Consultation

Consultation Information

• How do I make an Appointment?

  Please call us during office hours to make an appointment – 07 5598 4455.

  Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9.00am – 4.30pm.

  [Please note: During Daylight Saving we adhere to Queensland time]

• How long will my consultation take?

  The length of your first consultation will vary depending on the reason for your consultation. For a new patient, your consultation will be 20-30 minutes. Follow-up consultations are generally 10 minutes in duration.

• 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].

  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.

• 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.

• 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 Patient Registration Form.
  • 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.
  • X-rays or other diagnostic imaging films, such as MRI / CT scans. We prefer that these are in hard copy film format and not on a disc. Discs are often slow to load and, in some cases, do not load at all.
  • 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.
• Will I be expected to pay for my consultation on the day?

  Payment for your consultation MUST be made on the day. For your convenience, we have EFTPOS available. We also accept cash, cheques and major credit cards.

  Our Medicare Easyclaim system allows your Medicare rebate to be directly deposited back into your account [usually within 24 hours]. This is processed on the day of your appointment with a valid GP referral.

  If you have a pension card, please bring this to your consultation.

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

  Workcover 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 a prosthesis such as slings. These costs cannot be claimed through Medicare.

• Workers compensation appointments

  To enable us to bill your Workers Compensation Insurer directly, we need the following information.

  • Employer
  • Workers Compensation Insurance Company and contact details
  • Date of injury
  • Claim number
  • Written Consultation approval [This can be emailed directly to our rooms]
  • 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.]

• 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.

• Do I need private health insurance?

  No.

  However, if you do have private health insurance [hospital cover] or a valid Workcover claim, you can book for 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 do NOT have Private Health Insurance (PUBLIC PATIENTS), you will need to ensure your GP has forwarded your referral along with all relevant imaging/test reports to Dr Graze’s rooms. On receipt of your referral, it will be reviewed and triaged by Dr Graze and an appointment with Dr Graze & his Orthopaedic Registrar [Public Clinic] will be allocated based on the clinical findings [Please note: Due to the large volume of appointments for the Public Clinics, there may be a wait for an appointment]. If surgery is recommended it will be at either the Tweed Heads or Murwillumbah public hospitals.

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

  You must have your referral with you when attending your consultation. If you do not have your referral, you will be unable to claim any of the costs from Medicare. If you realise you have lost your referral, please contact your GP and arrange for another referral.

• 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.