Click here for Questions about Psychology Services, Fees and Rebates
General Questions about Valley Family Health
How do I book an appointment?
New clients: Please call our support staff on 03 9375 1585 to discuss which clinicians may be a good fit for you, waiting times, referral options and provide your contact details. You will then receive an email containing links to secure online forms that must be completed prior to your first appointment. You will also receive an SMS reminder 48 hours before your appointment which you need to respond to confirm the appointment.
Current clients: You can phone reception on 03 9375 1585 or make an appointment through our online booking portal. Please register for the portal with the same details we have on file for you to avoid duplicating your file.
Do you have after-hours appointments?
Yes, many of our clinicians offer after-hours appointments . The fees for appointments before 9am, after 5pm and on Saturday are somewhat higher than standard business hours (see further information in Fees section). Appointments are available from 8am-8pm weekdays and Saturday until mid-afternoon.
How do I pay?
Payment is required on the day of the appointment, by EFTPOS, or by bank transfer for telehealth appointments. Once your payment is received, we can then process your medicare rebate for you through our software if you have registered your bank details with medicare. Medicare advises that you should receive the rebate into your bank account within two business days. For private health rebates, we will provide you with a detailed invoice and receipt to claim from your fund.
What is the confirmation and cancellation policy?
Valley Family Health has confirmation and cancellation policies to help us ensure that clients are able to access appointments and clinicians’ time is utilised effectively. 48 hours’ notice is required to cancel or change an appointment, to allow us time to offer your appointment time to another client, otherwise a cancellation fee may be charged. The cancellation fee is 50%-100% of the full fee for the session. Your clinician has discretion to reduce or waive the fee in the case of emergencies and unforeseen circumstances, so please discuss this with them. Please note that medicare and private health insurance rebates are not able to be claimed for cancellation fees.
You will receive an SMS appointment reminder 48 hours before your appointment asking you to confirm that you will attend. It is important that you respond to the SMS to confirm, or ring to reschedule, on the day it is received. If you cancel less than 48 hours before your appointment a fee may be charged if we are not able to fill the appointment from our waitlist.
What are the privacy and confidentiality policies?
Confidentiality
Psychologists are required to adhere to the ethical standards of the Code of Professional Conduct as set by the Australian Psychological Society. This means that all consultations between psychologists and clients are kept strictly confidential, and your written permission is required before any information is provided to another person. We regularly seek written permission for information to be shared with other relevant professionals involved in your or your child’s care, in order to provide the best service to you.
Please be aware that in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the attendance and contact details of clients who physically attend the practice may be required to be disclosed to the relevant authorities in the interests of public safety (for example contact tracing a confirmed case).
Privacy
Valley Family Health adheres to the Privacy Act 2000 and the Health Records Act 2001. As it is necessary to collect personal information to provide you with an appropriate service, we ensure the following in accordance with the Acts.
- We only use personal information provided by you for the purpose for which it was collected.
- We keep records for a minimum of seven years since the last client contact, or in the case of minors, until the client reaches 25 years of age.
- All records are confidential and are stored securely in a locked cabinet and/or password protected cloud-based patient management system.
- You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, in consultation with your clinician.
Please note the following limitations to privacy and confidentiality: - Medicare funding requirements stipulate that information about a referred client’s treatment progress be communicated with the referring GP, paediatrician or psychiatrist. This only applies if you are referred under a Mental Health Care Plan. You will be asked for consent to communicate with any other professionals.
- Personal information can be disclosed if we have good reason to believe that there is a threat to the life, health or safety of an individual or the public, and psychologists have an ethical duty of care to do so.
- Where there is a legal obligation to provide information, for example a health professional and/or clinical records may be subpoenaed by a court.
Situations which require a breach of confidentiality occur infrequently in clinical practice and your clinician will make every effort to discuss the situation with you before this occurs if possible.
Feedback and Complaints
We are genuinely interested in hearing your feedback and any concerns or suggestions you may have to improve the quality of our service. Please feel free to contact the Director of the practice, Dr Kate Taylor by email or ask reception staff to request a phone call. You may also provide feedback via our anonymous feedback survey available here. If you would prefer to discuss your concerns with someone outside the practice, you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner on 1300 582 113.