FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HAWTHORN EYE CLINIC
New Patients Welcome
Car Parking – At rear
Open: Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5pm
HAWTHORN EYE CLINIC
Please find answers to some commonly asked questions. If you can’t find your answer here, please call our friendly front office team.
In an emergency – If you are unable to contact your ophthalmologist or the ophthalmologist-on-call, and you require urgent medical attention, Call The Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital (03) 9929 8666.
To make an appointment please call (03) 9819 2882.
Please state which doctor you wish to see. If you are unsure, our staff may be able to advise the best ophthalmologist to see based on the nature and urgency of your situation.
If you provide us with a mobile phone number, we can send you a SMS reminder for your appointment the day prior to your appointment.
We are often asked to see emergency patients that can affect the running time of our Clinic. We ask for your understanding in these circumstances and thank you for your patience.
Yes. In order to claim a rebate from Medicare you need a referral from your General Practitioner/Specialist or Optometrist. In most cases this will last for 12 months and our staff will inform you when you will need to obtain a new one if you require follow-up appointments.
Your visit is only covered by Medicare, not by private health insurance. If you have private health insurance, please check with your provider for your level of cover in relation to any treatments, glasses or hospital stays.
At your initial visit you will be required to complete a patient registration form. Please bring along your Medicare, Veterans Affairs, Pension, Health Care and Private Health insurance cards. You will also be required to bring along your referral letter if you have it on hand.
At each visit you should also bring a list of your current medications as well as your current spectacles, contact lenses and sunglasses.
You are generally advised not to wear your contact lenses to the clinic for more accurate testings, unless otherwise advised by the ophthalmologist beforehand.
Standard Visits: Please allow at least 1 – 1.5 hour for your initial consultation as it may be necessary to perform a variety of tests during your visit.
Retinal Visits: We ask that you allow at least 2 hours for these visits, as they normally require extra testing and treatment.
Yes. An account will be issued on the day of your visit and it is expected that all accounts will be settled on the day of consultation. You will be advised of consultation fees when you make an appointment. However we do not always know what extra testing may be required, and this may involve extra fees. The staff will inform you of this on the day if needs be.
Rebates for consultations and most tests can be claimed from Medicare, provided you have a current referral.
If your consultation is to be covered by either a WorkCover or TAC claim, a claim number and the case manager’s name must be provided at the time of your consultation. For a WorkCover patient who may require elective surgery, please note that a request to proceed with surgery must be given to the insurer. Written confirmation regarding the status of the claim must be received before the hospital will agree to proceed with your surgery.
You can conveniently pay for your consultation by:
- Cash
- Cheques
- EFTPOS
- Credit card – Mastercard and Visa
We can transmit your claim to Medicare electronically on the day of your visit to claim the rebate for you. Please check that Medicare has your bank details so the rebate can be credited into your account, usually within 24 hours. Otherwise Medicare will send you a cheque which can take up to 5 weeks.
We recommend that you do not drive yourself to your appointment, as you may require eye drops to dilate your pupils so the doctor can examine the inside of your eyes.
These drops can cause blurred vision and light sensitivity for 3–4 hours, so it is best to avoid driving until your vision returns to normal.
We also recommend bringing sunglasses to help reduce glare and improve comfort after your appointment.
There is very limited parking at the back of the Clinic on Barker’s Road. Please allow adequate time to look for parking prior to your appointment.
For enquiries, appointments, location, fax, email and opening hours, visit our contact information:
Proud member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.
