Email Policy

Please be advised that since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have relaxed our email policy, as we have assessed that the security risks of email are outweighed by the benefits of reducing the need for patients to come to the clinic to collect documents however collection from our reception is still our preferred method.

If you prefer to not receive emails from us, please let us know. Otherwise, if your doctor offers to email a referral or other document to you during your consultation and you agree to us doing so, you will be deemed to have accepted the security risks associated with emails.

Our email address is reception@stlukemc.com.au. You can use this email address to communicate with our practice, including all of our doctors and staff, subject to the warnings discussed below.

We aim to respond to emails within three business days of receipt. If you require a more urgent response, please call us on 08 9341 7770 to ensure we address your query sooner.

BOOKING, CHANGING OR CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS

Please do not email us with requests for appointments or changes to appointments. Instead, please phone us on 08 9341 7770 to book, change or cancel an appointment. You can also book an appointment online using HotDoc (and if you do so you can change or cancel your appointment through HotDoc).

Unless you have opted out, you will receive an SMS appointment reminder the day before your appointment, and you can use the link in the SMS to change or cancel your appointment.

 WARNING REGARDING THE SECURITY OF EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS

Please note that our email service is not encrypted, and therefore we cannot guarantee the security of our email communications. There is a risk that emails and/or attachments could be read by someone other than the intended recipient (for example, as a result of widespread hacking, or because someone accesses your email account).

For this reason, we discourage health providers from sending emails to us with personal information about patients, and we discourage patients from sending emails to us with their own personal information.

However, in certain circumstances, we may agree to email you with a response to a query and/or with information or documentation that you have requested which does include your health information, provided that you have confirmed that you have considered and accepted the risks associated with email communications. Before we do so, we will need to verify your identity and your email address. We may also require you to email us confirming that you have considered and accepted the risks associated with email communications.

 

OTHER HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

We ask that other health practitioners do not email us with personal information about mutual patients (unless you have the patient’s express consent).

We prefer to receive correspondence via our secure messaging provider HealthLink. Please avoid faxing or posting us correspondence if you are able to send via this messaging system.

 

EMAIL AUTO REPLY AND DISCLAIMER

The practice uses an email disclaimer notice on outgoing emails that are affiliated with the practice stating:

This is an automated response, please do not reply.

Thankyou for your email.

Please DO NOT use this email address for the following:

1. Cancellations of appointments
2. Medical or Clinical Questions
3. Booking or changing Appointments

Please call the practice on 9341 7770 so that your enquiry can be attended to promptly.            

Our email policy is strictly NO requests without prior authorisation.

Patients should not use email to contact the practice in an emergency.                                                 

If Urgent medical assistance is required, please phone Emergency Services on 000.

Please note we do not use encrypted email and cannot guarantee confidentiality of information sent by email.

“DISCLAIMER: This communication may contain confidential or copyright information of Karrinyup St Luke Medical Centre. If you are not an intended recipient, you must not keep, forward, copy, use, save or rely on this communication, and any such action is unauthorised and prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please reply to this email to notify the sender of its incorrect delivery, and then delete both it and your reply

This email policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur.