Why Do We Have This Policy?
My Body Medical is committed to providing the best possible service to all patients. We understand that securing a routine appointment with a GP or Nurse can sometimes be challenging. Missed appointments — also known as DNAs (Did Not Attend) — make this issue worse. When a patient does not attend their appointment and fails to notify the practice, that appointment cannot be offered to another patient in need. This results in:
We aim to minimise missed appointments to ensure fair and timely access to care for everyone.
Reminder System
To help reduce non-attendance, appointment reminder text messages are sent 24 hours prior to your appointment (unless the booking was made on the same day), provided we have your mobile number on file.
What Is Considered a DNA?
A DNA (Did Not Attend) occurs when:
DNA Fees
Due to high demand for appointments and frequent non-attendances, the following fees apply when an appointment is not attended or is cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice:
If there is an outstanding balance on your account, further appointments cannot be booked until payment has been made. Repeated non-attendance may result in permanent suspension from the practice at the doctor’s discretion.
How to Avoid a DNA Fee
If you are unable to attend or no longer require your appointment, please notify us as early as possible. We understand that genuine mistakes can occur, and individual circumstances will be considered. However, repeated missed appointments are not acceptable.
Providing advance notice allows us to offer the appointment to another patient in need.
You can cancel your appointment in the following ways:
In person at reception
By phone: (03)
Online via HotDoc (if originally booked online)
By replying “N” to your SMS reminder (sent 24 hours prior)
Patient Responsibilities
Patients are responsible for:
By adhering to this policy, you help us reduce waiting times and improve access to appointments for all patients.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff is our highest priority.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Our team is committed to treating every patient with courtesy, respect and professionalism at all times.
In return, we ask that you and anyone accompanying you to the clinic treat our administrative and clinical staff with the same courtesy and respect.
We have a zero tolerance policy for threatening, aggressive or abusive behaviour, including:
Any such behaviour may result in the withdrawal of medical services at our practice and transfer of care to another provider.
Staff Conduct
All practitioners, clinical and administrative staff are committed to maintaining professionalism at all times. Staff uphold their registration standards, comply with practice policies, and work within their legal scope of practice.
All doctors and staff are expected to treat patients with respect, courtesy and understanding at all times.
No patient will be refused access to medical care on the basis of sex, age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or medical condition.
We are committed to culturally appropriate care. To help us provide the best possible service, we encourage patients to share their cultural or ethnic background when registering with the practice.
We support patients who require interpreter assistance:
All our doctors are registered to access these services.
We provide facilities to support patients with disabilities, including:
Our practice may occasionally participate in research projects involving patient health information. Patients invited to participate will receive full details about the project. If identified health information is required, written consent will be obtained. No personal information will be released without patient consent.
All staff undertake regular professional development to maintain high clinical standards and remain up to date with current medical knowledge and best practice guidelines.
We are proud to support the training of future doctors. Medical students from the University of Melbourne may attend our practice as part of their education. If you prefer not to have a medical student present during your consultation, please inform reception or your doctor prior to your appointment.
For further information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Why Do We Have a Mask Policy?
The safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff remains our highest priority, particularly in relation to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.As a private practice, we ask that patients experiencing respiratory symptoms wear a face mask while inside the clinic.
We have a COVID Safe plan in place and continue to follow strict infection control procedures to protect both patients and staff. While mask wearing is strongly encouraged, it is not mandatory unless you are experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone.
Most medical tests require a follow-up appointment with your doctor to discuss the results—this is particularly important for medical imaging and when you are unwell. Please do not assume that “no news is good news” after a test. Best practice is for both the doctor and patient to confirm that tests have been completed and results received, and to review them together to plan the most appropriate medical care. For this reason, we do not provide test results without a booked consultation. We also respect patients’ right to seek a second opinion and can provide a referral where appropriate.
Email is an increasingly common method of communication, but it is not a fully secure form of correspondence. Patients should be aware of this and avoid sending sensitive information through email. Please note that clinical requests sent via email or our contact form may still require an appointment with the relevant GP. When our clinic communicates with patients electronically (e.g., via email), we handle all information with strict attention to privacy and confidentiality. Sensitive documents, such as referrals or letters, are encrypted with a password to protect them in case of accidental delivery to the wrong email address. Patients are encouraged to verify their correct email address by sending a test email to info@mybodymedical.com.au before submitting sensitive information. The practice reserves the right to remove any content sent via email at its discretion.
We respect patients’ right to transfer their care to another doctor or practice. While the original medical records remain the property of the doctor, a copy can be provided upon request. This may be in the form of a computer disc or a health summary, once a signed request from the patient has been received.
If you are joining our practice, you will need to complete a request form for your previous medical centre so that your records can be forwarded to us.
Please note that an out-of-pocket fee may apply for transferring medical records. For details, please refer to our Fees & Appointments page.
For further information, please see our Privacy Policy.
We Value Your Input
At our Practice, we respect the right of patients, families, and carers to provide feedback or raise concerns about the care and services they receive.
Our team strives to deliver exceptional care, and positive feedback is always appreciated—it helps us recognize and celebrate staff who go above and beyond. If someone has provided outstanding assistance, please let us know so we can acknowledge their efforts. If your experience falls short of your expectations, we encourage you to first discuss your concern directly with the staff involved. If the issue remains unresolved, please contact the Practice Manager, providing clear details including what occurred, who was involved, when it happened, and the outcome you are seeking. We recommend submitting feedback in writing to allow sufficient time for review and follow-up, in line with our complaint resolution process. You can reach us via this [feedback form] or by emailing info@mybodymedical.com.au. We will respond promptly to your request. If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Health Complaints Commissioner by calling 1300 582 113 or visiting hcc.vic.gov.au.
(Last Updated: March 2026)
