From Thursday 1 October 2026, appointments at both clinics are booked in three lengths.
| Appointment | Length | Book it for |
|---|---|---|
| Script or referral only | 10 minutes | A repeat script or a referral renewal for something your doctor already looks after, and nothing else |
| Standard | 20 minutes | Most consults: a couple of things, a chronic condition review, a checkup. If you are not sure, this one |
| Long | 30 minutes | Something complex, more than a couple of things on your list, or a procedure |
Why we are changing it
Our appointment book has run on 15-minute slots for years. Most appointments take closer to 20 minutes than 15, and that gap adds up over a morning: we know we have often run behind, and you have been the ones waiting. Rather than ask doctors to go faster, we are changing the book so it matches how long appointments actually take.
What does not change
The slot is not the consult. Your appointment takes as long as it needs. If you booked a standard and it turns out to need more, your doctor will give it the time and explain why; if you booked a long and it is sorted in fifteen minutes, that is fine too. You are billed for the consult you actually have, on what was done and how long it took, not for the length of the slot you booked.
Care plans and care plan reviews, cervical screening, antenatal visits, new patient appointments, results and recalls, and workers’ compensation appointments are all booked at 20 minutes. Skin procedures are 30. Phone and video consults are 10.
Not sure which to book?
Book a standard. It covers most consults, and it is what the old “short” appointment has become. Reception can help if you are unsure, and they will steer you to a long appointment if what you describe needs one.
If you already have an appointment booked
When the book changes over on Thursday, some existing appointments will move by a few minutes, so a 10:15 might become 10:10 or 10:20. The reminders cannot be changed ahead of time, so if one arrives showing a slightly different time from the one you remember, that is why. If you are unsure, ring us and we will confirm it.
Gumeracha (08) 8389 1009
Lobethal (08) 8389 6364
Book online at gummedical.com.au or ring the clinic.