New Patients

We have limited scope for enrolling new patients. When enrolled spaces become available, we prioritise patients who are not currently enrolled at a general practice in New Plymouth. We have a waiting list for others who currently have a GP in New Plymouth, however, please be advised that there may be quite a delay before patients on the waiting list become enrolled.

Enrolment – All regular patients are urged to register. This entitles you to government subsidies which are applied to your consultation fees. You will also benefit from being on our recall system for things like immunisations, cervical smears, mammograms and many other regular checks.

Enrolment forms will need to be completed onsite at Vivian Medical Centre. Once completed, our team will take care of arranging for your medical notes to be transferred from your existing provider.

Photo ID will be required for registration to our online portal, ManageMyHealth. There is no charge to sign up to ManageMyHealth, and we encourage all adult patients to do so.

Appointments – These can be booked online via ManageMyHealth, or by phoning Vivian Medical Centre.  Our appointment books can get fully quickly, so please phone as early as possible for your appointment. For all standard appointments, patients will be seen by their own GP. In some circumstances patients may be seen by a Registrar, or acutely by another practice GP.

New Patient Appointments are 30 minutes.  This provides the new patient and GP an opportunity to get to know each other, review existing health records, and complete a general check-up.  We require this new patient appointment soon after enrolling (once patient information from your previous GP has been received).

PLEASE REPORT TO THE DESK ON ARRIVAL AND INFORM RECEPTION IF YOU HAVE CHEST PAIN OR IF YOUR VISIT IS THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT

There is a charge for appointments not attended.

Repeat Prescriptions – Requests must made in writing. These requests can be made via ManageMyHealth or by emailing nurses@vmc.co.nz. Please allow for at least 3 working days for scripts to be processed and signed. There is an extra charge for urgent scripts.
Note: You may be asked to come in for a review before a repeat prescription can be issued.

Test Results – All test results are viewed daily by the doctor or nurse who ordered them. We do not routinely notify patients with normal results. If you would like to receive your results via email please speak to Reception about registering with Manage My Health.  

Completion of Forms – There will be a charge for forms, with a minimum charge of $ 10 but this will depend on information required and time taken.

Referrals

  • Private – when you choose to go privately (at your own cost) your GP will ask you to make the appointment with the preferred specialist and they will forward a referral letter.
  • Public – When a referral is sent to the Hospital it is prioritised by the specialist and you are notified of the waiting time you have to get an appointment. If you have not heard from the hospital after four weeks please let reception know so that it can be followed up.

Fees – Regular fees apply to a standard consultation of up to 15 minutes. This usually allows time to deal with one main or two smaller issues and includes time for the doctor to write up notes. If you have many issues to discuss, please make sure that you address the most urgent one first. Due to time constraints, you may be asked to make another appointment in order to deal with each issue properly. Extended consultation may incur an additional charge.

A full fees schedule is available on our website.

Payment – This is expected on the day of consultation. Alternative arrangements are available e.g. Automatic Payments or you can pay online to: VMC Limited, TSB Bank 15 3942 0798400 10

(Please ensure reference includes full name & NHI or DOB)

If you have NOT made any arrangement for payment within one month, then the account may be referred to a debt recovery agency, which adds extra costs you will be liable for.

Useful Websites

PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY AND YOUR RIGHTS

Privacy of health information is paramount to all health service providers in this centre. We are bound by health ethics and the Health Information Privacy code.

Our privacy policy is available at reception. Please take time to read the information from the Health & Disability Commissioner regarding your rights as a patient. This can be found in the waiting area or obtained from the office.

As an integrated medical practice, we often have to share personal health information with other health providers to ensure the best delivery of services. If you have concerns regarding this, please discuss them with your doctor or nurse.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with anything about our service, please contact our Complaints Officer by email practicemanager@vmc.co.nz or call on (06) 758 5015.

Reminder

If you should change any of your details, please let reception staff know so that your contact details are up to date.