You can browse our commonly asked questions below. If you’d like to contact us directly, send us a message from the contact page.
Once you have organised a referral please email/fax this to the practice. We prefer that all referrals are sent to the practice before an appointment is made as our doctors triage all referrals for urgency. Most specialists have at least a 2-3 month wait time. By providing the referral we can ensure that our patients are seen in a timely manner. Wait times will depend on which specialty is needed. Once an appointment is made we will email/post a confirmation letter outlining what you need to bring to your appointment and costs involved.
All specialist appointments require a referral. This can be obtained either from your GP or Optometrist. Most GP and Optometrist referrals are current for 12 months. If you are referred by your Specialist, these referrals are only valid for 3 months. Due to wait times the referral is activated from the date of your first visit. It is always the responsibility of the patient to ensure the referral remains current and not our staff.
If you are unsure whether a referral is still valid please call our friendly reception staff to help you. It is a Medicare requirement to have a referral to get your rebate from Medicare. NO REFERRAL – NO REBATE.
If you are seeing your specialist for longer than a 12 month period, it is your responsibility to get a new referral. Referrals do not go for indefinite periods unless your GP chooses to give an indefinite referral for chronic conditions. This however, is at the discretion of your family GP.
Medicare rules prohibit the backdating of referrals and as such, your GP or Optometrist WILL NOT issue backdated referral letters.
Suite 4/27 College Road Kent Town SA 5067
Our practice is located in Kent Town. We are situated in a cul-de-sac near the intersection of Fullarton Road and The Parade West. We have an onsite car park but patients may also use the Chloe’s Restaurant car park. Street parking is also available.
- Your most recent pair of glasses/contact lenses (both distance and reading)
- Letter of referral if not previously sent
- Medicare card, Veteran Affairs card, any concession (pension or health care cards) and private health insurance card
- Any MRI, CT scans or x-rays relevant to your condition
- A list of your current medications is always helpful
- We suggest you bring a driver in the event that eye drops will be required. Sunglasses will help reduce the glare after having drops
Please allow between 1 to 2 hours for your appointment as time is required for dilating drops and any tests that may need to be performed. Appointments where you also need to see our Orthoptist can also be quite lengthy. We endeavour to run to our appointment times but sometimes emergencies do occur which can lead to delays and unfortunately these are unavoidable. Our doctors always endeavour to give all their patients a high quality of care and some eye conditions/tests require extra time.
Dilating drops allow the specialist to fully assess your eye. Some conditions that drops are required for are cataract, retina/macula conditions, flashes and floaters. These drops dilate your pupil and allow the specialist to look at the back of the eye. The blurring effect of these drops can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours but does vary for each individual. Driving is not recommended whilst still affected. Drops may not be required for all attendances. Please check with reception staff when booking follow-up appointments so that you can make the necessary travel arrangements.
The cost of the consultation will vary depending on the tests that are required for your particular eye condition. Full payment is required on the day and will be lodged with Medicare on your behalf to claim the rebate. All new patients will be given a letter with an estimation of cost. If you have any concerns please speak to one of our staff prior to your appointment. We are not a bulk bill practice.
Appointments with the Ophthalmologist are covered by Medicare and once payment is made our staff will lodge electronically on your behalf. If you have registered your bank account details with Medicare you should receive your rebate within 48 hours. Appointments with our Orthoptist are covered by your private health insurance. Rebates do depend on what level of ‘Extras’ cover you have with your insurer. We cannot claim for these on your behalf but ask that you take your receipt along to your insurer to see if you are eligible for any rebate. With most insurers this comes under ‘Eye Therapy’.
Private health insurance covers hospital admissions for the specialist and not the consultations.
We accept Cash, Visa, Mastercard, EFTPOS and Cheques.
An ophthalmologist is a medical practitioner who specialises in the diagnosis and management of eye diseases. An optometrist specialises in the prescribing of glasses, contact lenses and screening of eye diseases. The optometrist will refer on for the treatment of these diseases as deemed necessary. Patients are encouraged to see their optometrist for glasses.
An orthoptist is a university trained allied health professional specialised in the diagnosis and management of eye movement disorders and their associated visual problems, performance of investigative procedures associated with disorders of the eye, and rehabilitation of individuals with vision loss. An orthoptist is an integral member of the eye health care team, providing investigative testing, assessment, management and rehabilitation where required.
Patients are encouraged to see their optometrist for their glasses. In some cases (particularly children) our specialist may give you a spectacle prescription but always advise that your optometrist check the prescription. This is also important in the case of your warranty.
We provide a comprehensive consultation at the Kent Town office.
We can do minor procedures on site such as treatment for macular degeneration and some eyelid procedures.
If your eye condition requires an operation then our doctors will arrange that for you. Our doctors operate at Calvary Wakefield Hospital.
Our services include but are not exclusive to: cataract; pterygium; neuro-ophthalmology; adult and paediatric ophthalmology; orthoptics; strabismus; medical retina; intravitreal injections; diabetic eye checks; glaucoma; eyelid surgery; botulinum injections for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm.
Upon arrival you will be checked in by the reception staff. Our doctors work with an orthoptist or ophthalmic assistant who will see you initially and test your vision and take a medical history. If any scanning/tests are required by the doctor on the day, these will be performed by the assistant before you see the specialist.
New patients with urgent problems should ask their referring GP or Optometrist to contact us directly to arrange an appointment. All our doctors like to triage all referrals for urgency. We do ask that the referring practitioner send the referral either by fax or email to our practice.
Patients who have had surgery with one of our specialists will always be given their after hours contact number.
For after hours or public holidays when you are unable to contact the practice we suggest you attend the Emergency Department of The Flinders Medical Centre, The Royal Adelaide Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital or The Lyell McEwin Hospital.
Whenever possible we do require at least 24 hours notice of any cancellation. We reserve the right to charge a non-attendance fee of $50 if we are not notified that you are not coming to your appointment. Please be aware that this fee is not Medicare rebateable.