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Getting an appointment / Understanding how a medical practice works:

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Timing of the appointment

Emergency
•Call 000
•Contact the worker's family
•Accompany the worker to hospital
•Communicate with co-workers

To the doctor that day
•Arrange an immediate doctor's visit or take the worker to hospital (if it is after hours)
•Accompany the worker
•Make sure they have transport to get home

Non-urgent care
•Does the worker require a medical opinion? If so, arrange a doctor's appointment.
•Discuss whether the worker should go home or stay at work.

 

Getting medical care can be difficult, many doctors are booked out. Having a relationship with a local clinic helps.

The receptionist or practice manager has influence over the appointment scheduling. Be straight about your needs. A request for an urgent appointment needs to be just that, otherwise the next request for an urgent appointment is not likely to be successful.

If you do not have a relationship with a specific clinic it may be necessary to call a few practices to arrange an appointment.

 

prod_tipPrivate Vs's Public Hospital Care

It is Private hospitals allow you to choose your doctor. Preferable to admit the injured worker to the care of an experienced specialist, as this will result in better continuity of care.

If the injured worker is admitted to a public hospital, the initial care can be followed up by a chosen specialist.

 

Clinics that specialize in occupational or industrial medicine are geared to deal with urgent appointments. There are industrial medicine clinics in many regional towns and all capital cities.

Some private hospitals have specialized industrial medicine setups, they are geared to deal with the type of injuries that occur in industry, and their doctors are focused on good levels of care for work related conditions.

Public versus private hospital. If an ambulance is called you can request the patient is transferred to the nearest private hospital with an emergency facility. However, this will be at the ambulance officers' discretion. It will depend on how close the hospitals are and how busy they are at the time.

If you are going to transport the employee to the hospital, you can call ahead to see how busy they are. A hospital 30 minutes away might save the employee and supervisor six hours of waiting time.

 

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Choosing the right place to get care