Hilltop Medical Patient Policies & Procedures

Below are the current Hilltop patient protocols for in-office and phone call appointments:

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For all appointments please note:

1. We require at least 24-hours cancellation notice for any scheduled appointment; in-office or phone appointment.

2. All appointments must be cancelled by calling Hilltop directly. We cannot accept cancellations by email or text message.

   1. Please call 604-531-5575 and press the # for your respective pod.​

3. ​If you fail to cancel your appointment, you may be charged a "no-show" fee* ​​ * Click here to review the Hilltop no-show fee as outlined in the Hilltop Private Uninsured services schedule *

4. Even if a BC resident is insured under the Medical Services Plan (MSP) and / or other affiliated medical plans (i.e. Blue Cross, Sun Life, etc.), not all services provided by a doctor are covered, these services include, but not limited to: forms, sick notes, drivers' exams, EI forms, disability tax credit forms, medical-legal requests etc.  ** Please review the Hilltop Uninsured patient fee schedule **

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If you have an "in-office" appointment please note:

1. Masks are now optional in the clinic, except for any patients that have upper respiratory symptoms.

2. If you have upper respiratory symptoms including but not limited to sore throat, cough, bronchitis, fever, runny nose, swollen lymph nodes etc., you will be required to wear a mask while in the clinic.

3. Upon arrival to the clinic, a Hilltop staff member will review all current covid screening questions with you.

4. We're here to help and support you.

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If you have a "phone" appointment please note:

1. Please be aware your physician may not phone you exactly at your specified appointment time, as much as we try, physicians can run late so please make sure you are available to answer your phone 30-minutes before your appointment and up to 45-minutes past your scheduled appointment time.

2. The physician will phone from a confidential space with access to your records.  Some physicians may phone from the clinic number, unknown or blocked.  We ask that you please answer your phone during this time regardless of the displayed number if you are expecting a call from a Hilltop physician.

3. Please ensure that you have a good phone connection in a quiet area where you can be free to speak frankly about any of your concerns.

4. Please be aware that we are expecting to speak to only the person booked for the appointment and/or their caregiver similar to a clinic appointment and will not be addressing other patients concerns at that time.

5. Your physician will decide based on the conversation if an in-person visit or additional follow up may be required.

6. If you do not receive the call you are expecting within 45 minutes after your scheduled appointment time please phone the clinic.  

7. Occasionally technical issues or other clinical responsibilities may arise, but we want to respect your appointment the same way we would in the clinic.

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Hilltop Family Physicians

• At Hilltop Medical Clinic, each family physician has their own dedicated panel of patients.

• Other Hilltop family physicians will not see patients from another physicians' panel due to their full capacity.

• If your Hilltop family physician is unavailable or away, Hilltop locum physicians and our walk-in clinic are available to address your acute medical concerns.

• Please note that swapping between physicians within the clinic (switching to a new physician from within Hilltop) is not permitted as per Hilltop's policy.  All Hilltop physicians adhere to this policy, and no exceptions are made.  

 

Inactive Patients
1. Patient Visitation Requirement: All active patients aged 18 and older must visit their designated family physician at Hilltop Medical Clinic at least once every three years. Failure to do so may lead to being classified as inactive.

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2. Physician Assignment and Restrictions: Patients are assigned to a specific physician and cannot switch between physicians within the clinic. Each physician operates independently, managing their own practice and patient roster, which is typically full.

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3. Maintenance of Personal Contact Details: The clinic is not responsible for maintaining up-to-date personal contact details for patients. It is the responsibility of each patient to inform the clinic of any changes to their contact information, such as addresses, emails or phone numbers. The clinic will use the last provided contact details to reach out to patients.

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4. Response to Clinic Communications: Patients are expected to respond promptly to clinic communications, such as patient panel verification & patient status inquiries, confirming whether they remain active patients or have changed their health care provider. Failure to respond may result in their attachment to their respective physician being terminated (by the deadline).  

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5. Inactive Status Consequences: If no response is received by the specified deadline (in most cases within 30-days from the date of the email / text / letter), the patient will be considered inactive and will no longer be under the care of their assigned Hilltop family physician.

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6. Required Information for Responses: Patients must provide their first and last name, date of birth, and the status of their current family physician (whether still with Hilltop or another doctor) when replying to clinic communications.

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These policies ensure that each patient receives consistent, personalized medical care while maintaining an efficient and effective operation within each independent practice at Hilltop Medical Clinic.

 

Outgoing Patient Referrals to Specialists, Medical Imaging & Others

​At Hilltop Medical Clinic, referrals are arranged after a consultation with your physician. If specialist care, medical imaging, or further treatment is needed, we will coordinate the referral process on your behalf.

​Where We Send Referrals:

• Specialists (e.g., cardiologists, dermatologists, surgeons)

• Medical Imaging Facilities (e.g., X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, CT scans)

• Hospitals & Specialty Clinics (for further testing, treatment, or surgical consultations)

• Allied Health Services (e.g., physiotherapy, podiatry, mental health support)

What to Expect After Your Referral is Sent:

• Notification: You will receive a text message or email when Hilltop staff have processed your referral.

• Processing & Wait Times: Some specialists and imaging facilities may take weeks or months to respond.

• Active Monitoring: Hilltop staff track the status of your referral and will notify you once we receive confirmation.

• Appointment Confirmation Required: You will receive an email with your appointment date and time once it is scheduled. Please reply to confirm receipt.

• No Follow-Ups Needed: To keep our phone lines open for urgent medical matters, please do not call or email for referral status updates. We will contact you when we receive information.