Appointments

Booking an Appointment
To book an appointment, click the Book Now button below or call us at (02) 4237 7502.
Our business hours are 8:00 AM to 5:15 PM, Monday to Friday
– New Patients: Your first appointment will be 30 minutes to allow your doctor time to review your full history and provide the safest and best care.
– Standard Appointments: 15 minutes long.
– Long Appointments: Please book a 2 issue (15min to 30minute appointment) if you have more than one concern or a complex issue to discuss.
– Skin cancer checks: 30 minutes long. Please book these online

Special Appointments
For childhood health checks (Blue Book), vaccines, ear syringes, or procedures, please call us directly at (02) 4237 7502 so our nurses can assist in coordinating the best care.

Appointment Options
You can book in-person, phone, or video call appointments using the booking button below or by using the websites of tenant GPs directly to book for their appointments.
All appointments must be pre-booked.

Urgent and Emergency Care
For emergencies, call 000.
For urgent care advice, contact Health Direct at 1800 022 222, or call us at (02) 4237 7502 during business hours. We will do our best to fit you in.
Urgent appointments open online at midnight for the following day. Log in early to secure an appointment before our phones open in the morning.

Bulk billing for Nurse-led GP Management Plans, Health Assessments, and Blue Book checks

Our nurses continue to bulk bill GP Management Care Plans, Health Assessments and Blue Book checks.
For new patients who are under 4 years old: After your first appointment, all blue book and children’s vaccine appointments are bulk billed if these are booked by calling our reception team on 02 4237 7502.

Care plans only have a private fee if you wish to ask to also have an whole appointment privately with your GP to complete your care plan.
For these care plan appointments a normal time out of pocket (or ‘gap’) fee applies as shown in the times and fees below.
This means you will get everything back from Medicare except the Out of Pocket fee shown below, depending on the length of time for your appointment.

Fees for appointments

Doctors in Kiama Downs ask you to pay an out of pocket cost (or gap fee) for their care.
Medicare only covers 60% of the nationally recognised fair pay rate for GPs.
Charging a gap lets your GP spend the time you need, instead of rushing appointments like many bulk-billing GPs.
Thanks for your understanding and support!

When the fee above is paid you will either get the Medicare amount back on the spot or Medicare will refund the amount above to your bank account within one business day.
Your out of pocket fee is $75 (or $113 over 20 minutes, $175 over 40mins, $212 for over an hour).
Your out of pocket fee is only $14 to $42 at the most once you reach the Medicare safety net.
Your out of pocket fees support fair pay for receptionists, nurses & GP trainees and enable continued high-quality care, equipment and nurse services for our community.

Concession card holders

GPs in Kiama Downs provide Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card Holders a discount of $20.

Nurse fees

For 2025 and until further notice, Nursing care is bulk billed except for dressings, ear syringes and medical procedures.
Wound dressings are $25 and ear syringes are $50.
Nurses bulk bill Care plans, Health Assessments and Blue Book checks.

If you wish to have an appointment privately with your GP to complete your care plan a normal time out of pocket (or ‘gap’) fee applies as shown in the times and fees above. This means you will get everything back from Medicare except the Out of Pocket fee shown below, depending on the length of time for your appointment.

MyMedicare & Refunds for Phone or Video Appointments

✅ If you’re registered with MyMedicare at Kiama Downs Medical Practice

You can get Medicare refunds for all phone and videocalls under 60 minutes.

Can I register?
You can register if you have had 2 or more face-to-face visits with any GP or nurse at Kiama Downs in the past 2 years
OR if your parent/guardian or child is already registered at Kiama Downs.

How to register?
Register for MyMedicare by clicking here now.

❌ If you’re not registered with MyMedicare at Kiama Downs

Medicare refunds depend on a few extra government rules if you are not registered with My Medicare at Kiama Downs:

Phone calls (up to 15 minutes):
You can get a Medicare refund if you have seen a GP or nurse at Kiama Downs in person within the past 12 months,
OR if the appointment is for a child under 12 months old.

Phone calls (up to 55 minutes):
You can get a Medicare refund if your call is about any of these topics:
– STI screening
– Fertility or pregnancy planning
– Contraception
– Sexual health
– Hepatitis B, C, or HIV
– If you have an eating disorder (only every 3 months)

Video calls (up to 55 minutes)
You can get a Medicare refund if:
1. you have seen a GP / nurse here in person within the past 12 months
OR
2. the person for the appointment is under 12 months old
OR
3. your call is about:
– STI screening
– Fertility or pregnancy planning
– Contraception
– Sexual health
– Hepatitis B, C, or HIV
– If you have an eating disorder (only every 3 months)

The Extended Medicare Safety Net

Medicare covers 80% of gap fees for most GP, other specialist & other Medicare appointments after you reach the safety net for the remainder of the calendar year. At Kiama Downs, your gap fee for GP appointments will only be around $14 to $42 at most if you qualify for the safety net.

The safety net is $812 in gap fees in a calendar year ($2545 if no concession card). You can reach this amount faster by adding anyone who lives in your home like partners and/or children to your account (call 132 011 which is open 24 hours a day)

Missed appointments

You must notify us if you are unable to attend your appointment. Medicare does not pay your nurse or GP anything for their time if you do not attend.
Full fees are issued for patients who do not attend without 2 hours notice unless their are extenuating circumstances.

Services

To find out more about GP care in Kiama please visit the independent websites of the GPs in Kiama Downs.
Information is also provided here.
General practitioners in Kiama Downs cover the full range of independent general practice services and each of them also provide a travel clinic (including Yellow Fever vaccinations) as well as all general travel advice, medications and vaccinations.
For more information about their travel clinic please click here.

Repeat Prescriptions and Referrals

We offer three options:

1. A standard GP appointment by clicking here

2. Bulk billed in person with your nurse (only for repeat scripts or referrals):
– Simply call us on 4237 7502
– Your last GP visit must have been within the past 6 months.
– Scripts cannot be for antibiotics, strong pain medication, or sedatives.
– Reception will book at a time when your usual GP is available assist.
– If it’s not safe* to issue a full script repeat or a referral, your GP may provide a shorter script or request an appointment later.
– If you ask to discuss other issues normal consultation fees apply or you may be asked to rebook a normal GP appointment.
* safe? sometimes referrals for problems or scripts for blood pressure, cholesterol or others require your GP to physically examine you or arrange tests to check you are still on the right plan.

3. Online script or referral request for $35 (no nurse or GP consultation) by clicking here and clicking “Repeat Prescription” or “Repeat Referral”.

Results of pathology and imaging tests

At times during a consultation you might be asked to arrange some blood tests, XRAYs or other tests.
Your doctor will give you a plan for what to do after these test are complete. This might include waiting to allow your condition to improve, returning to see your GP or seeing a specialist.

Will I be given my result?
You should always receive a message from your GP:
Asking you to return to discuss
OR
A message telling you “no action” (which means continue to follow the plan your GP provided you at your last appointment).

If you wish to see your results without an appointment, these are usually available on your My Health Record within 7-14 days of completing the test.

Please note that normal test results do not necessarily mean that there is no problem.
As always, if your problem persists or if your doctor has asked you to return or to see a specialist please ensure you seek attention.
For more information about seeking advice out of hours, please visit our After Hours page.

Recalls and Reminders

Our practice routinely reminds our community about health services and about appointments as suggested by your doctor.
Please assist us by ensuring we have your correct contact details.
If you do not wish to participate, please let us know so that we can respect your privacy.

Management of Health Information

Your doctors always invite you to participate in decisions about your care. Feel welcome to involve your family or carer as they can often help remind you about other important questions you might need answered from your doctor. Our practice uses telephone interpreters if English is not your first language. Please ask your doctor if you feel you would benefit from this.

Our practice has a display system with the latest medical information and alerts as well as this information.

To reduce the risk of mistaken identity in your files or records, our staff may ask for your name, address and date of birth at times on the phone or in person. This is to protect you from medical errors and to protect your privacy.

Our practice often needs to interact on your behalf with other health services. Your information cannot be released without your written authority unless you are unable to provide this due to being critically unwell. In all cases written or electronic files are not forwarded unless we receive a written authority from you.

Your medical record is a confidential document. It is the policy of the practice to maintain the security of your personal health information at all times and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff. Kiama Downs Medical Practice staff adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles. Patients are able to request access to their own personal health information in line with the Privacy Principles. A copy of our privacy policy is available on request at reception. If you wish for your information to be available online for you to access and edit through the Personal Electronic Health Record system please discuss this with your doctor.

Patient Feedback

Our practice always invites you to submit any feedback here on our Contact page.
Occasionally we also invite you to complete a questionnaire in person about your views of the practice and how we can improve your care and service. These surveys are completely confidential. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the care you receive at this practice please let us know so we may address your concerns directly. This may be done in person, by phone or online at the Contact page.

Please feel welcome to discuss concerns with your reception team, nurse or doctor. If you feel you are unable to do any of the above, there is always an impartial authority for dealing with such complaints.

To register a formal complaint with the Health Care Complaints Commission, please call 02 9219 7444 write to:
    Health Care Complaints Commission
    Locked Mail Bag 18
    Strawberry Hills NSW 2012, STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW  2012  Ph:  9219 7444

We look forward to meeting you at our practice and welcome any questions, feedback or suggestions via our contact page.

Best wishes,

The team at Kiama Downs Medical Practice

* This decision has been made by Independent GPs who work from the Practice in Kiama Downs as Independent Businesses.

The cost of care at our practice
Visit length	Fee (Gap)	Concession	Rebate
Up to 15mins	$109   ($68)	$89   ($48)	$41
Up to 35mins	$188 ($108)	$168 ($88)	$80
Up to 55mins	$286 ($168)	$266 ($148)	$118
Over 55mins	$363 ($208)	$343 ($188)	$155