Coming to a new practice for the first time can feel like admin. It does not have to be. Here is what reception actually needs from you, and what you can leave at home.
You can just walk in
Most people who see us walk in during consulting hours. You do not need an appointment and you do not need to phone first. Come during consulting hours and reception will take it from there.
Booking is there if you prefer it. It does not get you better care, it just means you know roughly when you will be seen.
The two things to bring
- Your ID or passport. We need it to open your file correctly.
- Your medical aid card, if you belong to a scheme. The membership number and the scheme name are on it, which is what reception needs.
That is the list. If you do not have one of them with you, come anyway and tell reception — it is usually sortable.
Helpful, but not required
None of these will stop you being seen. Bring them if they are easy:
- What you take. The box, the repeat script, or a photo on your phone. If you do not have it, the doctor will ask.
- A child's clinic card, if you still have it. It saves guessing at vaccination history.
- Previous results or a referral letter, if you are coming about something another doctor has already looked at.
If the doctor needs anything else, they will ask you for it during the consultation.
If you are paying privately
You do not need a medical aid to see us. Ask reception about the consultation fee when you arrive, so there are no surprises, and the account is settled on the day.
If you are on a medical aid
Reception will take your details and open a file. We submit the claim to your scheme after your visit — practices usually send them through in a batch, so it will not be settled while you sit in the waiting room.
What the scheme pays, and what it leaves you to pay, is between you and your scheme. If you want to know your cover before you come, your scheme's call centre is the place to ask.
What happens when you arrive
Reception takes your details, then you wait to be called by one of the doctors. We keep the waiting room moving as best we can, but a patient ahead of you may need longer than expected, and we would rather give them that time than rush them — the same applies when it is your turn.
If you are in a hurry, say so at the desk when you arrive and reception will tell you how it is looking.
Before you come
- Write down what you want to ask. It is very easy to walk out having forgotten the one thing you came for.
- Note when the problem started, and what makes it better or worse. Those two answers do a lot of the work.
- If you would like someone with you, bring them.