GP & Nursing

Wheatbelt Health Network offers multidisciplinary health services across our three locations throughout Western Australia’s Wheatbelt.

 

Our Doctors

WHN Northam
Dr Ada Kalu (Female)
Dr Angelito Simon (Male)
Dr Bruno Kalu (Male)
Dr Henry Villegas (Male)
Dr Mahadeva Prasad (Male)
Dr Noor Ul Ain Butt (Female)

Northam ABH
Dr Jenny Donnelly (Female)

Narrogin ABH
Dr Andrew Knight (Male)
NP Hilary Bowman (Female)

Fees and Payments

Wheatbelt Health Network (WHN) is a MIXED BILLING Practice. We offer Bulk Billing services for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, Pensioners with a Health Care Card/Concession Card, Veteran Affairs Card Holders and Children aged 17 and under.

Consultation TypePractice FeeMedicare RebateOut of Pocket
Short Appointment
0 - 5 mins (3)
$55.00$18.95$36.05
Standard Appointment
5 - 20 mins (23)
$85.00$41.40$43.60
Long Appointment
20 - 40 mins (36)
$120.00$80.10$39.90
Lengthy Appointment
40 - 59 mins (44)
$150.00$118.00$32.00

A valid Medicare Card and Concession Card MUST be presented before each consultation.

Making Payments

Payment is required on the day of the consultation. We accept Cash, EFTPOS or Credit Card (excluding Diners and AMEX cards). All doctors have the right to choose their patients billing and can alter the practice policy at their discretion.

All Workers Compensation and Motor Vehicle Accident patients are required to pay their accounts at the time of the consultation until a letter of liability is produced from their insurance company.

Some services cannot be claimed under Medicare. Payment for Driving Medicals and Pre-Employment Medicals etc will be required on the day of your appointment. Please ask our Patient Services Officer what the fee will be when booking these types of appointments.

Appointments

Appointments can be made by calling our Patient Services Officers on 9621 4444 or by using our online booking system https://www.hotdoc.com.au

Walk-ins

We welcome walk in appointments, however waiting times may apply. The nurse on duty will triage clients. Children will be seen as a matter of priority and people who have already made a booking.

General Appointments

Our appointment system caters for various types of consultations, if you need more time with your GP, please book a longer consultation. Please advise reception if you require an urgent appointment. WHN endeavours to accommodate patients with urgent medical matters even when fully booked.

Please call the Practice as early as possible to let us know about any changes or cancellations so we can allocate them to another Patient.

Waiting Times

Sometimes the GP’s are delayed by patients with urgent or complex issues. We apologise if this happens, the receptionist will inform you of any unusual changes to waiting times.

Test Results

All test results will be reviewed by your doctor. If your doctor asks for a follow-up appointment, you will be contacted by the Patient Services Team.

Telehealth and Home Visits

If you are a regular client and can’t travel to the medical centre, there may be times when a home visit can be obtained at the discretion of your treating GP, but it needs to be safe and reasonable for the GP. After the patient is triaged and a home visit is deemed neither safe nor reasonable, a telehealth consultation will be offered. Please ask our Patient Services Officer when booking these types of appointments, if there are any associated fees.

After Hours

If you require medical assistance outside of our normal consulting hours, please call HEALTH DIRECT on 1800 022 222. If you have any COVID-19 enquiries, they can be contacted on 1800 020 080.

Alternatively, you can present to the Northam Hospital Emergency Department, located at 50 Robinson Road, Northam Ph. 9690 1300.

Access and Inclusion

The Wheatbelt Health Centre provides wheelchair access for ease of entry into the building and accessible toilets are situated inside the main entrance.

Please advise reception staff if you have any additional requirements (interpreter, accessible information, disability access, cultural or religious adjustments). We are happy to assist you in any way we can.

Translator Services

Telephone translator    131 450
Auslan Interpreter      1300 287 526

Feedback and Complaints

We want to make sure we are providing quality healthcare to our patients. If you have any concerns or suggestions on how we can improve our service to you, please ask our Patient Services Team for a feedback form.

If you wish to lodge an external complaint, you can contact the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office (HaDSCO) on 1800 813 583 or via www.hadsco.wa.gov.au

Communication Policy

There are several ways our practice communicates with patients and third parties, face to face, telephone, or email. All phone calls and emails to the clinic are welcomed and messages will be passed onto our health staff.

Face to Face – This can be via a consultation with your doctor or nurse or by speaking with other staff members i.e. reception staff or the Practice Manager.

Telephone – Patients can contact the practice via telephone between the hours of 8 am – 6 pm Monday to Friday. Please note we are closed on weekends and public holidays. Phone calls requesting to speak to the doctor will not generally be put through unless it is an emergency. Reception staff will happily take a message and pass it on to the requested doctor. Doctors may take a phone call if time permits.

Email – This is not a secure form of communication and we do not use this to communicate personal information to patients without their consent. Whilst we make every effort to keep your information secure, it is important for patients to be aware of the risks associated with electronic communication, in that the information could potentially be compromised and accessed by someone other than the intended recipient. Patients must be aware that any communication they direct to the practice via email is NOT secure and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Patients’ who communicate through email do so at their own risk.

If you do choose to contact the surgery via email, this will be considered as patient consent to reply via email.

We endeavour to reply to all emails in a timely manner. Emails are checked on a regular basis however they are not constantly monitored. If you have an issue that requires urgent attention, we ask that you contact the practice via telephone.

 

IN A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 000