All GPs deserve privacy and time off duty, time to spend with their family and friends, or to pursue sports, leisure or educational activities. Whilst some still believe that it is the duty of GPs to be available to their patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, nowadays most recognise that the health and welfare of doctors (and their families) is not consistent with being constantly available.
The After Hours Doctor service works by arrangement with principal General Practitioners in Hobart, looking after the patients of your practice throughout the after hours period. Our purpose is to work on your behalf in the immediate best interests of your patients, returning them to your care on the next working day.
Our fundamental philosophy remains that our service is complementary to, and not competitive with, your GP care. For instance:
- Our service does not operate between 9.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. on weekdays.
- Our service has a fully independent base which is not associated with any individual general practice
- Doctors working with the service do not become involved in non-urgent aspects of your patients’ care.
- Doctors working with our service do not make non-urgent referrals.
- Patients are always encouraged to return to their own GP for on-going care
- Clinical notes are routinely delivered to the patient's own GP.
- Individual and general clinical guidelines are agreed with subscribing GPs
In return for a monthly subscription we will handle all your calls, during the after hours period. (Any calls received from your patients outside this period will be redirected to you). We forward copies of all our clinical notes to you before your surgery the next day and will contact you directly by phone as soon as possible following important events. e.g. hospital admissions.
We like to liaise closely with all our subscribing GPs in order to ensure the appropriate management and continuity of care for patients. We require instructions from subscribing GPs for dealing with requests for home visits for patients living outside our catchment area and we request access to your private telephone number on a confidential basis so we may contact you regarding particular cases or in the event of any unforeseen emergencies. We also like to know whether you wish to be contacted in the event of patient deaths or other specified contingencies. We appreciate as much advance information as possible regarding problem patients, i.e. terminal/complex care patients.
If you are interested in subscribing to the After Hours Doctor service please don't hesitate to contact us in one of the following ways:
Phone: +61 (03) 6165 2360
Fax: +61 (03) 6273 1405
Email: admin@afterhoursdoctor.com.au
Postal Address: 252 Main Road, Derwent Park, Tasmania 7009