What do I do, if I need to see a doctor, and Dr Baird is not available?
If you need to see a doctor outside of Dr Baird's consulting hours, or if Dr Baird's appointments are fully booked for the day that you need to see a doctor, or if Dr Baird is otherwise unavailable, please do one of the following:
Book an appointment with another GP at St Kilda Medical Group, (03) 9525 5200. This is the preferred option. The GPs at St Kilda Medical Group work as a team. If you book with another GP at St Kilda Medical Group, the GP will have access to your St Kilda Medical Group medical record.
Book an appointment with a doctor at another Clinic
Book an appointment with the National Home Doctor Service (13 7425) - after-hours only
If your problem is urgent, but does not require an emergency response, contact the Prahran Priority Primary Care Centre, 8am-midnight, (03) 9119 1055,
If your problem is urgent, but does not require an emergency response, contact the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department
If your problem is urgent, and requires an emergency response, go to the nearest Emergency Department, or call 000 (triple zero) for an ambulance
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS - PUBLIC
Alfred Hospital Emergency and Trauma Centre, 55 Commercial Road, Melbourne, (03) 9076 3405
Monash Medical Centre Emergency Department, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, (03) 9594 6666 (including the paediatric emergency service)
Royal Children's Hospital Emergency Department, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, (03) 9345 5522
Sandringham Hospital Emergency Department, 193 Bluff Road, Sandringham, (03) 9076 1470
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS - PRIVATE
All private emergency departments charge a 'facility fee' per attendance. There is no rebate from Medicare or from private health funds. The facility fee is shown in brackets.
Cabrini Emergency Department, 181-183 Wattletree Road, Malvern, (03) 9508 1500 ($485)
Holmesglen Private Emergency Department, 490 South Road, Moorabbin, (03) 9567 9100 ($450)
Epworth Richmond Emergency Department, 62 Erin Street, Richmond, (03) 9506 3000 ($400 (for Medicare Card holders), $500 (for non-Medicare Card holders))
New patients are required to register with St Kilda Medical Group before their first appointment.
Please read 'New patients'
Appointments
Please phone 000 (triple zero) for an ambulance if the problem is any one or more of the following:
Chest pain
Weakness of facial muscles or weakness of one or more limbs
Slurred speech
Unconscious
Collapse
Severe breathlessness (difficulty talking normally)
Drowsiness
Feeling faint
Injury
Bleeding
Poisoning
A seriously ill infant or child (one or more of: drowsy, floppy (infant), limp (child), not responding normally, pale colour, blue colour around the mouth, purple rash, persistent vomiting, working hard to breathe, having or has had a convulsion)
To make an appointment
Please choose one of the following options:
Phone St Kilda Medical Group on (03) 9525 5200
Go to Reception at the Clinic (St Kilda Medical Group, 81 Grey Street, St Kilda) - however please do not enter the Clinic if you have one or more of the following symptoms: fever, cough, breathlessness, sore throat, headache, loss or change of sense of smell or taste.
Book an appointment online via the St Kilda Medical Group website (skmg.com.au)
Please do not use online bookings for emergencies, problems that need urgent treatment, and consultations that require an interpreter.
Video consultation or phone consultation?
'Telehealth' consultations can be by video or by phone. The GP Colleges, Medical Defence Organisations, and Medicare recommend video in preference to phone.
Dr Baird prefers video to phone for consultations with patients for the following reasons
Seeing the patient enhances rapport, and enables the doctor's and the patient's facial expressions and body language to be observed
Clinical assessment is superior with video (general appearance, limited physical examination possible by observation)
Clinical management is superior with video (explanation, use of notes/diagrams)
Many patients prefer to see the doctor whom they are consulting (may improve trust, confidence, understanding, and satisfaction with the consultation)
Doctor and patient can exchange messages, files, and photos/images securely during the 'video call'
In contrast, a consultation by phone is limited to communication by voice - which may be entirely satisfactory for some medical problems
Standard video consultations and long video consultations
Standard video consultations are for consultations of up to 15 minutes' duration. Long video consultations are for consultations of up to 30 minutes' duration. Consultations are booked at 15 minute intervals. Up to five minutes for each consultation are required for set-up, checking notes before the consultation, and writing notes after the consultation.
The fees and the Medicare rebates for video consultations are based on the duration of the video consultation. Please refer to fees
Patients with urgent medical problems who attend the Clinic in person
Patients with urgent medical problems are given priority for appointments.
Patients who have urgent medical problems, or severe symptoms, will be given priority on arrival at the Clinic. They will get immediate initial assessment by a Nurse and by a GP. If a GP needs to attend to the patient straightaway, your appointment may be delayed. A receptionist will inform you about any expected delay, and you will have the option to wait, to leave and to return when your GP is expected to be available, or to reschedule your appointment. The duration of the delay will be an estimate, as the time required will depend on the urgent patient's condition and treatment. A receptionist will keep you informed about any changes in the delay.
Patients who attend the Clinic in person - non-urgent problems
When you arrive for your appointment, please check in at Reception. The receptionist will check your address, phone numbers, and date of birth, as it's vital that your identity is confirmed and that your contact details are up to date. Photo ID is required.
If you are not confident with English, we recommend using an interpreter for your consultation.
The government provides a free and confidential interpreter service for over 150 languages, by phone, by video, or in-person (if booked in advance). A speaker phone in the consulting room enables you and your GP to communicate through the interpreter. An interpreter can join a video consultation.
To avoid misunderstandings and difficulties discussing personal or sensitive matters, we recommend using a professional interpreter for interpretation in consultations, rather than using a family member or a friend.
When booking your appointment, please tell the receptionist if you wish to have an interpreter for your consultation, and the language required.
Standard consultations, long consultations, and prolonged consultations
Standard consultations are booked at 15 minute intervals. Standard consultations are appropriate for one or two straightforward problems.
Long consultations are booked for 30 minutes. Long consultations are recommended for consultations that will involve one or more of the following: new patient, complex problems, several problems, insurance (or similar) medical examination, minor surgical procedure, cervical screening test, or comprehensive health check.
Prolonged consultations may be booked for more than 30 minutes.
Depending on the nature of your consultation, you may be asked to arrange a follow-up consultation if there has not been time to address all problems satisfactorily, for review of symptoms or for review of results.
If it is not possible to address your problems and your needs thoroughly and completely within the time for the consultation, you will be asked to make an appointment for a further consultation to continue your assessment and management.
Which GP should I see?
Our GPs have training, experience, and interests in all areas of general practice.
At St Kilda Medical Group, all patients are welcome to see any of the GPs, about anything.
We encourage patients to have a regular GP at the Clinic, whom you will get to know over time, and who will get to know about you and your health. This helps with your continuity of care.
If your regular GP is away, or fully booked, please see one of the other GPs. All our GPs work together, and they follow the same principles. All our GPs have access to your Clinic medical record during your consultation. (GPs whom you have not seen do not have access to your Clinic medical record.)
Vaccinations, minor surgery, cryotherapy, cervical screening
Dr Baird recommends that everyone gets the recommended vaccinations. However, Dr Baird is not able to administer vaccines. Dr Baird will see patients to discuss vaccination. He will see patients who attend for vaccination. He will discuss the vaccination(s), and the Practice Nurse will administer the vaccine(s)
Dr Baird is not able to perform minor surgery or cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen or 'freezing treatment'). He will refer patients who require minor surgery or cryotherapy to one of the other GPs at St Kilda Medical Group.
Dr Baird recommends that women 25-74 have a cervical screening test every 5 years. Dr Baird does not do cervical screening tests. If a patient attends who requires a cervical screening test, he will refer the patient to one of the other GPs at St Kilda Medical Group, or discuss self-collection.
Cancellations
If you no longer need to attend a booked appointment, please cancel your appointment by phoning the Clinic.
Please notify cancellations as soon as possible, and preferably by at least the day before your appointment. However, we will accept cancellations up to the time of your appointment.
If you do not attend your appointment, and you have not notified the Clinic about cancelling the appointment, then we regret that a 'non-attendance' fee may apply. This fee is not rebateable by Medicare.
If your GP has marked your appointment as 'do not cancel', then any requests to cancel this appointment will be referred to your GP so that you can discuss this.
Standby list
We keep a 'standby list' for patients who cannot get an appointment at their preferred time, and who would be available to attend for an appointment at short notice. If there is a cancellation for an appointment at your preferred time, a receptionist will contact you to offer you this appointment. If you are unable to get an appointment, and you are available at short notice, and you wish your name to be added to the 'standby list', please inform the receptionist.