Frequently Asked Questions
- Appointments can be made by calling us on 02 9052 1889 or contact us through our website contact form.
- We will return your call or respond to your email within 1-2 business day; if urgent or we have not contacted you please follow up with a phone call.
- You will need a GP or specialist referral to see the doctors to access Medicare rebate for the consultation and ensure that your doctor can share any important medical information with your GP or specialist. A GP referral is usually valid for 12 months and a referral from another specialist is only valid for 3 months, from the date of your appointment.
- Please ensure your referral is valid prior to each appointment. If you are unsure, please contact reception to clarify whether a new referral is required.
- You will need a new referral letter if you are seeing your regular doctor for a new problem.
- You can send in a soft copy of referral outlining the concerns.
- Your GP can call Hills Paediatrics directly to discuss any urgent concerns and the possibility of arranging an urgent appointment.
- Complete our registration form with Medicare and contact details
- Complete our questionnaires so that we are all better prepared for the consultation; and make note of any additional concerns you have.
- Privacy: We take your privacy very seriously and any health or personal information will be managed in accordance with Privacy Act (1988) requirements. If you have concerns about exchanging confidential or clinical information via email or our contact form, call and speak to one of our reception team.
- Please bring hard copies of referral, reports (medical and/or educational), and letters
- Please bring Blue Book
- Please bring Medicare card
- Arrive 10-15 mins before the appointment.
- Late arrivals can be disruptive to workflow; while we understand unexpected circumstances can arise, we may need to reschedule your appointment or reduce the length of the consultation to not keep other patients/families waiting.
- You can bring a small, non-messy snack and bottle of water if attending an assessment. Be mindful not to bring allergenic foods.
- Consultation or assessment fee needs to be settled on the day (unless a third-party payment has already been made). We prefer payment by EFTPOS or credit card (not AMEX).
- The initial consultations are 1 hr, which includes time for reviewing questionnaires, reports, and letters.
- Assessments are approximately 2.5 – 3 hrs.
- Clarification of history, observation and examination may be part of the consultation.
- Letters will follow with plans discussed.
- These include discussion of results, writing or redoing lost scripts, referrals, carer forms, NESA forms.
- Make sure your referral is still valid.
- Follow up consultations 30min – 1 hour; these will be limited to one or two priority issues per consultation due to time limitation.
- In extenuating circumstances, urgent scripts requests may be accommodated (a fee may be charged)
- Hills Paediatrics is open during business hours (9am – 5pm). Each clinician is only in rooms on certain days and may take annual, personal, or conference leave for periods. Please be aware that we are also closed for public holidays and longer period over Christmas and New Year. Call us/follow us on social media to keep updated of our holiday closure period.
For urgent appointments please discuss the issues with your GP first and ask them to call Hills Paediatrics and fax the referral directly.
- Hills Paediatrics does not provide emergency medical care or advise over the phone. If urgent medical care is needed, please contact your GP for advice and/or attend the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.
Requests for forms, letters, or scripts to be completed outside of an appointment should allow for a 2-week turnaround time so the clinician can complete this outside of their clinic hours.
Providing enough notice will ensure timely completion (a private fee may be charged).
We offer video conferencing/ telehealth consultations where clinically appropriate. In person appointment is generally required for new patients, for scripts and where physical examination is clinically required.
Private appointment fees apply, please ensure you have a valid referral to access Medicare rebates.
- As a private specialist clinic, the fees set by individual clinicians at Hills Paediatrics is at their discretion. We aim to be aligned with recommendations by professional bodies such as the AMA or APA recommended rates.
- Consultation or assessment fee needs to be settled on the day (unless a third-party payment has already been made). We prefer payment by EFTPOS or credit card. We can lodge a Medicare claim on your behalf if you have provided a valid referral for the appointment. Medicare pays the rebate directly into the nominated bank account usually on the next business day.
- For enquires about fees and any out-of-pocket costs associated with your visit, please contact our reception team.
Hills Paediatrics Reception team will send families reminders of appointments via SMS or a follow up phone call. Please make a note of your appointment date and time; you are responsible for contacting us as soon as possible if you wish to change or are no longer able to attend your scheduled time.
If we are unable to confirm with you within 2 business days, the appointment may be rescheduled.
Please inform Hills Paediatrics Reception team with enough notice if you are unable to attend your appointment so that we can offer the appointment to children on our long waiting lists.
Consults: If you cannot attend a consultation, we require 2 business days’ notice. For late cancellations a fee of up to 50% of the appointment fee may be charged. This cancellation fee will need to be reconciled prior to future appointments.
Assessments: If you cannot attend a diagnostic assessment, we require 5 business days’ notice. For late cancellations you will forfeit the booking fee. Can’t see anything about booking fee
- To provide optimum care to our paediatric patients including those from separated and blended families, the clinicians at Hills Paediatrics kindly request that the adults in the family work together respectfully and cooperatively, regarding the care of the child(ren). Medical decisions should ideally be made jointly by all parties responsible for the child’s wellbeing.
- Please provide the Hills Paediatrics Reception team with a copy of Parent Court Orders or any other relevant legal documents. We will provide information to parents or families as detailed in court orders. Where no court order exists, both parents are entitled to make or attend appointments, and receive copies of medical letters and reports. We will provide copies of correspondence to each parent individually only if specifically requested.
- Generally, we recommend that the parent making the appointment inform the other parent of appointment details, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Clinicians at Hills Paediatrics do not have the capacity to provide separate feedback to each parent after the appointment, but we welcome both parents attend their child’s appointments if possible.
- It is the attending parent’s responsibility to settle account on the day of the appointment, unless settled prior.
- We do not consult or assess children for the purpose of providing information for legal decision-making regarding custody issues.
At Hills Paediatrics, we endeavour to treat our patients and families with respect and kindness. As with all human interactions, misunderstandings can arise, but we do NOT tolerate aggression of any kind towards our clinicians or Reception staff (Zero Tolerance Policy).
If necessary, a patient or family may be discharged by a clinician if conflict arises that is disruptive to the clinic or impedes the care of the child.
Children need to be supervised by the attending parent(s) at all times and guided to respect the premises.
- Fact sheets on children’s health and development topics can be found at the following sites:
- Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (The Children’s Hospital At Westmead / Sydney Children’s Hospital)
- Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
- Raising Children Network