Consultation

Consultation Information

• How do I make an Appointment?

  As a Specialist clinic, patients need a referral from their General Practitioner (GP), family 
physician or other doctor to be eligible for a rebate from Medicare. Once you have a referral letter please call us during office hours to make an appointment – 07 5598 4455.

  Dr Graze sees Privately Insured, Veterans’ Affairs and WorkCover/CTP along with Public (uninsured) patients. You will be asked a number of questions to help us assist in allocating a suitable appointment time for you.

  If you feel that your matter is urgent and you need an earlier appointment, please ask your GP to fax us a referral letter detailing clinical reasons for the urgency, and we will seek approval to expedite your appointment on a case by case basis.

  He does not do medicolegal or insurance assessments.

  Reception Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm                                                       [Please note: During Daylight Saving we adhere to Queensland time]

  Dr Graze consults on Tuesdays and operates out of John Flynn Private Hospital and The Tweed Heads/Murwillumbah District Hospitals

   

• How long will my consultation take?

  The length of your consultation will vary depending on the reason for your consultation.

  New patient consultations are generally allocated 20-30 minutes.

  Follow-up consultations are generally allocated 10-15 minutes.

  Please note: if you need to discuss a new concern with Dr Graze, you will need to book a new patient consultation and supply a new GP referral.

• Do I need a referral to make an appointment?

  Yes, you will require a referral from your GP or another specialist prior to booking an appointment with Dr. Graze.

  Your GP/Specialist can send your referral via Medical Objects or email us at [email protected].

  If you do not have a GP Referral you will not be able to claim a Medicare Rebate against the cost of your consultation. A new GP referral will be required every 12 months. Please check with reception staff if a new referral is required when scheduling a follow-up appointment.

  A referral benefits you, as a patient, in a number of ways

  • You are able to claim a medicare rebate for the consultation and associated procedures. We can process this on the day of your appointment in most cases.

  • Your usual treating doctor (GP or specialist) will be able to summarise your current concerns, investigations and treatments to date.

  • We can ensure that we have a current list of medications, allergies and past medical history.

  • The doctors can provide continuity of your care by liaising with your usual doctor and inform them of other investigations and treatment.

• Urgent appointments

  Appointment waiting periods can vary. If you require an urgent appointment, we suggest you discuss it with your General Practitioner. If your GP feels the matter is urgent they can contact our office and forward us the referral. We do not make urgent appointments without sighting the referral.

• Do I need private health insurance?

  No.

  However, if you do have private health insurance [hospital cover] you can book an initial consultation usually within 2-3 weeks. It also allows you to book to have your surgery at a date of your choosing [as availability allows, usually within four weeks] at John Flynn Private Hospital. In particular, it also ensures that Dr Graze performs your surgery, and Dr Graze’s reception staff will co-ordinate all pre- and post-operative appointments.

  If you have a valid workers compensation/3rd party insurance claim you can book an initial consultation usually within 2-3 weeks once you have consultation approval from your insurer. [Please see workcover patient appointments for more information]

  If you do NOT have Private Health Insurance [Public Patient] there may be a wait for an appointment in one of our Public Clinics. [Please see public patient appointments for more information]

• Uninsured Patients Appointments (Public Clinic)

  If you do not have private health insurance or a valid work cover/3rd party insurer claim you will need to attend a public clinic. Due to the large volume of appointment requests there may be a wait for an appointment.

  Our public clinics are run in conjunction with Dr Graze and an Orthopaedic Registrar from Tweed Heads Hospital in our rooms at Bilinga [Orthopaedic registrars are registered medical practitioners who have completed their medical degree, internship and preliminary training and are advanced trainees on an accredited orthopaedic training program. This is necessary to become a fully qualified orthopaedic surgeon.]

  On receipt of your GP referral along with all relevant imaging/test reports it will be triaged/prioritised and an appointment will be offered based on the clinic findings/urgency.

  If surgery is recommended it will be at either the Tweed Heads or Murwillumbah public hospitals.

  For more information please visit:

  https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/hospitals/the-tweed-hospital/surgical-services

  https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Performance/Pages/join-surgery-waitlist.aspx#:~:text=If%20you%20need%20more%20information,Office%20at%20your%20referred%20hospital.

• Workers compensation appointments

  If you have a valid  Workers Compensation/3rd Party Insurer claim you will need a GP Referral along with Consultation Approval from your Insurer prior to booking an appointment.

  In order to bill your Insurer directly, we need the following information:

  • Employer Details
  • Insurance Company and contact details
  • Date of injury
  • Claim number
  • Written Consultation approval [This can be emailed directly to our rooms]
  • Please fill out and bring the Insurer Details Form.

  Medico-Legal appointments

  [Medico-Legal appointments can only be made and rescheduled by the company making the appointment. If you need to reschedule a medico-legal appointment, please contact the company directly.]

• Delays and Rescheduling

  Your appointment may be delayed as we try to devote adequate time to each patient’s needs, sometimes, this may take longer than the allocated time. Appointments may also need to be delayed or rescheduled due to Dr Graze attending emergencies and trauma at the hospital.

• What to bring to your initial consultation?
  • Please fill out and bring the relevant below patient registration form.
    • Patient Registration [Shoulder]
    • Patient Registration [Knee]
    • Patient Registration [Hip]
    • Patient Registration [Other]
  • Medicare or Veterans’ Affairs card.
  • Private health insurance details if you are in a health fund.
  • WorkCover patients must bring all information relating to their claim – claim number, name and address of insurance company and contact details for case manager.
    • Pease see Workers compensation appointments for more information
  • If you have copies of relevant previous operation notes, information from other doctors or copies of imaging that relate to your condition, then please bring these along also.
  • We encourage you to come to your initial consultation with a written list of questions to ensure you don’t forget to ask them when you are seeing the doctor.
  • X-rays or other diagnostic imaging, such as MRI / CT scans can be bought to your appointment as the Hard copy [printed] film/s, alternatively you can contact your Radiologist & ask that they be sent to Dr Graze electronically.
    • [Please do not bring a CD or USB as they are not compatible with our PC’s]
• Consultation Fees

  Our Consultation Fees as of 14th May 2024 are as follows:

  • Initial Consultation [1st appointment for the affected limb]
    • • $220.00
        • [$175.00 Pensioner]

  • Follow-Up Consultation/s [2nd or more appointment/s]
    • • $ 105.00
        • [$90.00 Pensioner]

  If you have a pension card, please bring this to your consultation as it may allow you a discount.

  A portion of each consultation fee is claimable from Medicare [with a valid GP referral].

  Veteran Affairs with the appropriate Gold or White card will not incur any costs.

  WorkCover/3rd Party Claims will be billed directly to your Insurer [Please note: It is the patients responsibility to advise of any changes in their claim status].

  Please note: Consultations may attract other fees if you require a cortisone injection or a plaster to be applied. We also charge for  prosthesis such as slings. These costs cannot be claimed through Medicare.

  Gold Coast Orthopaedics is a private billing practice, therefore payment in full is to be made to Reception at the conclusion of your appointment. We accept EFTPOS and Credit Card Payments along with Cash (please ensure you have the correct amount), and we are able to transfer your receipt electronically to Medicare so that you receive your rebate directly back into your  registered bank account.  Bulk-Billed consultations are assessed on a case by case basis and suitability is determined by the Doctor at the time of your appointment.

• What will happen at your first appointment?

  Dr Graze will take your medical history, physically examine you and check any x-rays / imaging at the time of your consultation. Treatment options will then be discussed. Further tests or investigations may be ordered to help form a diagnosis. You would most likely need to return at a later date for the results of these investigations and to plan your further treatment, which may be surgical or non-surgical.

  Dr Graze also runs a clinic in conjunction with his Physiotherapist for patients with shoulder concerns/injuries. The Physiotherapist will take your medical history, physically examine you and check any x-rays / imaging.  They will then confer with Dr Graze who will then confirm the diagnosis &/or treatment plan with you.

  If you are attending one of our Public Clinics the Orthopaedic Registrar will take your medical history, physically examine you and check any x-rays / imaging.  They will then confer with Dr Graze who will then confirm the diagnosis &/or treatment plan with you.

   

• I’ve lost my GP referral; can I attend my consultation without it?

  A referral benefits you, as a patient, in a number of ways as follows, therefore if you have lost your referral, please contact your GP and arrange for another referral.

  • You are able to claim a medicare rebate for the consultation and associated procedures. We can process this on the day of your appointment in most cases.

  • Your usual treating doctor (GP or specialist) will be able to summarise your current concerns, investigations and treatments to date.

  • We can ensure that we have a current list of medications, allergies and past medical history.

  • The doctors can provide continuity of your care by liaising with your usual doctor and inform them of other investigations and treatment.

• Will my GP be notified after the consultation?

  Following each consultation, we will write to your referring doctor in regards to the outcome of your consultation.

• What do I wear to my consultation?

  Please wear comfortable clothing that will allow your doctor to have easy access to your area of concern. For example, if you are attending our practice for a knee condition, please wear shorts.

• If surgery is required, now what..?

  If you require surgery, Dr Graze will discuss this at length during your appointment. He will discuss all aspects of surgery, including the likely benefits of surgery, the alternatives [e.g. conservative measures] and any possible complications. If you choose to proceed with surgery, you will then complete and sign a hospital consent form with Dr Graze.

  Patients with Private Health Insurance, will book a surgery date with Dr Graze’s reception staff, who will then email you all the pre & post-operative appointments you are required to attend and any other relevant information including current COVID-19 requirements, along with a link to complete your Hospital admission details online. Most patients can complete this paperwork, in some cases attend a pre-admission clinic, and then go ahead with the surgery [usually within 4 weeks, as availability allows]. However, depending on your medical condition, it may prove necessary to have pre-operative consultations with other specialists, e.g., to assess cardiac or vascular status. This will be discussed with Dr Graze at the time you consent to the surgery.

  A separate email will be sent by our Practice Manager with an estimate of your medical costs, you will need to contact your health insurer to confirm your coverage of the relevant item numbers, along with any possible out of pocket costs.

  Patients who are being seen under a valid Workcover claim, a request for surgery will be sent to your insurer. Once Dr Graze’s rooms have received written approval you will then be contacted by Dr Graze’s reception staff to book a surgical date. They will then email you all the pre & post-operative appointments you are required to attend and any other relevant information including current COVID-19 requirements, along with a link to complete your Hospital admission details online.

  Patients who are being seen in the Public System, will complete a Recommendation for Admission booklet which will be sent to The Tweed Hospital Bookings. Once they have processed your completed paperwork, you are placed on the waiting list for surgery. The booking office co-ordinates all your pre-admission appointments and surgery dates. You will need to contact them directly should you have any queries. The waitlist time varies depending on the severity of your symptoms, from 3 to 12 months. [For more information please visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Performance/Pages/join-surgery-waitlist.aspx#:~:text=If%20you%20need%20more%20information,Office%20at%20your%20referred%20hospital.]