Communication Policy
Communication Policy – Redlands General Practice
Telephone
Patients can contact the practice between 7:45am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. We are also available from 8:00am until 12:00am Saturday. Our reception staff may use a triage system to assess the urgency of the patient’s needs and concerns and will perform a three‑point identifier check to ensure the correct patient chart is matched to the patient on the phone.
Please note, it is often not possible to speak to the doctor at the time of calling. A secure message will be sent to the doctor or a telehealth consultation can be arranged. All urgent matters are prioritised and for non‑urgent matters, we generally aim to return calls within two business days.
When correspondence is received from other healthcare providers, it is directly imported into the patient’s file and then sent through to the doctor to review. This includes results, emails and specialist letters. If the addressed doctor is not available and the correspondence is urgent, another doctor will review and action as necessary. All clinical communications (including telephone messages, letters, emails and other electronic communications) are added to the patient’s health record.
Our practice may use a digital (AI) receptionist system to help manage incoming telephone calls, such as directing calls, answering general non-clinical queries and booking some appointments. The digital receptionist does not make clinical decisions or provide clinical advice, and urgent or complex matters are escalated to a staff member as soon as possible. All information handled by the digital receptionist is managed in line with Australian privacy laws and our practice privacy policy.
Email is not a secure form of communication and is not encouraged by Redlands General Practice for this reason. If you do choose to contact the surgery via email, this is considered as patient consent for our staff to reply via email. Our staff endeavour to respond to email messages within 2 business days for non‑urgent matters. Email must not be used for emergencies or urgent clinical concerns; in these situations, please phone the practice or call 000. Where clinically appropriate, relevant email communications are copied into your health record.
SMS
SMS messages are sent to remind patients of scheduled appointments, health reminders and health recalls. Please make sure you update the practice if there is a change to your mobile number. Please let us know if you would like to be removed from the SMS list. We do not usually include detailed clinical information in SMS messages. Where an SMS contains clinical information, a record of the message will be kept in your health record.
Post
For patients who have opted out of SMS, a letter may be sent regarding reminders or recalls. Letters received by the practice are scanned into the patient chart and forwarded to the doctor to review.
Website and practice information
Our website is updated regularly and contains the practice contact details, location, opening hours and information regarding fees and services offered. Our after‑hours doctor service details are also available and online bookings for practitioners are available at any time. Further information about appointments, telehealth services, repeat prescriptions, referrals, and how to provide feedback or make a complaint is available in our privacy policy on our website and in our practice information sheet.
Patient‑centred communication and preferences
Our practice aims to provide patient‑centred communication that takes into account each patient’s individual needs, circumstances and preferences. We can record your preferred contact method (for example, phone, SMS, letter) in your health record and will use this where practical and clinically appropriate. If you have particular communication needs or preferences, please discuss these with our reception team or your doctor.
Communicating with patients with special needs
A contact list of translator and interpreter services and services for patients with a disability is maintained, updated regularly and readily available to all staff at reception. These include:
National Relay Service (NRS)
Auslan services – 1300 AUSLAN
Translation and Interpreter Service (TIS) Doctors Priority Line – 1300 131 450
We will arrange these services when needed to help you communicate effectively with our team.
Updated: 4th March 2026