Clinic policies.

When you book, that time is held for you. To reschedule or cancel without a fee, please give us at least two full business days' notice.

If you cancel or change inside that window:

• 50% of the appointment fee is charged for cancellations or changes inside two business days
• The full appointment fee is charged if you don't attend
• Where payment was taken in advance, the cancellation fee is in addition to the prepayment, which we'll hold against your next appointment

If you miss two appointments in a row without notice, the second is charged in full and we'll need to talk about whether ongoing care here is the right fit.

Credit card surcharges aren't refundable.

We try hard to run on time, which means we need a small buffer at the start. Please plan to arrive around 10 minutes before your appointment.

If you arrive late:

• Within 15 minutes: we'll see you for the time remaining in your slot, and the full fee applies
• More than 15 minutes late: we can't provide a clinically appropriate session in the time left. The appointment is treated as a missed appointment and charged in full

We're a private specialist clinic. We don't bulk-bill. If you're experiencing financial hardship, please talk to your GP about other pathways.

Two things worth knowing before you book:

• Workers Compensation, CTP and medico-legal patients are not currently accepted. Please discuss other options with your GP.
• Private health funds don't cover outpatient psychiatry or specialist consultations. Your fund covers inpatient psychiatric admissions only.

Full pricing, Medicare rebates and out-of-pocket gaps are published on our fees page.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. A merchant fee applies where relevant. We don't accept cash.

Payment is required prior to your first appointment. For subsequent appointments, payment is taken on the day. Where you have a valid GP or Nurse Practitioner referral, we'll process the Medicare rebate on your behalf at the time of consultation.

Where you need a psychiatric report (employer, insurer, legal), fees are calculated hourly at AMA rates. Reports are written once the fee has been paid in full.

Quotes are provided in writing before any work begins.

To keep response times reasonable, all clinical phone enquiries are triaged by our nursing team first. You'll need a brief clinical review with a nurse for:

• New or repeat prescriptions
• Symptom changes or evaluations
• Medical reports
• Medical certificates
• Any forms you'd like us to complete

Our nursing team is reachable between psychiatry appointments. We aim to respond within 48 hours.

For a complete picture, we sometimes ask permission to speak with a family member, partner or another health professional. This is called a collateral history and is only ever done with your consent.

Where you agree, the interview is conducted by one of our mental health nurses.

Your health record is confidential. We follow all relevant privacy regulations.

If a third party (your GP, a specialist, an insurer) needs access to your record, we'll ask you to sign a Medical Record Release Consent Form first. No information leaves the clinic without your written authorisation.

See our Privacy Policy for the detail on how we handle personal information.

Our staff are committed to treating every patient with courtesy, respect, and professional care. We ask the same in return.

Aggressive, abusive, discriminatory or threatening behaviour towards our staff, clinicians or other patients is not tolerated. Where it occurs, we reserve the right to discontinue care.

If you're not happy with any aspect of your care or how the clinic has handled something, please tell us first. Most concerns can be resolved by a conversation with our practice manager or the treating clinician. Email clinicalintake@outcomehealth.org.au or phone (03) 8822 8444 and ask to speak with the practice manager.

If your complaint can't be resolved with us, or you'd prefer to raise it independently, you can contact:

• Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria): for clinical or service complaints. hcc.vic.gov.au · 1300 582 113
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra): for concerns about a registered health practitioner. ahpra.gov.au · 1300 419 495
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): for privacy complaints. oaic.gov.au

Raising a complaint with any of these bodies won't affect your care here.

By booking an appointment or being a patient at the clinic, you agree to be bound by the policies on this page. We may update them from time to time, with any changes posted here. Please check this page periodically for the current version.