PATIENT INFORMATION
What is the cost of an appointment?
What do I bring to my appointment?
Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
What will happen at my first appointment?
I’ve seen Mr Donnellan before. Do I need a referral every time?
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What is the cost of an appointment?
You will be informed of the cost at the time you make an appointment. Medicare will rebate a portion of the cost, but the rest is not able to be claimed back. This is because the Medicare rebates do not adequately cover the cost of providing a private specialist service. Private health cover doesn’t cover appointment costs or other outpatient services.
What do I bring to my appointment?
It is important to ensure that a referral has been sent through by your doctor and it is also a good idea to have a copy with you. In is just as important to have the results of any scans and blood tests with you – especially CT scans, Ultrasound results and latest blood tests especially PSA and other recent tests.
Please bring a list of your medications and a record of any allergies. In addition, please bring the contact details of any other medical practitioners involved in your care so they can be included in any correspondence.
Can I bring someone with me to my appointment?
It is an excellent idea to have a partner or relative to come to the appointment especially if the condition is potentially serious. Unfortunately, sometimes the information discussed in the consultation is confronting and potentially life changing so good support is essential . Furthermore, if there are any language issues or high anxiety it is comforting to have support. It is probably best to have just one person accompanying or at most two.
What will happen at my first appointment?
Please inform Mr Donnellan’s secretary if you have some issues with your voiding – in those situation and Flow Test can be arranged at the time of the first appointment. You will be asked to fill out a patient registration if not already done online. Mr Donnellan will see you to discuss the issues and make recommendations to investigate further or manage the condition. That may involve a procedure, scans or blood test. A letter is then sent to the referring doctor.
I’ve seen Mr Donnellan before. Do I need a referral every time?
The Medicare requirements in Australia are that every new patient requires a referral to see a
Specialist. The referrals form General Practitioners are valid for 12 months form the date of first consultation and from a Specialist this timeframe is only 3 months.
Referrals assist the accurate communication of information and also provide the opportunity for correspondence by Mr Donnellan to your other doctors so everyone knows what is happening.
If you are seeing Mr Donnellan after 12 months, a new referral is required to ensure you receive the full Medicare rebate and to provide any update in your health.
Please ask the reception staff when making subsequent appointments.