Billing
Bakers Family Medical Centre, Toowoomba are a mixed billing practice
Bulk billing is available to patients who meet the following criteria
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Concession Cards Holders
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Pension Card Holders
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DVA Card Holders
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All children under 16 years of age
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Patients who are NOT eligible to be bulk billed are required to pay their consultation fee in full at the end of the appointment. For your convenience, after you complete your payment, we can process your Medicare claim immediately into your savings or cheque account (via EFTPOS).
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Please ask our friendly reception staff if you have any questions about our fees.
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Examples of our fees include (updated 28/08/2026):
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Standard Consultation Fee – $80 (Medicare rebate $45.05)
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Long Consultation Fee – $150 (Medicare rebate $87.10)
Please note, some procedures also incur additional fees. We will endeavour to inform you of any additional cost prior to you receiving the service.
​Privacy Policy​
Bakers Family Medical Centre Toowoomba takes the privacy of your information seriously
Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide you, our patient, with information on how your personal information, which includes your health information, is collected and used within our Practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties. This is done using the National Privacy Principles (NPPS) framework contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988, (Subject to any exemptions that apply to us under that Act). This document is commonly called a privacy policy and it outlines how we handle personal information collected (including health information) and how we protect the security of this information.​
​National Privacy Principals
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NPP1: Open and transparent management of personal information.
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NPP2: Relates to Anonymity and Pseudonymity. Individuals have the option of not identifying themselves when entering transactions with an organization
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NPP3: Relates to the collection of personal information
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NPP4: Outlines how organizations are to deal with unsolicited personal information
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NPP5: Requires an organization to be open about what personal information it holds
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NPP6: Relates to use or disclosure of personal information that it holds
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NNP7: Relates to direct marketing. This practice does NOT give any personal information to any organization for direct marketing purposes.
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NPP8: Cross-border disclosure of personal information – Outlines the steps that must be taken to protect personal information before it is disclosed overseas.
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NPP9: The adoption and use of government related identifiers e.g. Individual Health Identifiers
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NPP10: Relates to the quality of personal information, it must be accurate, up to date and complete.
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NPP11: Relates to the security and protection of personal information. Organizations must take steps to prevent unauthorised access, modification or disclosure
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NPP12: Relates to access to personal information. This outlines individuals right of access to personal information held about them.
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NPP13: Relates to the Correction of personal information.
2. Why and When Your Consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you are providing consent for our GPs and Practice staff to access and use your personal information. This allows them to provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. Your information can be shared with other health providers, such as Specialists, Laboratories, Radiology, and Allied Health. Your personal medical information may be used for quality improvement or clinical audits. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent
3. Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?
This Practice collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information primarily to manage your health, safely and effectively. This includes providing healthcare services, managing medical records, and ensuring accurate billing and payments. Additionally, we may utilise our information for internal quality and safety improvement processes such as practice audits, accreditation purposes, and staff training to maintain high-quality service standards.
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4. What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes:
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Names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
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Medical information including medical history, medications, immunisations, allergies, adverse reactions, social and family history
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Medicare card number
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Health care card
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Private insurance details
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Gender – as identified by the patient
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Next of Kin
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status​
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Country of origin, and arrival details into Australia
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Preferred language for communicating with your health professional
5. Dealing with us anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
7. When, why and with whom do we share or disclose your personal information?
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We sometimes share your personal information:
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with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
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with other healthcare providers
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when it is required or authorized by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
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when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
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to assist in locating a missing person
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to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
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for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
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when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
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during the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party, including your partner or parent, without your consent.
Requests from insurance companies will only be actioned with your consent.
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We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your prior consent.
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Bakers Medical Centre does not use or disclose personal information for the purposes of direct marketing. We will contact you regarding health recalls, appointment reminders, preventative health measures or similar health related issues.
8. Will your information be used for marketing purposes?
Bakers Family Medical Centre does not enter into giving your information to any organization for the purpose of marketing.
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9. How is your information used to improve services?
This practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients through research, analysis of patient date for quality improvement and for training activities within the practice team.
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We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. If we provide this information to other organisation patients cannot be identified from the information we share, the information is secure and stored within Australia. You can let reception staff know if you do not want your deidentified information shared.
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At times, general practices are approached by research teams to recruit eligible patients into specific studies which require access to identifiable information. You may be approached by a member of our practice team to participate in research. Researchers will not approach you directly without your express consent having been provided to the practice. If you provide consent you would then receive specific information on the research project and how your personal health information will be used, at which point you can decide to participate or not participate in the research project.
10. How are document automation technologies used?
Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to medical conditions and healthcare.
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This practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals, which are sent encrypted to other healthcare providers These documents contain only your relevant medical information.
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These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software, medical objects, health link, and smart referrals.
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All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and passwords and can only access the information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
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This practice complies with the Australian Privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
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All data, both electronic and paper are stored and managed in accordance with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Privacy and managing health information guidance.
11. How are Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribes used?
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This practice uses an AI scribe tool to support GPs in taking notes during their consultations with you. The AI scribed uses an audio recording of your consultation to generate a clinical note for your health records.
The practice AI scribed service is called:
Heidi:
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Does not share information
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Destroys the file once the transcription is complete
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Does not use personal identifying information as part of the transcription
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Is managed and maintained in Australia
This practice will only use data from our digital scribe service in the provision of healthcare to you and when you have given consent to its use.
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Lyrebird:
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Does not share information
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Destroys the file once the transcription is complete
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Is used by GPs within their practice software
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Is managed and maintained in Australia
This practice will only use data from our digital scribe service in the provision of healthcare to you and when you have given consent to its use.
The use of Government Related Identifiers
Bakers Family Medical Centre uses Government Related Identifiers such as IHI (Independent Health Identifiers), Medicare Cards, Pension or Health Care Cards. These assist in the smooth delivery of health care.
12. How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information is stored at our practice in an electronic format, in a protected information system with unique usernames and passwords. All information is backed up offsite in an encrypted format. It is the responsibility of this Practice to ensure that your details are current and up to date.
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All paper records are shredded on site rendering them unreadable.
13. How can you Access and Correct Your Personal Information at our Practice?
You have the right (excluding exceptions outlined in the Privacy Act) to request access to, and correction of, your personal information under the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. If you require access, we will ask you to verify your identity by three (3) different forms – and one must be a photo identification. Please phone the Practice Manager and make an appointment. If you require a full copy of your medical records, please complete our Request for Records Form. There will be a fee payable depending on the size of the medical file.
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your
personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to Colleen Trewavas, Practice Manager by phoning 4633 5800, in person or via email at manager@bfmc.net.au
14. How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice?
We take complaints and concerns about your health and privacy seriously. You can express any privacy concerns you may have by phone, email or in writing. We will then endeavour to resolve any issue that you may have in accordance with our Practice Policy.
Please send complaints to:
Colleen Trewavas
Bakers Family Medical Centre
96 Taylor Street
Toowoomba 4350
Phone 07 46335800
Email manager@bfmc.net.au
We will respond to your complaint within 7days and aim for a resolution within 30 days.
You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
15. How is privacy on the website maintained?
Bakers Family Medical Centre own and manage our own website and are responsible for its maintenance. The Bakers Family Medical Centre website does not collect or store personal health information. The website uses AutoMed Systems secure online booking system for the booking of appointments.
16. Policy Review Statement
Our privacy policy is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with current obligations.
If any changes they will:
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Be reflected on the website
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Significant changes may be communicated directly to patients via email or other means.
Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
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Updated 29/08/2026
Patient Feedback
We take your opinion seriously.
If you have any concerns about your care or privacy of your health information, we would love to here hear from you. This may be by phone, email, in writing or in person. We will endeavor to resolve any issue in accordance with our Practice Policy.
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For email or written complaints please address to:
Colleen Trewavas
Bakers Family Medical Centre
96 Taylor Street
Toowoomba 4350
Phone 07 46335800
Email manager@bfmc.net.au
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We also happily accept your input on what what we are doing well and what you feel we could improve on.