PATIENT INFORMATION
Welcome to The Cove Medical Group. This page contains general information regarding your visit to the practice. Please take a little time to read the information here before you attend your first appointment. If you have any questions, give us a ring.
PRACTICE HOURS
Monday to Thursday 8.45am to 4:45pm
Friday 8.45am to 1pm
Closed weekends and public holidays
If there is an emergency outside these hours and you are a current patient of one of the doctors, please call St John of God Hospital (Murdoch) on 9438 9000 (or St Mary's Ward on 9438 9700 if you are a maternity patient). Otherwise contact your GP or call King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women (KEMH).
PATIENT INFORMATION SHEET
APPOINTMENTS
Appointments can be made by phoning our reception staff during office hours. You will receive a Confirmation Letter through the mail.
For pregnancy bookings, you will generally be given an appointment for when you are around 10 weeks' gestation.
For gynaecological bookings, you will be offered the next available routine appointment. If you feel that you require a more urgent appointment, please fax your referral through ASAP on 9312 3425 and it will be assessed by the doctor. Otherwise your GP is welcome to ring and speak directly to us.
GP REFERRAL
ALL patients are required to fill in a Patient Information Sheet prior to their appointment. This will be sent to you with your Appointment Confirmation Letter. You can also access this form from the link above to print out. PLEASE bring this important form (filled out) with you on the day of your appointment. There is also a Patient Privacy Form which should be read and signed.
As with any new appointment with a specialist, you require a referral from your GP. We insist that this is mailed or faxed through ahead of time. Without a current referral, you will not be able to attract the full Medicare rebate. This referral is also important as it may provide vital medical information required by your specialist.
A referral from your GP will last for 12 months. If you require ongoing care by your specialist beyond this time, a new referral will be needed.
APPOINTMENT TIME
MISSED APPOINTMENTS
Unlike many other doctors, Dr Gunnell tries very hard to run on time and it is rare that your appointment will be late. We therefore ask that you also assist by arriving 10 minutes prior to your appointed time. If you are running significantly late, please contact us. We do not think it is fair for other patients to be kept waiting because of you and we may ask you to reschedule or be patient and wait to be seen at the end of the session.
Of course, there will be times when your doctor will be called away at short notice to attend to a birth. We will do our best to contact you as soon as possible to move or reschedule your appointment time. It is important that we have your up-to-date phone contact numbers. Please be patient as it may one day be your birth the doctor is attending!
The specialists at Cove Medical Group are very busy and often have women waiting on standby for a cancellation. We ask that you ring to confirm your appointment several days prior to your visit. Failure to do so may result in your appointment being given to someone else.
If you fail to cancel, cancel at the last moment or simply don't turn up for your appointment without an adequate explanation, we will send you an account for a non-attendance fee of $100.
FEES AND BILLING
Payment for your consultation is required on the day. We have EFTPOS facilities and are happy to take cash, however cannot accept cheques.
You will receive information regarding the initial consultation fee when you ring to book your appointment. This will also be contained within your Confirmation Letter.
For other pregnancy related fees, please read here.