New Patient Referrals & obtaining Appointments

 

We ask that you read the information provided and follow the appropriate links for more detials.

 

New Patient Referrals- information for families

  • Please ask your referrer to address the referral by name and send it by Healthlink (or other Secure Messaging).

  • Some specialists have closed their books.

  • For those specialists whose books are open, not all referrals can be accepted.

  • Triage and wait times

    • Subspecialist wait times for non-urgent referrals are

      • about 2 months for Neonatologist Dr Kennedy

      • 12 months for Neurologist Dr Briest

    • Generally, non-urgent paediatrician appointments are currently being booked in the first half of 2026. However, wait times vary in line with the individual paediatrician’s practice style and the number of clinics they offer weekly or monthly.

    • Earlier appointments may be offered, especially for more urgent cases.

    • All the practitioners are booked tightly, but keep reserves for more urgent needs, and make every effort to ensure that cancellations are offered to other children where possible.

Subspecialists with open books

Referrals to associated paediatricians

Due to extremely long wait times and very tight bookings, the associated paediatricians have limited capacity to accept new patient referrals.

Paediatricians Dr Nozza has closed her books to all new patient referrals.

The other associated Paediatricians’ books are open, but they will only be able to accept some referrals.

Please ask your GP to send a named referral by Secure Messaging. Your GP is welcome to refer to several associated paediatricians by sending a named referral to each.

Who is a New Patient?

A New Patient is not a current or returning patient.

A Returning Patient is a patient who

has not seen their paediatrician for over 2 years and

  • Did not have a review appointment booked.

  • had not transferred to or been under the care of another paediatrician during that intervening time.

A Current Patient has been seen in the last 2 years and will generally have a review appointment booked or have been recommended to have this by their paediatrician.

New Patients who are siblings of a current or returning patient.

  • The paediatricians try, where possible, to accept referrals of siblings and value the enhanced continuity of care made possible when siblings can receive care from the same specialist. Currently, however, they may need to decline some non-urgent sibling referrals.

 

Your Provider’s Fees

You can view your provider’s Fee Schedule here. When we send an email offering an appointment or confirming a booking, a link to your provider’s fee schedule is always included.

Providers do not offer bulk billing, and fees must be paid on the day immediately following your child’s appointment. Information about your provider’s fee policies is available here: fee payment, bookings, fees & cancellations, as well as Medicare rebates.

Please ensure you understand and accept these requirements, terms and conditions if you wish to request or accept an appointment.

Concerns regarding Fees:

As a private practice, services are funded only by patient fees. Your fees allow us to work efficiently to help your doctor provide excellent, enhanced continuity of care with budgets that are substantially less than those provided by the government in the public system.  Unfortunately, concessions cannot be offered to New or Returning Patients. Medicare provides substantial assistance, but we understand that some families will prefer or need to seek free public health or lower-cost ​services. If so, ask your GP, as soon as possible, ​to redirect the referral to the appropriate public paediatric health service for your area, whether that is the Women's and Children's, Flinders, Lyell McEwin or Modbury Hospitals​ or a lower-cost private service. The providers do not offer bulk billing and, unfortunately, concessions cannot be offered.