New Patients- Referral to an associated doctor.
Please read the information provided.
The information has been made available to assist as much as possible. Further administrative service is beyond our capacity to provide.
We recommend that you make an appointment with your GP to work through and discuss this information if you need further support.
Check this website for updates.
Our reliance on the website, written communication, use of online forms, and our intake process are characteristic of our general reception and administrative approach, policies and procedures. The use of email for essential communications, online information, and request forms will be an ongoing feature of your engagement with the reception and administrative team at Prosper Paediatrics. This approach allows us to provide excellent services cost-effectively, efficiently, accurately and consistently and together with the referral requirements will help the providers keep their books open and care for as many children as possible.
If you need further support, please book an appointment with your GP so that they can help you to work through this information, understand the situation and process and meet referral requirements..
Some audio summaries are also provided.
Closed books -Paediatricians:
Dr Josie Nozza;
Dr Soliman has closed her private practice to undertake a full-time staff specialist role at Flinders Medical Centre.
Referrals sent to doctors with closed books will not be reviewed and will be returned.
Books Open-Approximate wait times for non-neonate non-urgent referrals:
Neonatologist:
Dr Lydia Kennedy (infants up to 2 years of age): 3 months.
Paediatricians:
Dr Brian Conway: 15 months.
Marianne Yanni - 6weeks (additional clinics recently added).
Rebecca Holst- 4 weeks (additional clinics recently added)
Jane Smith, Rishi Agrawal, Kavita Rasiah - 8 months.
Dr Thu Kent: 15 months and pausing new patient referrals except for some sibling referrals.
Wait times vary, as each doctor has their own practice style and patient numbers. Some have only a very small private practice and a limited number of clinics over the year. These wait times can change. We aim to keep the website updated, but there may be updates that lag behind the changes.
Referrals are accepted and appointments offered by each associated doctor, entirely at their professional discretion.
Your provider, working with Prosper Paediatrics’ services, will make every effort to bring appointments forward where possible. More urgent appointments are prioritised, but generally the doctors hope to offer most families an earlier appointment.
Cancellation Lists are managed carefully with the intention of avoiding any wasted appointments. Cancellations are re-allocated as quickly as possible.
Notice of cancellations can be short, sometimes as little as 24 hours. Please ensure you understand the Cancellation Offer Procedures. Families wanting to secure an earlier appointment should aim to be as flexible as possible.
Referral Requirements
The associated doctors require referrals to be sent by Secure Messaging.
They can only consider referral letters addressed to them personally by their name.
(Dr Kennedy can consider referrals that are personally named or that are addressed to a neonatologist.)
Your GP is welcome to send more than one referral, but each letter should be addressed to one doctor personally. Your GP can be funded for writing these referrals by writing and sending them during an appointment.
Due to capacity constraints, the associated paediatricians, who are independent sole practitioners, cannot consider unnamed referrals or referrals to another paediatrician. Prosper Paediatrics does not employ or direct them, nor provide health services, nor consider or triage referrals. We cannot advise on whether a paediatrician will accept a particular referral or which paediatrician has the earliest availability, as this may vary due to their tirage and to differences in the size of their private practices, other professional and personal responsibilities, and practice styles.
These referral requirements are necessary to help the doctors keep their books open, avoid increased cybersecurity and privacy risks and keep administrative costs down.
Referral clinical criteria
Each referral must provide the clinical reasons for the specialist’s opinion and management to be valid.
Sufficient clinical information must be provided to allow the specialist to triage the referral.
Given their capacity constraints, the associated doctors will generally be more likely to consider acceptance of a referral if
it details significant or serious clinical concerns and a need for specialist medical assessment, diagnosis and management regarding
medical concerns in infants, children and adolescents*.
infant, toddler & preschooler developmental concerns.
and previous, current, or planned clinical or allied health assessments, management or therapeutic pathways, referrals, and interventions for the concern.
*Dr Kent may accept new patient referrals of this kind for children under 5 years of age.
*Dr Kennedy considers only referrals for children aged 2 or younger.
Dr Rasiah is also happy to accept referrals for paediatric infectious disease concerns.
Doctors Conway, Rasiah, Kent, Holst and Yanni also accept private neonate referrals.
Referrals about Autism, ADHD, mental health and behaviour? Currently, the associated providers do not offer to conduct a formal Diagnostic Assessment for Autism, but may refer for this and provide follow-up care following the report. The Associated Providers may conduct ADHD assessments but recommend a psychologist’s assessment, due to wait times and capacity constraints. Generally, GPs should consider alternative or concurrent referral to a psychologist for assessment or therapy regarding ADHD and Autism or other mental health assessment and therapy. GPs can also refer significant mental health concerns to a psychiatrist for an assessment and medication plan. These and other referral options are detailed at: https://prosperpaediatrics.au/care-options
Each paediatrician’s decision to accept a referral will be based on their professional discretion and judgement regarding their capacity, practice scope and style and current patient responsibilities.
Appointments may be cancelled by the doctor later.
Your specialist may unexpectedly need to delay or cancel your child’s appointment due to illness or other circumstances or may unexpectedly close or reduce their private practice at Prosper Paediatrics. In this circumstance, other associated doctors may be able to offer an appointment, but there may be further delay, or an appointment may no longer be possible. Each associated provider practices independently and is not directed by Prosper Paediatrics. They alone make decisions about their practice and the acceptance of new patient referrals.
New Patient referral- intake steps.
We receive your child’s referral.
Your referrer sends a valid, detailed and comprehensive referral to one of the associated doctors whose books are still open,
addressed to them by name.
by Secure Messaging (Healthlink, etc) (but if not possible, by email or our contact form).
2. Submit the Appointment Request Form if you are happy to proceed in accordance with policies.
Submit this form if your child will be a New Patient, or a Returning Patient who has not been seen for over 3 years or where contact details have changed.
Current Patients do not need to submit this form.
For all New or Returning Patients, please first review the policies, especially those regarding Privacy, Communication & Contact, Fee Payment and Respect & Trust, and ensure you are happy to proceed in accordance with them.
You can review these in the website menu “Policies” and in the policies summary.
You can view the provider’s fee schedules here.
More information about whether your child is a New or Returning Patient is provided here: https://prosperpaediatrics.au/patient-new-current-returning
3. The referral is reviewed
The nominated specialist reviews the referral in the next several weeks (at least) and will either
DECLINE the referral and notify the referrer.
ACCEPT the referral and
TRIAGE it to decide on the level of need for priority when offering earlier appointments that may become available.
OFFER AN APPOINTMENT.
4. If the referral is accepted, we email you an Appointment Offer providing
The appointment details, including the Fee Schedule link.
The link to our webpage explaining how to accept this offer and a place on the Cancellation List.
If we do not have your email, a brief SMS is sent with links to the website for further information.
5. To accept the offer, you must, within seven days, submit the requested forms.
Carefully review the policies, terms and conditions of the appointment and healthcare relationship offer. You can view the provider’s fee schedule here.
If you are happy to proceed in accordance with these, please complete and submit the
6. If the appointment offer is not accepted
If the Appointment Offer is not accepted within seven days, it will be withdrawn, and the intake process for your child will be closed. If you decline or do not accept this offer but wish to consider a further appointment offer, please advise us by email.
How do Appointments become available to New Patients?
The Doctors’ appointment books have reserved times for various needs, including urgent patients. If these times are no longer needed or families cancel their appointments, we may then offer the time to new patients. Sometimes, these appointments become available at quite short notice.
We take great care to avoid appointments being wasted and to bring appointments forward wherever possible. Generally, we expect to move many appointments forward, a little or a lot, depending on urgency, over the next several years.
To be on a cancellation list, your child must have an appointment booked.
Other care and referral options
while you wait for your paediatrician appointment
or if your child’s referral cannot be accepted at this time.
Summary:
To request an appointment with one of the associated doctors,
ensure your GP has sent a referral to them by Healthlink.
please complete and submit the Request Appointment Form (unless a Current Patient).