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.
Please send all referrals by Healthlink or other Secure Messaging.
This helps us keep books open and allows us to allocate more resources to managing patient needs and cancellation lists.
Subspecialists
Triage and wait times are moderate to long.
Older patients, especially those aged 17 or more, may wish to consider referral to an adult neurologist or endocrinologist. Wait times may be less than for the paediatric subspecialist, especially for relatively less urgent concerns.
Dr Jessica Harbison, Paediatric Endocrinologist.
Dr Harbison’s books are now closed.
She is closing her private practice to take up an additional position at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in her area of special interest. Dr Harbison will finish consulting at the beginning of October 2025.
Dr Romain Briest, Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Briest’s wait time is approximately 8 months for non-urgent appointments.
Dr Lydia Kennedy, Neonatologist.
Dr Kennedy’s wait time for non-urgent appointments is about 3 months.
She accepts referrals for infants up to about two years of age.
General Paediatricians:
Books Closed:
Her non-urgent wait times extend to beyond 2026, but she will review her book closures from time to time.
Dr Soliman is closing her practice at the end of July 2025 as she has undertaken a full-time position at Flinders Medical Centre.
Books are open but with very limited capacity to take referrals:
Brian Conway, Rebecca Holst, Jane Smith, Rishi Agrawal, Kavita Rasiah and Thu Kent.
Referral only by Secure Messaging
These General Paediatricians will only consider acceptance of a very detailed referral* sent to them personally via Secure Messaging:
Their administrative team has been managing a huge number of new patient referrals and requests with no funding. We ask that you do not send any referrals or other patient correspondence via email, fax, post or by hand delivery and use ONLY SECURE MESSAGING.
Their capacity to accept new patient referrals is limited, but they may consider acceptance 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 assessment, management or therapeutic pathways, 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; 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.