We understand that your time is as precious as ours and how frustrating it can be to be kept waiting. We try our very best to run to time but some times this is just not possible. If doctors only saw two people per hour this would probably never happen but the cost to patients visiting a doctor, would have to increase accordingly.

Most doctors book consultations at 15 minute intervals to keep the cost of visiting the doctor down. Experience shows this is usually adequate time to sort out the majority of presenting problems. However, patients bringing in long lists to be sorted, complex illnesses or serious issues can all take longer. Emergencies such as admitting patients to hospital or patients who arrive ill with no appointment can cause unforeseen delays. Arriving late for your appointment can cause delays for the next person and so on.( please phone if you are running late)

Things that patients can do to help are to bring no more than one or two problems per consultation. If you have multiple problems or one you think may be complicated, it is advisable to book for two consultations in a row. Problems such as headaches, dizziness, gynaecological issues, assessments for dementia and symptoms that have been present for a long time are some examples of issuesthat usually take the full 15 minutes by themselves. Additional problems are really not able to be dealt with properly and thoroughly in one visit.