Wantirna Road Medical Centre (Incorporating Ringwood Medical Clinic)
21 Wantirna Road Ringwood Vic 3134
Phone (03) 98706666

Normal Practice Consulting Hours
(As at 1 October 2025)
Monday to Friday: 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 12 pm
Closed Public Holidays

Meet our doctors:
Dr. John Tescher
Has over 30 years experience as a GP. In addition to comprehensive general practice care, he has a special
interest in complex medical problems.

Dr. William Cowell
Has additional training in pharmacy and obstetrics, and has over 30 years experience as a GP. In addition to
comprehensive general practice care, he has a special interest in therapeutics and in care for older people.

Dr. Blanca Loayza
Is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. In addition to comprehensive general
practice care, she has a special interest in women’s health and children's health.

Making appointments:
We offer a range of services which include General Practice, Health Assessments and care plans. You can
make an appointment with your doctor by phoning the surgery. We run an appointment system, but keep a
few times open to fit in with urgent problems, which will usually be dealt with promptly. If you need more time
with your doctor, please tell the receptionist when you make your appointment. In some circumstances we
are also able to offer telephone consultations. At the time of making the appointment by ringing our surgery
existing patients are also able to request a telephone conversation as an alternative to an appointment where
they attend our surgery. This is service is limited to patients who have been seen at the surgery less than a
year ago. We do to not currently offer Video or other forms of telemed consultations.

Fees and billing arrangements:
Our consultation fees for the most frequent types of consultations are displayed at the receptionists' desk. For
the less common item numbers please ask at reception. Credit card facilities are available.
Standard consultations (level B of less than 15 minutes duration) as at 1 July 2025 are charged at $90. A $5
discount applies where this account is paid on the day of the consultation. As at 1 July 2025 Bulk billing is
available for Veterans' Affairs cardholders. Bulk Billing is also usually available for surgery consultations to
children under the age of 16, pensioners on low incomes and Department of Social Security health care
cardholders on low incomes where the current valid card is shown to the receptionist on the day prior to
seeing the doctor for appointments. Most other fees (including home calls) are usually charged at a rate no
more than that recommended by the Australian Medical Association. Account keeping charges may be levied
on overdue accounts. The doctor or staff will advise you of any other costs that our practice may charge you
in addition to the cost of the consultation that might arise from your consultation or treatment, for example for
the supply of Liquid Nitrogen or a dressing.
For after hours home visits the fees structures can be advised at the time that you book the after hours home
call.

After hours care:
If you need to contact a doctor when the surgery is closed, please call the surgery number, (03) 9870 6666.
In the event that there is no message after dialling 98706666 then dial 132660.

Home visits:
Home visits are available for regular patients of the practice who live within a two kilometre radius of the
Practice who are unable to attend the surgery because of their medical condition. Visits can also be arranged
for regular patients of the practice in nursing homes located within a two kilometre radius of the Practice.
Telephoning your doctor:
You can contact doctors in this practice by telephone during normal surgery hours. A message will be taken
when the doctor concerned is with another patient. Of course, in a true medical emergency, calls will be put
straight through or dealt with in an appropriate way. At this stage we are not set up to receive emails or text
messages from patients.

Results
Where appropriate, patients having pathology and other investigations should make an appointment made for
review of these results.

Recall
Our clinic offers patients recall for Cervical Smears etc. If you do not wish to be part of this system please
advise your doctor.

Privacy
Patient health information can be obtained at the time of the consultation with the doctor or with the written
consent of the patient at other times. The Doctors and staff take their obligations under the Victorian Health
Records Act 2001 and the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 seriously and would like to take all reasonable
steps in order to comply and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold. If you require details
of our privacy policy, then please ask for our privacy details brochure.

Feedback
The doctors welcome feedback at the time of the consultation. Alternatively, if you prefer you may advise us
in writing about your concerns. We will try and resolve your concerns. Alternatively, if we are unable to
resolve your problem in a satisfactory way, then you may refer it to the Health Complaints Commissioner,
26/570 Bourke Street Melbourne - Phone 1300 582 113

This leaflet is the current practice information sheet as at 1 October 2025
© 2025 Wantirna Road Medical Centre

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