General FAQs
Unfortunately, at this time, Ascot Vale Paediatrics will not be accepting any behavioural and developmental referrals as we have reached patient capacity.
Please ask your referring doctor to organise a referral to another paediatric practice.
All general medical and referrals for babies under 12 months will be triaged, and if accepted, an appointment will be accommodated in a timely manner.
Paediatricians are specialists in newborn, childhood, and adolescent medicine. We work closely with you and your general practitioner to provide comprehensive care for your child.
For existing patients, the transition to adult care is a process that requires careful planning. We typically begin this transition around the age of 16. However, we are committed to continuing care until your child finishes their schooling and feels comfortable moving on to adult services.
Yes, we offer a cancellation list for existing patients. If you would like your child to be seen as soon as possible and have the flexibility to attend an earlier appointment, please ask to be placed on our cancellation list.
Being on this list often allows your child to be seen sooner. However, it’s important to have flexibility and be readily contactable.
Referral FAQs
All patients need a valid referral to see a specialist at Ascot Vale Paediatrics. You will need to provide your referral prior to your appointment.
Referrals from another specialist are valid for only 3 months, while referrals from your general practitioner are valid for 12 months from the time of your child’s first appointment with us.
We request a new referral from your general practitioner every 12 months. This is to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information about the child's health status, current medical needs, and any changes in their care plan. This policy allows us to maintain a close and collaborative relationship with the referring GP, ensuring continuity and coordination of care.
By requiring an annual referral, we aim to maintain the highest standard of care and ensure that all medical decisions are based on the most current information available.
Yes, you can use the referral you have from your GP to attend any paediatrician.
If your child develops a new issue that requires a paediatrician, a new referral from your general practitioner will be needed. This ensures that your family doctor is informed of the changes in your child’s health and allows us to allocate sufficient time for the appointment.
Appointment FAQs
For Medicare purposes your child is required to attend all appointments (in person or Telehealth). If your child is not present, you will not be eligible for a Medicare rebate.
If you have any relevant letters, reports or assessments relating to your referral, please bring these along to your appointment or please email in advance to [email protected].
If your child is seeing the paediatrician for growth concerns, please bring your baby’s green book.
For new complex patients, some formal diagnostic assessments, a new presenting issue or if your child has not been seen for more than 12 months, you will be allocated 45 minutes for an appointment and a higher fee will be incurred.
Review appointments are scheduled for 15-30 minutes, depending on complexity/time required.
Courtesy SMS appointment reminders are sent six business days before the appointment. This is the best time to cancel and allows reception staff time to offer the appointment to another family.
Missed appointments, or appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice will be subject to a cancellation fee as per our Billing Policy.
Telehealth appointments (video consultations) may be offered at the clinician's discretion and in specific circumstances:
- For patients living in regional or rural areas where there is significant travel time
- To minimise risk of infectious diseases- please let us know in advance if you or your child are unwell and we can discuss with your child’s paediatrician to see if Telehealth may be an option
- To provide flexibility for families and accommodate children with special needs in selected circumstances
- Where it is clinically appropriate, and a telehealth appointment will substantially assist in your child’s care
To minimise risk of infectious diseases please let us know if you or your child are unwell. We can discuss with your child’s paediatrician to see if Telehealth may be an option.
If you are running late, please ring and let us know.
If you are only a few minutes late, please still attend the appointment but call ahead, as this helps us make arrangements to keep your child’s appointment running as close to the scheduled time as possible.
If you are running more than 10 minutes late, we will do our best to see your child that day, although the appointment time may need to be adjusted. Occasionally, it may not be possible to see your child, but we will reschedule the appointment as soon as possible.
For your full attention during the appointment, we suggest bringing a friend or relative with you to help mind other children while you are in the appointment with your child.
We will make every effort to remind you of upcoming appointments by SMS and phone call but if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. You will be charged a non-attendance fee if you don’t let us know that you need to cancel your child’s appointment.
For general enquiries please feel free to call the clinic or send us an email to [email protected]. Please address your email to your paediatrician.
We do not provide an afterhours service, so in case of emergency please present to a paediatric emergency department or nearest hospital.
Your paediatrician may refer your child to have blood tests or medical imaging. In some circumstances they will advise you to book a follow-up appointment to review the results personally. If you haven’t heard from us when you were expecting to, or you have any concerns, please call our clinic and we’ll follow up for you. If your doctor has prescribed a new medication for your child or adjusted their regular dosage, they may schedule a follow-up appointment to review their progress. It’s crucial to attend this appointment within the recommended timeframe to ensure the medication is working effectively and safely. Depending on the type of medication, a review appointment with your paediatrician may be required before a repeat prescription can be provided. If your paediatrician has indicated that a repeat prescription can be issued without an appointment, please contact us well before your prescription runs out, as some of our paediatricians are only in the clinic weekly. A $25 script fee will need to be paid for all scripts written outside of an appointment.
We ask for no food or snacks to be consumed on the premises apart from water, breast milk or formula. This is to avoid allergy risks and costs involved with spillage/soiling.
Fees FAQs
Affordability is a key consideration in setting our fees, but it must be balanced with the significant costs associated with running our practice. Your doctor’s fees support various services, including their medical consultations—backed by their extensive experience, training, ongoing professional development, licensing, and other personal professional expenses. Additionally, fees help fund our friendly and efficient administrative staff and the comfortable, welcoming environment we’ve created at Ascot Vale Paediatrics. As practice costs rise over time, our fees may also need to increase.
Appointment Fees are required to be paid the same day, immediately after your child’s appointment. The appointment deposit fee will be deducted from the consultation fee. Late payment will incur a $50 fee on top of the consultation fee.
The practice can accept VISA, Mastercard and cash for payment.
Reception can send your claim to Medicare for your Medicare rebate.
The Doctors at Ascot Vale Paediatrics do not routinely offer a Bulk billing service, as it is not sustainable to run our practice this way. However, if your family is experiencing financial hardship, and already have an existing relationship with a doctor working at AVP, then please consider applying for a concession.
Please note that any previous Bulk Bill or concession by your paediatrician is not a guarantee or indication of future Bulk Billing or concessions. Families are provided with information regarding fees in advance of appointments and should expect these fees will be billed for the service provided.
Healthcare, pension, and concession cards are not a basis on which concessions are agreed. Fees are set to cover the cost of providing a comprehensive service, however we understand that at times families may experience financial hardship. Concessions will only be considered for families who are experiencing financial difficulties who already have an established health care relationship with a doctor working from AVP.
At Ascot Vale Paediatrics, our goal is to bill the appropriate Medicare item number for each visit to ensure you receive the maximum Medicare rebate. The fees may vary depending on the complexity of your child's health issues and the number of concerns addressed during the appointment. This means that more comprehensive or complex consultations may result in a higher fee.
Medicare Safety Net aims to provide financial relief to individuals and families who face high medical costs by covering a significant portion of their out-of-pocket expenses once they reach a certain threshold within a calendar year.
The government sets specific thresholds that vary depending on the type of Medicare Safety Net. Once an individual or family’s out-of-pocket expenses reach this threshold, they become eligible for additional rebates.
After reaching the Safety Net threshold, Medicare covers 80% of the out-of-pocket expenses for eligible outpatient services, including consultations with GPs, specialists, and some allied health professionals.
Families need to register by completing the Safety Net Registration Form.
Private health insurance in Australia is limited by law to covering medical treatment costs during hospital admissions. This means that paediatric consultations, which typically occur outside of a hospital setting, are covered by Medicare rather than private health insurance.
To determine what services are covered and to what extent, you should contact your private health fund provider directly.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is not intended to cover supports or services that are more appropriately funded or provided by the health system.
Healthcare services, such as diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of health conditions, fall under the responsibility of the healthcare system and are not covered by the NDIS.