Feltham Medical Centre provides a Harassment Free Environment. Absolutely NO behaviour considered harassment, discrimination or abuse will be tolerated and would be grounds for discharge from the practice.
PHONE-RELATED
WHY DO I HAVE DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THROUGH YOUR PHONE LINE? and/or WHy do i have to wait so long in the queue?
Currently, our phone line can hold 20 callers at a time. If you are the 21st caller, you will get a busy tone. We have 4 doctors whose patients are calling to book or inquire.
We are doing our best to pick up your call and assist you as soon as we are available. To accommodate patients' diverse needs, there are times when the conversation can take longer than usual. Therefore, wait times can fluctuate.
We also deal with calls from pharmacists, labs, specialists, hospitals and/or insurance companies (ex. Dynacare, Worksafe BC, etc.).
Additionally, we might be busy helping our doctors or patients in our clinic or working on semi-urgent to urgent administrative tasks.
We thank you for being patient and understanding!
SHort-staffed (Phone off): Why and FOR how long?
GOAL Our goal is to have 3-4 MOAs working daily to assist our 4 doctors and their patients and work on administrative tasks. This prevents burnout and unnecessary overtime work.
WHY? We are short-staffed when 2 or more MOAs (out of 4) are away due to personal reasons (i.e., illness, commitments/priorities, emergency-related, time-off, etc) and we have all 4 doctors working that day.
FOR HOW LONG? Until our 3rd MOA joins in. Sometimes, we are short-staffed for only half a day (either morning or afternoon) and other times, for the whole day.
I have an outstanding balance I need to pay. Can I pay over the phone?
Sorry, we currently do not take payment over the phone.
You may either send your payment via mail, visit our office or pay in your next in-office appointment.
APPOINTMENT-RELATED
ARE YOU ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS? ARE YOU A WALK-IN CLINIC?
No, none of our doctors are accepting new patients.
No, we are not a walk-in clinic.
I HAVE AN IN-OFFICE APPOINTMENT. WHERE CAN I PARK MY VEHICLE?
Street Parking Only! Please do not park underneath the building. They are reserved for the employees working in the building.
WILL I GET TO SEE/TALK TO MY DOCTOR EXACTLY AT MY APPOINTMENT TIME?
As your time is just as valuable as ours, we want to stay on schedule as much as possible.Your doctor do their best to attend to your and your fellow patients' medical needs in your respective appointments.
However, each of you have unique medical needs. Some are quick to address. Others can be complex. Therefore, our wait times can fluctuate.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT? Regular appointments (ex. follow-up, new concern, rx refill, injections, etc) are booked for 10 minutes, based on the reimbursement by MSP. Unless requested by your doctor themselves, we cannot extend the time for regular appointments.
If you have more than 1 concerns, please present them at the beginning of your appointment so your doctor can determine which is the most urgent one to address. If you and your doctor are unable to address all concerns during the appointment, you may have to book another appointment. This ensures we stay on schedule as much as possible.
DO I HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR CAN I JUST WALK-IN TO SEE/TALK TO MY DOCTOR?
You need to book an appointment to see/talk to your doctor. Please be mindful that your doctor has a hybrid work schedule. You may visit our Physician's Schedules page for more information.
In the event that you visit our clinic to see/talk to your doctor without an appointment, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to. It is either because your doctor's schedule is booked up, is running behind schedule or personally requested to book you for another day.
If applicable, we can take a message and pass it on to your doctor.
MY DOCTOR IS not working/away. CAN I SEE/TALK TO ANOTHER DOCTOR in your clinic?
If there is a locum physician, you will be booked with them.
If none, it depends on the doctor working, availability, reason for the appointment, urgency and ultimately their decision. Please be advised that other doctors prioritize their own family practice patients. We suggest you try a Walk-In Clinic or Urgent Primary Care Centre.
If you are experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain/tightness, bleeding significantly or your life is at risk, please call 9-11 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
ON OCCASION There is a LOCUM PHYSICIAN WORKING IN OUR CLINIC TO COVER yOUR DOCTOR'S VACATION AND TIME OFF.
Your doctor handpick the locum physician and trust them to care for you while they are away.
When you book an appointment with your doctor, please be advised that it may be with a locum.
i have an appointment today/tomorrow that was cancelled and rescheduled. why is the next appointment so far out?
WHY WAS THE APPOINTMENT CANCELLED? There are several reasons why your appointment has been cancelled on short notice. When we call, we will inform you. Ex.)
Your doctor is sick
Your doctor has a family emergency
Your doctor has an urgent commitment
Weather condition
For privacy purposes, we would often use "due to personal reasons"
WHY IS THE NEXT APPOINTMENT SO FAR OUT? Cancelling appointments on short notice is never our intention. Most of the time, your doctor gets booked up quickly. So when we reschedule, we look into their hybrid work schedule and offer you the next availability (without affecting other patients' appointments and overbooking your doctor).
How can i cancel/ReSCHEDULE MY APPOINTMENT?
Please give us at least 24hrs notice when cancelling or rescheduling an appointment.
ONLINE BOOKING If you successfully booked online, you will receive an email confirmation from veribook with your appointment details and a hyperlink to cancel/reschedule your appointment. You may use the link to cancel/reschedule your appointment.
BOOKING with a MOA If you booked with one of our MOAs, you have to call us to cancel/reschedule your appointment.
Is it normal that my doctor's next available appointment is in more than 2 weeks?
It is frustrating to have to wait for more than 2 weeks to get an appointment. But yes, it is normal.
Why?
Your doctor gets booked up quickly (having hundreds and hundreds of patients to care for).Under certain circumstances such as the doctor's request or approval, your doctor also gets double-booked or overbooked.
Your doctor has a hybrid work schedule. Please refer to our Physician's Schedules page. As much as possible, we try to keep the doctor's office days for patients who need to see their doctor in person (ex. injections, swabs, etc.) and home days for situations that can be addressed over the phone (ex. rx refills, follow up, etc.).
Note: If your reason for an appointment is semi-urgent to urgent and you are unable to see your doctor soon, we suggest you call 9-11 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room, walk-in clinics or urgent primary care centres.
Do you have a cancellation list for appointments?
No, we do not have a cancellation list. Appointment slots are on a first-come, first-served basis.
You are welcome to call us and check for possible cancellations. You are also able to check through our online booking system. If an appointment has been cancelled, the slot immediately becomes available in our online booking system. The availability you see on our online booking system is the same availability when you call us.
PRESCRIPTION-RELATED
I HAVE RUN OUT OR AM RUNNING OUT OF MY MEDICATION(S). HOW CAN I RENEW/REFILL MY MEDICATIONS?
As per our policy, you are required to have an appointment with your doctor for any medication refills/renewals, especially if you have not had an appointment in more than 1 month (4 weeks).
Why? Because medication guidelines change and evolve. Your doctor would want to review and reassess to ensure your treatment is current and safe. This is one of the reasons why medications are only prescribed with certain dosages and repeats. Steps-to-Follow:
Schedule an appointment with your doctor (in office/virtual/phone)
Call your pharmacy and have them fax us a Prescription Authorization Request Form
If applicable, you may request for emergency pills, enough to last you until your appointment
If you had an appointment recently (within the month), you may ask our MOAs to put in the request. However, it is still up to your doctor whether to refill/renew your medications or have you book an appointment first.
Tips: Please be mindful of your medication information (ex. how many pills you have left, and repeats available at your pharmacy). If you need refills/renewals, we suggest calling us at least 2 weeks ahead of time, as your doctor gets booked up pretty quickly. This is to ensure you get your medication on time.
I NEED A NEW MEDICATION AND I KNOW WHAT I NEED. CAN MY DOCTOR JUST SEND a prescription FORM TO MY PHARMACY without an appointment?
No. If you need a new medication, you need to discuss this with your doctor. Therefore, you have to book an appointment.
OTHERS
CERVIX SCREENING IN BC: TRANSITIONING FROM PAP TEST (LIQUID-BASED CYTOLOGY) TO HPV TEST (SWAB).
On January 29, 2024, cervix screening in BC started to transition from Pap test (LBC) to HPV test (swab) as the primary screening method. For more information, please click the following link: www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/cervix
There are currently two sample collection options:
1. Self-Collect(Swab): This is the new collection method and is highly recommended by your physician.
You may drop off the completed kit at any lifelabs location, canada post (instructions included in the kit) or our clinic
If you want your physician to collect your sample, your physician will use the liquid-based cytology available in our clinic (read 2nd option)
If your results are normal, your next recommended testing is in 5 years (60 months).
If you have any further questions or concerns, please book a phone/virtual appointment with your physician
2. Provider-Collect (LBC): The same collection method currently used for cervix screening. Available in our clinic until further notice.
To book an appointment, you may use our online booking system or call 250-477-1858
For this option, your physician will use the liquid-based cytology available in our clinic. Your physician will not use a self-screening swab, even if you bring it.
If your results are normal, your next recommended testing is in 3 years (36 months).
I DID SOME TESTS (LAB, MEDICAL IMAGING, ETC.). HOW WILL I KNOW THE RESULTS?
When your doctor receives and reviews your test results and decides they need to be discussed with you (further testing or treatment required), our MOAs will contact you to schedule a follow-up appointment.
If your test results are normal, you may not hear from us. If you wish to discuss your test results anyways, please schedule a follow-up appointment.
I NEED A FORM(S) FILLED OUT BY MY DOCTOR. What is the process and IS THERE A FEE FOR THE COMPLETION?
To help your doctor fill out your form more accurately, you will need to book a regular appointment if you have yet to do so.
Fee varies depending on the type of form. The person responsible for the fee is usually stated in the form. Some forms are billed to the patient, and others are billed to the employers/insurance companies/etc. You may contact us for more details.
Once your form has been completed, we will inform you.
Please note that our MOAs are unable to provide an estimated time of completion as oftentimes we do not know how your doctor manage their schedule and tasks outside our business hours.
how to book and prepare for marine medical examination?
Important Notice: Dr. David Woodley is retiring on January 30, 2025.
Dr. David Woodley offers Marine Medical Examinations. Please visit our Physician's Schedules page to check his schedule. If you are looking for a revalidation letter, please ensure you have seen Dr. D. Woodley previously. Otherwise, please contact your Marine Medical Examiner.