People who provide health services
Doctors
Doctors (known as General Practitioners or GPs) are a good starting point for medical advice. They deal with most types of health issues and if they can't offer you appropriate treatment, they will give you a letter (called a referral) to give to a specialist health care professional who can help you.
Health care professionals
For some specific health issues you don’t need to go to a GP for a referral, instead you can make an appointment directly with a specific health care professional. These types of health care professionals include counsellors, physios and dentists, and are generally based in consulting rooms, medical centres and hospitals.
Complementary therapists
You can also consider complementary therapies such as Chinese herbal medicine, homeopathy (new window), osteopathy, or naturopathy for some types of health issues.
Choosing a doctor or health care professional
If you’re not sure of who you need to see for your health issue, here are some tips for choosing the right one:
- Ask a friend, relative, teacher or counsellor to recommend one
- Enquire at a community health centre provided by your local council
- Search the Better Health Channel's directory (new window) or the Yellow Pages (new window)
- Search the Victorian Government Directories of Services (new window) to find public hospitals, private hospitals and public dental clinics
- Visit Kids Helpline (new window) to help you find your nearest health professional including Indigenous and multicultural health services
Rural health services
Check out the Vic Health website (new window) for a list of hospitals and other health care centres in rural Victoria.
Women in rural Victoria can get some helpful information on rural health services at the Better Health Channel (new window).
What do I ask when I want to make an appointment?
Once you’ve found some good local doctors or health professionals you should give them a call to make sure they’re suitable and to find out the costs of seeing them.
Here's a list of practical things to consider when you talk to them:
- Where is the service located?
- Can you just make an appointment or do you need a referral from another doctor? (With some health professionals, such as specialists, you need your doctor to write you a referral before you can see them. Check with your doctor to see if this is the case)
- How much do the services cost?
- What costs are covered by Medicare (new window)?
- If you arrive on time for your appointment will you see the doctor or specialist straight away, will you have to wait?
- Does the service meet your special needs such as access issues if you have a disability?
- Is there a cancellation fee if you miss an appointment?
- Do you prefer getting health advice and treatment from a man or a woman?
- Will they understand your religious or cultural background?
What if I don’t think the doctor’s diagnosis is right?
Sometimes you get an unexpected diagnosis from the doctor about your health. It’s important to know that you can always ask for more information or even get a second opinion from a different doctor on any diagnosis. Visit Health Insite (new window) for handy questions you can ask your health professional about your diagnosis.
If you are still unsure, visit websites and do some research, but be sure to stick with government and professional websites for health-related information. Always verify the information you find on a website with a qualified health professional.
Links
Better Health Channel
Information and advice on all things and issues related to health.
Victoria Legal Aid - Health for under 18s
Find out about health care choices and legal issues for under 18s.
Disability Online
Search for information on disability services in Victoria.
Medicare
Information on Medicare's services.
Kids Helpline
A 24 hour telephone and online counselling service to help young people.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Victorian Health Resources?
Provides summary information on Victoria's healthcare industry and links to various healthcare sites.
