Patient Registration, Identification and Appointment Procedure

Purpose. This procedure sets out how reception staff register new patients, confirm identity at every attendance, manage appointments and telehealth bookings, and triage requests so that urgent patients are seen safely.

1.Scope

This procedure applies to reception and administration staff at all three sites and to any clinical staff who book or check in patients. It supports the privacy policy and the accreditation standards on patient identification.

2.New patient registration

New patients must complete the New Patient Registration and Consent Form, and reception must enter the details into the Patient Records and Appointments system, verify the name, date of birth and address against identification, and record the patient's consent to the privacy collection statement. Ask whether the patient identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, needs an interpreter, or has a carer or guardian, and record the response.

3.Identification at every attendance

At check-in, ask the patient to state their full name and date of birth and match both to the record before opening the appointment. Never use a closed question such as asking whether they are a named person. Where two patients share a name, add an alert to both records and confirm a third identifier such as address.

4.Appointments and triage

Book appointments by type and length from the appointment book rules. Any request for a same-day appointment where the patient describes chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, a child who is floppy or drowsy, or thoughts of self-harm must be transferred to the practice nurse immediately for triage, and reception must record the time of the call and the transfer. If the nurse is not available, reception must follow the medical emergency plan.

• Chest pain or breathing difficulty: transfer to nurse now
• Severe bleeding or injury: transfer to nurse now
• Unwell child under two: transfer to nurse now
• Mental health crisis: transfer to nurse or general practitioner now

5.Telehealth

Telehealth bookings must record the platform, the patient's telephone number and consent to a video or phone consultation, and confirm the patient's location at the time of the appointment. Reception must send the connection details and check that the patient is registered with the practice as the standards require.

6.Recalls and reminders

Reception must send reminders for booked appointments and process the recall list the clinicians generate each week, recording every attempt to contact the patient. Recalls marked clinically significant must be escalated to the practice nurse after the third unsuccessful attempt.

7.Non-attendance and records

Patients who do not attend must be marked in the appointment book and the clinician informed where the appointment was for a result or a review. Reception must not discuss a patient's attendance, results or reason for visit with anyone other than the patient or their authorised representative.