Appointments and Referrals
Making an Appointment
Due to the overwhelming amount of referrals we are receiving, we do not anticipate opening our books to new developmental / behavioural assessments until June 2024. Therefore please DO NOT forward your referral to us. You may need to to contact your referring GP or specialist to make other arrangements.
Before making an appointment you will need a referral letter from your GP before seeing a paediatric doctor or surgeon at the Melbourne Children’s Clinic. This will enable you to claim a rebate from Medicare, and also ensures that your specialist at the Melbourne Children’s Clinic can communicate with your GP about the the clinical care and progress of your child.
A GP referral is usually valid for 12 months. After 12 months you will need to see your GP for a new referral. You will also need a new referral letter for a new problem. A referral from another specialist is only valid for 3 months.
Allied Health Appointments
A referral may not always be needed to see one of our psychologists or dietitians. In some cases, your child may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for seeing a dietitian (link https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/chronic-disease-management-plan) if they have complex health or developmental needs. You may also be able to claim through Medicare for psychology assessment and treatment if referred by a paediatrician or GP.
links:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/autism-children,
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba-fact-pat
Please ask our reception staff for more information.
To Make an Appointment
Please phone (03) 9813 5700 to make an appointment. Our friendly reception staff will enquire briefly as to the nature of your child’s concern to ensure an appropriate appointment is made. In some cases, there may be a long wait time for your preferred practitioner, in which case our staff may be able to offer you an earlier appointment with another specialist if appropriate. Alternatively, you can be placed on a cancellation list and offered an earlier appointment when one becomes available.
For urgent matters, please ask your GP to call the Melbourne Children’s Clinic directly and talk with one of our specialists to arrange an early appointment.
Getting ready for your appointment
Your child does need to attend the appointment in order for you to claim a Medicare benefit. Some families find that some preparation for the appointment will help a child who is a bit nervous. This may include having a look at the website together so your child can see what the clinic and their Doctor look like. It can also be helpful to prepare your child for the general procedure of seeing a specialist; play in the waiting room, talking to the Doctor, weigh and measure, check up etc. If you need to talk to the specialist without your child present, feel free to have a friend or relative attend with you, so they can wait with your child whilst you do so. We do also encourage both parents to attend appointments wherever possible, as it does facilitate communication and decision making. In the case of separated parents-please see our policy (Link)
Please bring:
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Medicare card
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Your completed new patient registration form (if not already sent back) (Download Here)
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Your GP referral letter if not already emailed/faxed
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Child health record book
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Previous reports (eg speech pathology, audiology, psychology, blood tests, school reports)
Fees
The Melbourne Children’s Clinic is a private specialist clinic. Fees charged are in line with AMA recommended rates for specialist consultations. The fee may vary according to the service provided to your child on the day they are seen.
We require full payment on the day of consultation, and accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa and MasterCard.
To claim a rebate from Medicare, a valid referral from your GP or specialist is required. GP referrals are valid for 12 months and specialist referrals for 3 months.
We offer online Medicare claims which allows Medicare to pay the rebate for your child’s consultation directly into your registered account within 24-48 hours. Information about claiming and how to register your bank account details with Medicare is available at: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/subjects/medicare-services#a4
If you have private health insurance, some allied health services may be covered. Please check with your health fund.
Cancellation
At the Melbourne Children’s Clinic we do our best to remind patients of their appointments via SMS. This is a courtesy service and it is still your responsibility to remember your appointment. We have long wait lists, and missed appointments or late cancellations means that we are unable to fill that time at short notice to help other children and families.
Missed appointments and late cancellations (less than 24 hours notice) will be subject to a cancellation fee. (see policies non attendance and cancellation - here)