Privacy 

It is important to QC that our service users are aware of our Privacy, Confidentiality and Data Management Policy and processes and you can access this policy here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cLjNycnurZUmV_dWNGXJB3nY0wClB49K/view?usp=sharing 

 

QCGP+ Clinical Services

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Information for Clients: 

At QCGP+ we understand the difficulties you might or have faced when accessing health services.  All too commonly our folk have experienced stigma, discrimination and or judgement when accessing mainstream services. Our nurses and doctors offer peer based confidential consultations and provide an inclusive, non-judgemental, knowledgeable and caring approach to healthcare provision.  

Clinic Hours Monday- Friday 9am to 5pm 

Our Address: 16/421 Brunswick Street, Brunswick Central, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

Our Contact numbers: Ph. 07 30171777 Fax 07 3852 5200

After Hours service: 13SICK

 

Our Clinic GP’s

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Dr Damien Mergard (Monday to Friday)

Dr Bella George (Mondays)
Dr Nick Martin (Tuesdays and Fridays)
 

 

Clinic fees

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Our practice is a fully accredited bulk billing facility. Anyone with a valid Medicare card is able to access our services with no out of pocket cost.

Please note that since we are a bulk billing facility, we are unable to see patients without a valid Medicare card. Feel free to ring us or discuss if you do not have a Medicare card and we can refer you onto an alternate service.

 

Appointment bookings

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Our typical consultation lasts 15 minutes. During a consultation, our doctors are usually able to address your presenting health concerns. We recognise that sometimes you may have more complex or multiple issues that will require extra time to address your concerns. If you feel you may require a longer consultation, no worries. Just advise us when booking your appointment or select a 30 minute consultation when booking online. If you are not sure how long you need, please ring reception on 07 3017 1777 to have a chat. We offer minimal walk in consultations of a non-urgent nature and we will triage them appropriately.

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If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment, please phone reception on 07 3017 1777 to cancel or rebook your appointment. Due to high demand for appointments, cancellations should be notified ideally at least 2 hours prior to scheduled time where possible, to allow other patients to be fitted in with the doctor.

Repeatedly missing your appointments without letting us know may result in a fee being charged.

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Emergency care

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Please phone reception on 07 3017 1777 first if possible to assist us in preparing for your arrival and provide advice as appropriate. Urgent cases will be triaged promptly. In case of life-threatening emergency or serious injury, such as chest pain, severe bleeding, shortness of breath etc., please call triple zero (000) directly.

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AFTER HOURS

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Our After Hours service provider is the National Home Doctor Service. This service is available on 13SICK after 6pm on a weekday and after 12pm on a Saturday.

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Communication/telephone policy

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If you need a message or request given to your GP, let our reception team know. They will take your message and relay it to the practitioner. These will be prioritised by the relevant practitioner and followed up accordingly. A team member can only interrupt a GP consultation if there is an emergency. As a rule we do not put patient calls directly through to the GP except in extenuating circumstances.

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Recall and reminders systems

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As part of our commitment to your ongoing medical care, our practice utilises an in-house recall system for clinically significant results. To comply with the privacy legislation we cannot give results to patients or family members over the phone. If you are expecting results please make a follow up appointment by phoning reception on 07 3017 1777 to obtain your results. Our in-house reminder system, for pap smears, immunisations and other health initiatives is a friendly reminder that these health checks are due. Our practice also participates in national/state reminder systems and registrars, such as Breast screen and the Queensland Pap smear registry. Please inform our reception or doctor should you wish to be excluded from one or both of these reminder systems.

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Repeat prescriptions

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A consultation with your GP is required to obtain a prescription. This is to ensure that the appropriate medication is prescribed and to allow the doctor to assess the ongoing needs and effectiveness of such medication. If you have seen your doctor within the last few months, an appointment may not be required. Please phone reception on 07 3017 1777 to discuss. 

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Medical certificates

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An appointment with the doctor is required to obtain a medical certificate. A medical certificate is a legal document, as such cannot be backdated. They will be issued for medical conditions where the doctor deems time off is required.

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Referrals

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You will need to have a consultation with a GP for a referral to a medical specialist, as it is important that the referral is appropriate and the relevant up to date medical information is included. Referrals are usually valid for twelve months from the date it was written, and as referrals cannot be backdated, please ensure you have an up to date referral prior to your specialist appointment. Failure to have a valid referral will result in losing the Medicare rebate entitlement for the specialist appointment.

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Management of patient health information

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We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your health information. For more information on how your health information is managed, please speak to a member of our team or ask to see our Privacy Policy.

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Patients who require communication services

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If you require an interpreter service or communication assistance, please let reception know when booking your appointment. We will make appropriate arrangements prior to you attending your consultation.

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Feedback and complaints

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If you have any suggestions for improving our service we would like to hear from you as we take your concerns, suggestions and complaints seriously. Please complete one of our feedback forms in the clinic, or post your feedback in writing to QCGP+, PO box 1372, Eagle Farm, 4009. Alternatively, you can phone the clinic on 3017 1777 and ask to speak directly to the Executive Officer – Individuals.

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If you wish to take a matter further or feel the need to discuss the matter outside the surgery, the Health Quality & Complaints Commission will consider your health care related complaint and can be contacted on 1800 077 308 or at GPO Box 3089, Brisbane, QLD, 4001.

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TESTING POINT

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We operate a bulk billed STI/HIV walk in a clinic called Testing Point fortnightly on a Tuesday night from 6pm to 8pm. Testing Point is staffed entirely by volunteer nurses and doctors and offers fast sexual health screens and treatment if required. 

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No appointment needed. Just walk on in. 

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​QCGP+ Mental Health Services

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At QCGP+ our mental health team primarily provides counselling and mental health support to LGBTIQ Sistergirl and Brotherboy people over the age of 18. Our team is made up of a range of mental health professionals with a broad range of experience in community and private mental health settings, and we have been working alongside folk from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Sistergirl, and Brotherboy communities experiencing mental health issues since 2015.

Our practitioners strive to create a safe, warm, and comfortable atmosphere, and are committed to working alongside you to explore what might be getting in the way of you living the life you want, and to support you to enhance your sense of personal control, connection, and self-knowledge. Counselling focuses on what is important to you, at your pace and in a way that works for you.

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Our team knows that there is no single way of working together that is the right fit for everyone, so we offer a range of person-centred and strengths-based approaches including;

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• Testing and treatment for sexually transmissible infections (STIs)

• Blood and swab collection for testing (including Blood Borne Viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis, Herpes and HPV)

• Discuss test results

• Treatment as required

• Follow-up and prevention

• Advice and education

• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

• Vaccinations; prescription and administration of vaccines both private and provided under the National Immunisation Program Schedule 

• sexual health check Certificate of Attendance for sex industry workers

• Healthcare for persons living with HIV

• Transgender and gender diverse healthcare

• Commencing and continuing hormone therapy

• Referral for surgical intervention

• Women’s sexual health

• Contraception (short and long term)

• Cervical Screening Test (CST) - formerly known as a PAP smear

• Fertility and pregnancy

• Other gynaecological issues

• Men’s sexual health

• Erectile dysfunction

• Testosterone deficiency

• Testicular checks

• Mental health care plans

• Skin checks

• Ear irrigation

• Trauma Informed Therapy;

• Culturally-Informed Practice;

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT);

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT);

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT);

• Mindfulness Based Therapy;

• Solution Focused Therapy; and

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (somatic treatment approaches to trauma).

• Underpinning these therapies is a commitment to recovery oriented mental health, which recognises that while we may be meeting to discuss vulnerabilities and challenges, you also have strengths, you are the expert in your experience, and you deserve to live a rich, authentic, and meaningful life.

• The QCGP+ Mental Health team shares a passionate commitment to integrity, authenticity and transparency through ethical and purposeful practice. In our work, we commit to: 

• value people’s individuality and self-determination by honouring them as experts in their own lives;

• create a safe place for hope and healing, recovery and change;

• advocate for and with people;

• support people to understand and deconstruct social systems;

• acknowledge our positions of power or privilege when working with our communities; &

• practice with compassion to develop connections that enrich our work and our relationships with each other.

• Our team is made up of clinicians from a range of backgrounds including Counselling, Mental Health Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, and Accredited Mental Health Social Work.

• With a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, we can offer services under the Better Access to Mental Health Initiative for which a Medicare rebate is available.

• We are also able to provide counselling services through:

• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); and

• Wesley Mission Queensland Psychological Therapies program.

• Services can also be accessed free of charge and without the need for a GP referral under the National Suicide Prevention Trial (available to people throughout Queensland) and BMind for people who live, work and/or play in the Brisbane North catchment.

• Mental health consultations are available in-person, via phone and through telehealth.

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Call QCGP+ on (07) 3017 1777 to book your appointment.

Appointments are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

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Home Visits

Where safe and reasonable to do so, our practice makes visits to regular practice patients in their homes, aged or residential care facilities, or in hospitals within and outside of normal working hours. Our practice has decided upon a reasonable distance within which visits can be conducted. Home visits are scheduled and confirmed by the patient’s treating GP. Home visits may also be performed by a service on our practice’s behalf, and our practice has an agreement with the National Home Doctor Service (13 SICK) to provide such care.  

 

After Hours Services

Our practice recommends that you contact one of the below services for after hours care.  

• National Home Doctor Service (Phone 13 74 25) 

• Report to your nearest emergency department. Public emergency departments in Brisbane include the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, The Prince Charles Hospital, The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital, or Caboolture Hospital.  

 

Communication Policy

If you need a message or request given to your GP, let our reception team know. They will take your message and relay it to the practitioner. These will be prioritised by the relevant practitioner and followed up accordingly. As a rule we do not put patient calls directly through to the GP except in extenuating circumstances. Email communication is conducted with appropriate regard to our service users’ privacy and confidentiality. Our clinic email is not closely monitored throughout the day, so if your inquiry is urgent, please contact reception via phone. Otherwise, we will respond to your email at our soonest availability.  

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