Aboriginal Health Service

We aim to meet your needs when you make an appointment. Please tell reception staff if your needs are urgent and we will arrange appointment based on the circumstances. You may be given an appointment with a different doctor, depending on the urgency of the situation. 

Remember to call 000 in an emergency. 

Appointments can be booked up to four weeks in advance with your chosen doctor.  

Please tell reception staff if:

• you need extra time due to complex health needs or have more than one issue to discuss.
• you want to receive a reminder text message the day before your appointment or for any external health appointments.

You will ask you for your details to make sure we are talking to the correct person, as well as to meet the requirements of being an accredited practice.

We bulk bill all clients of the Aboriginal Health Service. However, costs may be associated with seeing doctors and specialists outside of our service.  

Contact any external health provider to ask about their fees before seeing them. You can ask us to help you find this information. 

Repeat prescriptions

You can ask reception staff for a repeat prescription by phone; however, the doctor may need to see you in person for certain medications.  

The clinic staff will let you know if the doctor cannot provide the script and will help you make an appointment.  

Please allow 48 hours for any prescription requests to be processed. 

It is the practice of the Aboriginal Health Service that prescriptions will only be given to family members who are staff, unless your authorisation has been given to the doctor. 

Close the Gap Prescription Assistance 

There is a Close the Gap initiative, which supports community in managing their chronic disease and prevent the onset of chronic disease. Eligible Aboriginal clients can receive free medication if you are on a Health Care Card, or if not, you can receive subsidised medication at a cost of $7.00 per medication.

Ask a member of our staff to see if you are eligible and to help you enrol.  

You will be advised about the process for getting urgent results (pathology and radiology) depending on your individual circumstances.

If the results show significant abnormalities that require follow up, we will contact you according to the urgency of the result. This will usually be by phone or text message, or with a letter if you do not respond. Our text messages will ask you to contact us to make an appointment.

Otherwise, please allow a minimum of 48 hours from the time you had the test. You can then call us to find out about your results. We will take your name and contact details, have the results reviewed by the doctor, and then return your call between 4 and 5 pm.

We are committed to preventative health care and will contact you to offer preventative health services appropriate for you.

All Aboriginal Health Service clients are included in our recall and reminder system, and therefore we may occasionally send you a reminder notice offering services appropriate to your care. Please let your doctor or the reception staff know if you do not wish to be a part of this system. With your consent, recalls and reminders may be sent by text message.

Flu immunisation reminders are sent to all adult clients and do not require individual consent. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive these reminders.

We cannot provide medical assistance to people for workers’ compensation.

If you need this service, we can refer you to an external provider, or you can see another provider of your own choice.

Protecting the your privacy

Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and Aboriginal Health Service (TAC/AHS) staff are bound by our privacy and confidentiality policies. You can request a copy of our Privacy Policy from your health receptionist or support staff.

What is personal and health information?

Personal information is information or an opinion that identifies or could identify you. For example, your health information includes any information collected about your health or disability and any information relating to a health service you have received.

Collecting information

We need to collect information from you about your personal circumstances and health to provide you with the best health care and support services. If we need to collect information from other doctors, health services or your family, we will ask your permission first. The only exception is in an emergency where your health is seriously at risk, and you cannot consent.

You will only be asked to provide personal or health information relevant to your health care and our support. If you have any doubts about giving the information you are asked to provide, ask the staff member why it is being requested.

Staff will ensure that you can provide personal and health information in a way that protects your privacy. For example, they will talk to you in a private space where others cannot hear.

Accuracy

We will do our best to make sure your personal records:

• Are accurate, comprehensive, well-organised, legible, and up-to-date.
• Have enough information to allow another staff member to support you.
• Contain a summary of your care or support.
• Can be used to remind you to return for follow up or notify you about programs we are offering.

Security

We have a duty to prevent interference, unauthorised access or disclosure, or loss in relation to your personal and health information.

Our staff and contractors are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles, and by our privacy and confidentiality policies.

In addition, our paper records are kept securely in filing cabinets. The cabinets are locked when not in use and kept in offices. Our offices are locked after hours and are equipped with monitored security and alarm systems.

The computerised health information system can only be accessed using a password, and the issue of passwords is strictly controlled by the password administrator. Breaches of internal security will lead to disciplinary action against offending staff, usually instant dismissal. Your health information in the computerised system is backed up by our IT contractor. Back-ups are tested routinely to make sure your health information can be retrieved in the event of a disaster.

Use of information

AHS doctors, GP registrars, counsellors, nurses and clinical Aboriginal Health Workers will be the main users of your health information. Other staff will have limited access to some of your health records and will use it only for purposes related to your health.

Your information will also be disclosed for other purposes related to your health care such as hospital referrals and obtaining Medicare rebates, specialist reports and pathology tests. Again, this will usually be with your consent, except in emergency situations.

We disclose information to state and national health registers such as the Australian Immunisation Register, The National HPV Vaccination Program Register and the Tasmanian Cervical Screening Register. We may collect and use information from these registers to keep accurate records and provide appropriate reminders.

We carry out research and quality improvement activities when needed and therefore, we may ask for your consent if you can be identified in the research.

Other than as stated above, information that identifies you will only be disclosed with your consent, unless the law requires us to do so.

Your access

You have a right to be told what personal and health information we keep on you, and to have access to this information except in certain circumstances. You can have access by asking your doctor or the Regional Manager. We can refuse access if this will likely seriously threaten anybody’s life or health, including yours. In any cases we refuse access, we will tell you why.

In exceptional circumstances, you may be given access to health care and support services without disclosing your identity. We will only allow you to do this if we believe that you are eligible for health care with us, your health care will not be prejudiced, and it would not involve any breach of the law.

Who accesses your information

Aboriginal Health Service doctors, nurses, counsellors, and clinical Aboriginal Health Workers across all of our centres in Tasmania can access your your medical health information.

Doctors and nurses who provide a relief service to us can also access your information. Non-clinical staff will not be able to see your medical health information.

Reception staff can access health information, but only for administrative purposes such as Medicare billing and filing. Technical staff and system developers can access the computerised health information system for technical purposes.

Health service staff can access your personal information to let you know about preventive health care, such as reminders and invitations for health programs that are relevant to you. Please let your doctor or support worker know if you do not want your contact details to be used for this purpose.

If you have concerns about who has access to your personal and health information, please speak with your doctor or support worker.

If you have any concerns about the way your health information has been dealt with, there is process where you can raise issues. 

The first step is to raise it with the doctor or the appropriate health worker. 

If you do not feel comfortable with this, please get in touch with the Regional Manager for the area: 

• Raylene Foster for Nipaluna, Pataway or Limilinaturi. 
• Lisa Coulson for Launceston 

If this does not resolve your issue, contact Dr Hopper, Medical Director at the Aboriginal Health Service or Heather Sculthorpe, CEO of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. 

Alternatively, you can contact the independent places listed below: 

For after hours support and direction to services, please call Health Direct: 1800 022 222. More information on after hours services is available via: Know your treatment options – Right Care Right Place | Tasmanian Department of Health

We have a strict no smoking policy at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, which includes all our health services across Lutruwita.

Staff will ask you if you smoke, to help you make the best and informed decisions for your health. Don’t be offended if we ask, we care about your and your health and want to support your quit-smoking journey.