New Patient Referral
Wait times & book closures regarding new patient referrals.
Reserves are kept in the associated specialists’ appointment books for more urgent referrals.
New patient wait times can still be significant, but every effort is made to offer more urgent new patients earlier appointments where possible. We hope to be able to bring most patients forward by a little or, if urgent, by many months.
Books closed
Dr Romain Briest, Paediatric Neurologist- books open but with very limited capacity for new patient referral intake. Consider concurrent referral to a paediatrician or the Neurology Department at WCH or FMC.
Josie Nozza - Books are currently closed to new referrals.
Open Books: Specialists with open books, but limited capacity to take referrals.
The following specialists have cancellation lists and hope to bring appointments forward where possible. Priority is given to referrals triaged as more urgent.
Their approximate appointment wait times for non-neonate, non-urgent referrals are as follows:
Dr Lydia Kennedy, Neonatologist (under 2 years)- under 2 months.
Brian Conway -15 months
Rebecca Holst -11 months
Jane Smith -14 months
Rishi Agrawal -6 months
Kavita Rasiah -11 months
If there is extra capacity to bring forward some more urgent referrals this will be indicated.
Where less urgent referrals are accepted, patients may be placed on a wait list for appointment offers until capacity constraints allow an appointment to be offered.
Referral Requirements for New Patients
These specialists can only consider acceptance of a very detailed referral sent to them personally (addressed to them by name).
Referrals MUST be sent via Healthlink (please do not fax them):
The associated paediatricians are independent sole practitioners. Due to this and privacy law requirements, they cannot consider referrals or referrals to another paediatrician without the patient’s specific consent. Prosper Paediatrics does not employ or direct them, nor provide health services, nor consider or triage referrals. We cannot advise on whether a doctor will accept a particular referral or which paediatrician has the earliest availability, as this may vary depending on the size of their private practice, other professional and personal responsibilities, and practice style.
The use of Secure Messaging will help the associated providers keep their books open.
Their capacity to accept new patient referrals is limited. They may consider acceptance of referrals and triage them more highly if significant or serious clinical concerns are detailed together with
a need for specialist paediatrician assessment, diagnosis and management regarding
medical concerns in infants, children and adolescents.
infant, toddler & preschooler developmental concerns.
and the referral fully details previous, current, or planned clinical or allied health assessments, management, or therapeutic pathways, as well as referrals and interventions for the concern.
Other referral options and pathways
Please consider other referral options and pathways instead of or concurrently with referral to a paediatrician, including Mental Health Care Plans and Team Care Plans, psychology assessment and therapy for developmental, mental health, behavioural and learning concerns and ADHD and ASD; Item 291 referral to a psychiatrist; audiology for hearing or learning or attention concerns; play therapy for under 11; allied health for developmental assessment and therapy (including for ASD and ADHD concerns), online and community programs and appropriate paediatric medical or surgical subspecialist referral.
For patients aged 17 years or more, please consider adult subspecialist referral.