Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers. Click on a question to reveal the answer. If you have a question that we have not answered here, please use our Contact Page to ask us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
You can enrol by going to the The Doctors Apollo website www.apollomedical.co.nz on the front page you will find a link to the enrolment form. The enrolment form is in English, Maori, Korean, and Chinese. You can then complete the enrolment form online and include proof of eligibility for NZ funded health care. A receptionist will then reply to you to confirm your enrolment.
Yes, you can enrol your children who are under sixteen years online as well. If you are enrolling adult family members they will need to complete the declaration and electronically sign the enrolment form.
You can only be enrolled at one practice at a time. By attending the practice at which you are enrolled you are able to access the NZ government health subsidises for your health care.
There is no charge for enrolment. You are only charged when you access services.
The fees are displayed on our website https://www.apollomedical.co.nz/fees.php You may note the fees are different from your current or previous practice. The general practices in New Zealand have different pricing approaches depending upon the contracts they have with the New Zealand Government. At Apollo children under 14 years of age are provided with health care at no charge. We also provide heavily subsidised services for Community Service Card holders- the maximum fee being $19.50. The fees for other patients are benchmarked against other local practices.
Yes, you can choose your GP. Some GPs have a large number of enrolled patients and the waiting time for a regular appointment with these GPs may be up to two weeks. Or longer if they have taken leave recently. If the time to see a doctor is the most important factor for you ask the receptionist for a GP who has a short waiting time for regular appointments.
The standard appointment at The Doctors Apollo is 15 minutes. For your first appointment, however, adults or patients under 18 years who have significant health problems, need to book 30 minutes. This will give you time to fully discuss your health concerns and issues with your new doctor. The fee for this first appointment is a double consult fee.
At Apollo, a large number of appointments are kept closed to become available at 8 am on the day. This is so that people can see a GP when they feel they need it. Even with this strategy sometimes we will have no appointments. In this situation, you will be advised to attend our urgent care provider Shorecare https://www.shorecare.co.nz/ if you feel you need to see the doctor on that day.
All our doctors are highly skilled and trained doctors and you are welcome to see any of them if they are available.
Child immunisations for the New Zealand scheduled immunisations are fully funded by the NZ government. The funding does not, however, include working out what vaccinations your child requires if they have had immunisations in China or another country. Working out what immunisations are required takes our nurses at least 30 minutes and therefore incurs a fee. The vaccinations on the New Zealand national schedule are then provided to your child at no charge. We also offer a variety of non-funded vaccinations apart from the NZ schedule, please book an appointment with our nurse to discuss.
We encourage all our enrolled patients to register with our patient portal provider ManageMyHealth. This app provides easy access for you to book appointments, email your doctor, and check your lab results and medical records. Or you can phone us on 09 477 3700.
Telehealth Consultations
We are pleased to offer telehealth appointments (telephone or video) if you are a registered patient with Apollo Medical. This service is not available to visitor patients.
A telehealth appointment incurs the same fee as an in-person appointment at the clinic.
What are the benefits of a telehealth consultation?
Increased convenience for you- Avoiding your need to travel to the doctor's clinic
A telehealth consultation prevents community spread of the viral illness- for example the covid19 virus.
What could be appropriate to do as a telehealth appointment?
How do I book a telehealth appointment?
Please call us on 09 477 3700 or login to ManageMyHealth to book an appointment.
What is not appropriate for a telehealth consultation?
What is the cost of my telehealth appointment?
The cost is the same as an in-person appointment with your GP.
How do I pay for the appointment?
The fee for your appointment will be invoiced to your account. Payment is expected within 5 working days.
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
Cancel your appointment by advising Apollo Medical Reception.
How to get the most out of your Doctor's telehealth appointment?
The standard appointment time with a doctor is 15 minutes. This is a short time for you to explain your problems and for the doctor to decide on a treatment plan. If you feel 15 minutes is not enough time to discuss all your concerns you may be best to book a double appointment with your doctor. (Appointments for 30 minutes will incur double the fee above)
How should I prepare for a telehealth appointment?
What happens at the telehealth appointment?
You will be asked some identifying questions such as your name, address, and date of birth to make sure the right patient and right health records are present.
The doctor will speak with you and ask you questions in the same way as they would at an in-person consultation.
Who will be present?
You, your GP.
As with an in-person appointment, a support person/whanau may accompany you if you wish.
How private is the telehealth appointment?
The same privacy and confidentiality requirements that apply to in-person consultations apply to telehealth consultations. It can only be seen and heard by the health care professionals involved.
What if I need to be examined?
Physical examination is very limited over the telephone, therefore if you require a physical examination, we suggest you book an in-person appointment at the clinic.
If the telehealth consultation does not achieve everything that is needed, you will be given a choice about what to do next. This could include a follow up in-person visit, or a second telehealth consultation. Normal consultation fees will apply.
Will the telehealth consultation be recorded?
No. Our practice does not record the telehealth consultations between doctor and patient, and we do not give patients permission to make their own recordings of a telehealth consultation.
How can I provide feedback on my telehealth appointment?
We value your feedback so we can continue to improve our service. Please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page.
In order to provide you with the best quality health care we need to obtain some personal information about you. We will keep this information safe and protect your privacy.
To ensure we can receive government subsidies towards your health care we need to have your name, street address, date of birth, gender and ethnicity. Without this information, we cannot apply for the government subsidies and you will then be required to pay an unsubsidized price to see the doctor.
All clinical information requested from you will only be provided to other health care workers involved in your care (e.g., a specialist, hospital).
Privacy and confidentiality of personal information will be maintained in compliance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
The standard appointment time with a doctor is 15 minutes. This is a short time for you to explain your problems and for the doctor to examine you and decide on a treatment plan. If you feel 15 minutes is not enough time to discuss all your concerns you may be best to book a double appointment with your doctor.
The standard consultation time is 15 minutes. If you feel that you need more time, please let the receptionist know so that a double appointment can be booked.
If there is more than one of you coming together, please book two separate appointments so the doctor has time to cover each of your issues adequately.
We are happy to provide repeat prescriptions to enrolled patients for certain stable conditions.
Why you need to see the Doctor
The nurse may ask that you come in to see the doctor before a script is given, so the doctor can review your progress and help you improve your health. It is the prescribing doctor's responsibility to ensure that the medications are appropriate for your condition and that you understand any risks associated with the drug. For this reason there is maximum of 90 days medication that can be supplied on a prescription for most drugs. In addition there are restrictions, particular to the drug, on the number of repeat prescriptions that can be written without a personal consultation.
Please note all patients receiving long term medication will need at least one annual medical review by their doctor, most will need a medical review six monthly and some three monthly or even monthly. Please discuss the frequency of your medical reviews with your doctor.
Why there is a charge for a repeat scripts
A repeat script is not just an administration process where the script is printed off the computer. For each script a doctor must review your medical record and consider the appropriateness of the medication prior to writing the script.
There is an additional charge for scripts faxed to your pharmacy. Different fees apply to each age group and enrolled status so please ask at reception or refer to the General Practice Service & Price Schedule.
How to organize a repeat script
Please allow us enough time for repeat prescription requests to be processed and for the doctor to consider your medical situation.
To request a repeat prescription either phone 09 477 3700 or log in to ManageMyHealth.
Please let us know as soon as possible if your details have changed. You can click here to advise us of the new details or telephone us on 477-3700
There are certain rights that you have as a patient and they are detailed here in the Patient Rights brochure. If you feel unhappy about your experience please provide us with feedback by completing the form here.
If you cannot get an appointment with a doctor who speaks your first language then please ask the receptionist to book an interpreter for you when you book your appointment.
The interpreter service is a free service to NZ citizens but you will need to book a double (30 minute) appointment as this service makes the appointment take longer.
Bring your child to the doctor, or attend the hospital emergency department, if your child:
For after hours advice phone 477 3700
In case of an emergency please phone 111 for an ambulance
