Our Policies

Terms & Conditions

Patient Fees and Outstanding Debt Policy

Standard appointments are scheduled for 15-minute intervals, during which it is usually only possible to deal with one or two key problems. If you think you will need longer, please book a longer appointment (30 minutes) – please note, this may incur an extra fee.

Payment for all services must be made in full prior to seeing the GP, nurse, or healthcare provider. Any additional charges for procedures, materials, or special consultations incurred during the appointment must be paid at the conclusion of the appointment. A schedule of regular fees is available on our website and at reception.

Payment options include EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, cash, AP (automatic payment), or Stripe via the patient portal.

If you wish to pay using Internet Banking our account is: KAIPARA MEDICAL CENTRE LIMITED 12-3496-0005190-00, Please use your patient number or full name as a reference.

A scheduled phone consult will be charged at normal consult rates.

If the patient does not pay at the time of the consult, then a text message will be sent out that day as a reminder to make payment.

At any point, if the patient cannot pay in full, payment plan options can be discussed with reception (contact reception before your appointment to discuss options).

Kaipara Medical Centre reserves the right to charge a full consult for missed appointments. For clarity, a missed appointment is one which is cancelled with less than 3 hours’ notice, a patient is more than 7 minutes late for the appointment, or the patient does not arrive at all (a ‘no show’/’did not attend’).

Cancellation of appointments must be made 3 hours prior to appointment time. On the day cancellations may incur a fee. Exceptions may be made in emergencies or special circumstances – please refer to the Did Not Attend (DNA) / Late Arrival / Late Cancellation Policy.

Patients arriving more than seven minutes late may need to reschedule their appointment, as it may not be possible to accommodate them within the remaining time. The full consultation fee may still apply – please refer to the Did Not Attend (DNA) / Late Arrival / Late Cancellation Policy.

At the end of the month:

Any accounts more than 10 days past due will be sent a follow up reminder via email or text to make payment.
Any account more than 40 days past due will incur a $10 non-refundable late fee (incl GST).
Any account more than 90 days past due will be referred to Baycorp Debt Collection Agency for action and the patient may be unenrolled from the practice.

All debt recovery costs will be on-charged to the patient.

If an account is referred to a debt collection agency, only the necessary information (such as your name, contact details, and outstanding balance) will be shared. This information will be handled in accordance with privacy laws to protect your personal data.

Did Not Attend (DNA) / Late Arrival / Late Cancellation Policy

We understand that life can be unpredictable but attending your appointments or letting us know if you can’t make it is very important. Appointments are always in high demand, and missed or late appointments mean that other patients miss out on the care they need. If you can’t attend, please cancel as early as possible so we can offer the time to someone else.

To ensure fairness and smooth operation, we have a clear policy regarding missed appointments (Did Not Arrive or DNA), late cancellations, and lateness. Please take a moment to understand how it works.

What happens if you miss your appointment, or if you are late to your appointment?

Missed Appointments / Did Not Attend (DNA)

If you miss an appointment without giving advance notice (3 hours), we will record this on your patient file
After the first missed appointment, our team will contact you to explain our policy. A note will also be added to your file
If you miss another appointment after being informed of the policy, you may be charged a fee.

Late Arrivals

If you arrive up to 7 minutes late, reception will check with the doctor or nurse to see if they can still see you. If they agree, your appointment may be shorter to accommodate the delay. You may also choose to reschedule – this will be noted on your record.
If you are more than 7 minutes late, you may be advised that your appointment has been missed. In urgent situations, our clinical team will assess whether immediate care is necessary.

Fees may apply for:

Missed appointments after you’ve been informed of this policy
Repeated late arrivals that impact clinic operations.

Please note, these will be applied at our discretion, and exceptions may be made.

Fees may be charged for DNA / Late Arrival / Late Cancellation, at:

$10 per child booked under 18 years
50% of service fee for patients 18+ years.

How you can help:

Cancel early: If you know you can’t make it, let us know as soon as possible.
Arrive on time: This helps us provide timely care to all patients.
Stay informed: Contact us if you have questions about our appointment policy.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us deliver the best possible care to everyone.