- NOTE: You can view your test results 24/7, using the My Indici app.
- Most blood test results take 2-3 days, and smear results a week. Some other results take up to 2 weeks.
- For test results ordered by your Specialist or Midwife, please contact them directly.
- A family member or friend cannot request your results unless your prior approval has been obtained. This applies for all patients over 15 years.
PLEASE NOTE: You can have normal results in the presence of significant illness. If your symptoms persist or any new symptoms develop, it is important that you re-attend.
8. Enrolment Procedure
How do I enrol?
- A separate enrolment form is required for each family member. Individuals aged 16 years and over must sign their own form.
- The NZ Government requires ID Documents for enrolment, in order to access subsidised healthcare.
- Check out our Enrolment procedure here.
Prior Medical Notes
As soon as you complete your enrolment with us, we will request your previous notes. Notes from within NZ are received electronically and this process takes approximately one week.
I am from overseas and don’t have the relevant passport/visa documentation for enrolment. Can I still be a Family Doctors patient?
If you live in NZ on a non-work visa or short-term work visa, you can register as a regular patient with Family Doctors. However, higher fees are payable as you will not receive the same Government-subsidies as an enrolled patient.
NOTE: Children’s scheduled immunisations are still free for registered (unenrolled) patients.
9. Suggestions and Complaints Procedure
As a patient-centred health centre we welcome and value your input. If you have any suggestions, compliments or concerns, please use our Feedback process to help us offer a better service.
10. Nursing Staff
- Our Nurses are available to see patients every day and have access to our GPs for further input on your healthcare.
- You can make an appointment for the following: health checks for diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular risk assessment, cervical smears, immunisations and travel vaccinations as well as advice with smoking cessation, wart freezing with liquid Nitrogen, dietary advice for weight loss and disease management.
- If you ring our nurse line, your call may sometimes go to Voicemail. Please leave a short message, including your name, and Ph No. Voice messages are cleared regularly.