Finding a local doctor who can help you with your medical requirements, or those of your family, can be a years-long challenge. It’s perfectly normal for many people to go through several general practitioners before they find a doctor that they feel comfortable with and can communicate with about their medical concerns.

SmartClinics has over 220 qualified General Practitioners working across over 30 locations, each with different skills and personal qualities. You can use our Doctor Search tool below to help find the right GP for you, and read below for our tips and advice when searching for your ideal GP.

Level of Care

The level of care you receive under your GP is going to be of paramount concern to most people searching for a new local family doctor. Knowing that your doctor cares for you and has your best interests at heart is critical to securing a stable and trusting ongoing relationship. Knowing that you can trust your GP ensures that you’re able to share your deepest medical concerns with them and subsequently get the greatest level of care possible.

Qualifications and Memberships

General practitioners commonly choose to become fellows of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). As part of its admission processes, general practitioners must sit an admission exam to assess their eligibility to join the RACGP. While there are some doctors who choose not to join the RACGP, a doctor who does become a Fellow is very likely up to date with their skills and is regularly undertaking the training recommended by the RACGP to ensure their skills stay modern. In addition to GP accreditation, the RACGP also ensures that practices are up to standard. Around 80% of Australian general practices are accredited by the RACGP.

Billing

At SmartClinics, billing procedures differ between practices. It’s important that you understand how your doctor’s practice chooses to bill patients before you make your appointment. Some practices will bulk bill all patients, while others will privately bill patients and require payment for your appointment.

Some practices have different rates for appointments on weekends or public holidays. Many practices will offer different rates for families at certain hours of the day, usually outside of their busiest times. If you’re unsure, please call the practice before your appointment and ask about their billing policy directly. You can also find billing and fee information on each SmartClinics location page, under the tab ‘ABOUT THE CLINIC’.

Practice Premises

Different SmartClinics practices have different benefits and disadvantages. Some clinics are smaller premises. These kinds of small doctors’ practices are great for forming close relationships and having a long-term family doctor. However, the drawback to these practices is often a reduced level of services available, shorter opening hours and possibly a reduced breadth of accessibility to allied health practitioners.

Alternatively, there are much larger medical centres that often come with a suite of benefits. You’re likely to be seeing a doctor who works with a large number of other GPs and thus may be exposed to a wider variety of opinions of experience in medicine. Additionally, there are likely to be additional services on-site and possibly some allied health working out of the same area. However, a large, busy practice may not be the right environment for every patient. 

Outside of the number of practicing doctors, there are other factors that may influence whether you want to visit a particular premises. Some clinics have better facilities for children such as toys and secure play areas for children, or nearby parking, while others have workstations for the busy working professional.

Consultation Quality  

The quality of experience with your doctor should be one of the leading factors in deciding whether they’re right for you. When you visit a GP for that first consultation, be honest with yourself afterwards about how it went. Ask yourself whether they were open and honest with you, whether they listened carefully to your needs, and if they actually produced a solution.

Having open communication and a good personality fit between yourself and your doctor will go a long way towards ensuring that your health concerns are adequately addressed in a timely manner. Always be prepared to try a few GPs if necessary in order to find one that works for you.

At SmartClinics, we pride ourselves on having Doctors who really care about the health and happiness of all patients. You may connect more with one Doctor over another, however if you ever feel like a Doctor has not provided you with quality care or respect that all patients deserve we welcome your honest feedback. You can speak with our practice managers or contact us via our website form.

Specific Needs

Every person has specific medical requirements. For most of your general health needs, any general practitioner will be qualified to help. However, if you have specific health concerns that may require a doctor with past experience in that field, ensure you seek one out or ask at your appointment. Many general practitioners have pursued additional training in specific fields, allowing them to gain a broader knowledge of some practice areas and thus deliver a more targeted service.