Frequently Asked Questions?
Below, we have provided answers to some of our most commonly asked questions. If you still can't find the answer to any questions you may have, or have pressing concerns, please call our clinic directly, and our friendly staff can assist you.
General Queries
Can I just drop in to see a doctor? No. We are an appointment-only service for all our clinicians. We are not able to facilitate any walk-ins, emergencies or last minute requests. We will refer you to your GP or local emergency services. Our allied health team can see you without a GP referral but appointments must be booked once the self-referral is complete on the website.
How do I make an Appointment? All new referrals and appointment requests are made via our website referral link. Please complete the new patient details form and attach a GP referral letter with your submission. Once your referral has been reviewed our admin staff will contact you with further details. Existing Patients who are undergoing active care will have follow-up appointments made with our reception team. Please note new referrals and new patient requests/appointments cannot be made over the phone.
Do I need a referral to be seen? To make an appointment with our Paediatricians, you will need to obtain a referral from your GP, another specialist doctor or a doctor at the hospital. A referral from your GP will usually last for 12 months and from a specialist last three months. Once your referral has expired you will need to obtain a new referral from your GP prior to seeing the paediatrician, otherwise your appointment may be rescheduled. Failure to have a valid referral means there is no Medicare rebate, and you will be liable for the full cost of the consultation. Referrals are not required to see our Allied Health Team, however no Medicare rebates can be made. If allied health practitioners are seen with a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Better Access to Mental Health Plan then these referrals are required in order to attract a Medicare rebate.
Can I self-refer to your Allied Health Clinics? Yes you can request to make an appointment and self-refer to our allied health clinics. Referrals are not required for appointments with our Paediatric Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Speech Pathologist and Psychology team. To make an appointment please submit your request via the website referral link. This will enable our team to gather relevant information about your child's needs & services required. Please Note: If allied health practitioners are seen with a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Better Access to Mental Health Plan, a GP referral letter is required in order to attract a Medicare rebate.
How do I know which clinic and appointment type is the right one for my child? Paeds Plus runs several different clinic types including General Paediatric Medical, Speciality Medical Clinics, Developmental Paediatrics, and Allied Health Clinics. Your GP referral letter should provide details regarding the reason for your referral, your child's needs, and requested clinician type to be seen. Please refer to our Paediatric and Allied Health services pages, for further details regarding what is seen in each clinic type.
Waiting Lists Paeds Plus runs several different clinic types and these appointments are scheduled on different days. Each discipline has its own wait list, with triage and allocation varying depending upon the demand of the services and the availability for clinicians. Recently, there has been significant state-wide demand upon paediatrics leading to extended wait times. An estimation of our waiting times can be found on our referrals page.
Do you provide general paediatric services such as baby checks? Yes. We provide general paediatric services along with a variety of specific diagnosis clinics. Dr Gareth specifically has an unsettled Baby clinic, so make sure to book these in advance.
Do you provide childhood vaccinations? No, we do not currently provide this service. We do however encourage that all families immunise their children.
Fees and Rebates
How much does a consultation or assessment cost? Consultations and assessments costs vary depending on length, consultation type, and practitioner. Our office staff will be happy to discuss the fee schedules with you at the time of booking. Payment is to be made at the time of consultation. Visa/Mastercard and EFTPOS are accepted. Cheque Payments are not accepted. Medicare rebates can be processed at the office at the time of consultation and is usually paid into your bank account by Medicare within 24-48 hours.
Does the practice bulk-bill? As a private practice we do not bulk-bill. There will be an out-of-pocket cost, which is the difference between the doctor’s fee and the Medicare rebate for a service. Please contact our reception for further information regarding fees and out-of-pocket costs.
Will I get a Medicare or health fund rebate for a consultation? Consultations from doctors with a valid referral attract a Medicare rebate. Consultations with allied health practitioners under an appropriate Medicare plan (Better Access to Mental Health Care or Chronic Disease Management Plan) also attract Medicare Rebates. Some practitioner’s consultations are also eligible for the Helping Children with Autism, Better Start for Children with Disabilities, and National Disability Insurance Scheme benefits. Medicare rebates can be processed at the office at the time of consultation and is usually paid into your bank account by Medicare within 24-48 hours.
If I have private insurance, will that cover the consultation fee? Unfortunately, private health funds do not provide rebates for out of hospital medical consultations with doctors. However, depending on your private health fund and level of cover, you may be able to claim some therapy sessions with our Allied Health Practitioners. (eg. Dietitian, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Clinical Psychology). Paeds Plus does not have the facilities to submit Private Health Insurance claims, this will need to be done independantly. Please inform our staff if you have Private Health Insurance at time of payment, so we can issue you an itemised reciept for claiming purposes.
What is the Fees policy? We are a fee for service practice. Payment is to be made at the time of consultation. Major credit cards and EFTPOS along with cash are accepted forms of payment. Cheques are not accepted.
What is your cancellation fee policy? For standard appointments, 24 hours notice is required in order to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If less than 24 hours notice is given or a client does not attend an appointment, then the consultation fee will be due, and unfortunately no rebate can be given since no consultation occurred. A fee charged for such an appointment must be paid prior to your family receiving any further services at Paeds Plus.
Attendance and Cancellations
What do I need to bring to appointments? Please bring your Medicare Card, referral, previous assessment reports (if not emailed through) and list of current medications. Your child’s Health and Development Record (purple/blue/green book) is also helpful. Also, if you have any other relevant reports (such as those from other medical appointments, teachers, or test results) that you would like considered in your appointment, please send them by email prior to your consultation.
Who should attend the appointment? It's important for parents and/or carers to be present at appointments. Your child always needs to attend appointments unless specifically arranged with their practitioner. Some Allied Health Clinics schedule an initial Parent only appointment, you will be notified when booking. For Medicare eligible appointments, the client always needs to be present at the practice.
How long are the appointments? Appointment lengths vary. You will be notified of the expected appointment length at the time of booking an appointment. Depending on the clinic type, initial consults can be between 45 - 90 minutes. Specific aspects of an ASD assessment can be as long as 2 hours. Subsequent appointments may be shorter. Please check with our team when your appointment is booked.
What if we are unable to attend an appointment? If your appointment is cancelled at short notice or not attended, we are unable to fill it with another client. This means that an appointment time which could have been used to help another child and their family has been lost. For standard appointments, 24 hours’ notice is required in order to cancel or reschedule an appointment. If less than 24 hours’ notice is given or a client does not attend an appointment, then the consultation fee will be due, and unfortunately no rebate can be given since no consultation occurred. A fee charged for such an appointment must be paid prior to your family receiving any further services at Paeds Plus.
Do I need to make an appointment for scripts for medication? YES. In the majority of cases, where our Paediatricians prescribe medication such as those used in the treatment of conditions such as ADHD, regular review is required to ensure that the dose is appropriate, side effects are minimised, and the medication is being safely used. As a result, our doctors do not write scripts for medication without seeing a patient unless there are extenuating circumstances. Some medication such as those required for general paediatric problems (for example sleep, constipation, asthma, and some specialty formulas) can be prescribed by your General Practitioner.
Existing patients - How do I obtain a repeat prescription? Generally, prescriptions will only be given at an appointment. Occasionally at the doctors discretion a prescription may be requested out of consultation. If you find yourself out of medication and require a repeat script, we require at least a weeks notice. Please be aware our clinicians are not in clinic every day and may take up to 7 business days to do a script. Please email us with your request for a script, detailing the name of the medication, dosage and which doctor you see. Your doctor may charge a $20-$40 fee (for which no Medicare rebate is available) OR may request you make an appointment.
Do you provide medical advice via email or telephone? To ensure that medical assessments are accurate and optimal health care is provided, our specialist doctors are generally unable to provide medical advice via email or telephone calls. At the health professional’s discretion, some results of investigations may be discussed via telephone. However, results that require further detailed discussion regarding management, other investigations, further referrals or follow-up will require an appointment.
Do you provide a Telehealth Service? For new patients and initial consultations, in person appointments are preferred to allow adequate history and examination. If you are unable to attend your appointment due to certain circumstances, a telehealth appointment can be requested. Please inform the reception staff with 48hrs notice, so we can check with your clinician first and make neccessary arrangements. All telehealth appointments are at the descetion of your clinician. It is expected that the government will be restricting telehealth conuslts to pre-COVID arrangements during 2023.
What happens if I require advice in between appointments? Medical advice cannot be given over the phone or via email. If you require medical advice in between planned consultations, please speak with our reception staff to arrange an appointment with your practitioner. For non-urgent medical support in business hours please contact your General Practitioner (GP). Your General Pracitioner should be able to assist you with most medical needs.
Where are you Located and is there Parking On-site? We are located on the first floor of 13 Hobsons Gate, Currambine, with lift access available for prams, wheelchairs, small children or those requiring it. There is parking available in our building carpark. There is also street parking available along Hobsons gate and several public carparks for surrounding shops. You may also park in the Bistro parking if there is room.
Emergency and Helpful Links
We are unable to provide emergency or crisis care.
For urgent medical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Please dial emergency 000.
In case of any emergencies, please go to a paediatric emergency department or the nearest hospital.
For urgent medical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Please dial emergency 000. We are unable to provide emergency or crisis care. In case of any emergencies, please go to a paediatric emergency department or the nearest hospital, or call 000.
Child & Adolescent Urgent/Crisis Support Contacts
Child & Adolescent Urgent/Crisis Support
Local Hospital Emergency Department
If your child is in crisis, our recommendation is that you present to your nearest Hospital. If there are any transport concerns, call 000 and request an ambulance.
CAMHS (1800 048 636)
If your child is in high distress but physically safe, consider calling the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) emergency line. This is a free specialist service which operates 8am-2:30am.
Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800)
The Kids Helpline is a free 24-hour service for young people aged 5 to 25.
eheadspace
eheadspace supports adolescents and young adults 12-25 and offers phone-based and online chat-based support.
More Help
Click here for more mental health support resources
Adult Crisis Support
Hospital Emergency Departments
When in crisis, consider presenting to the nearest hospital Emergency Department. You can follow this link for a WA Emergency Department list. If transport is an issue, call 000 and request an ambulance.
General Practitioner (GP)
If you require medical review or support and are not in crisis, consider seeking the first available appointment with your GP (General Practitioner).
Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL)
1300 555 788 (Metro) or 1800 676 822 (Peel) or 1800 552 002 (Country/Rurallink)
Lifeline
Lifeline is a free 24-hour crisis support line that can help with a range of difficulties
Ph: 13 11 14
More Help
Click here for more mental health support resources