An appointment with a Paediatrician requires a referral from your doctor.
A medical referral helps specialist doctors provide care for your child.
PLEASE NOTE:
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.
Ideally the referral should be provided by a GP who knows the child well.
The referral should provide as much information as possible about why the appointment has been requested.
It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure you have a valid medical referral for the child to ensure eligibility for Medicare rebates. If you do not have a valid referral at the time of the consultation, the appointment can proceed but you will not be eligible for a Medicare rebate.
Please ensure the referral has the patient’s current address and contact details.
GP referrals are valid for 12 months from the date when they are first used.
Specialist referrals are only valid for 3 months.
Medicare does not permit GPs or Specialists to backdate any referral or to request a backdated referral.
It is recommended that families obtain a current referral at least 7 days prior to the appointment date and preferably at the time of booking to avoid any issues.
If you are unsure of your referral status, our reception staff will be able to advise.
Indefinite Referrals
Ascot Vale Paediatrics do not encourage indefinite referrals
Indefinite referrals are problematic when treating our patients with complex needs and do not allow for the best possible care of your child.
Medicare rules do not allow an indefinite referral to be used for a condition not included on the referral. For example, If the child has indefinite referral for ASD but discussion is required about headaches, sleep issues, eating issues, or any new onset issues, you should supply a new referral from your GP. We also acknowledge and encourage the important role that your GP will provide in the collaborative care for your child and they should always be consulted first about any new condition.
A new referral will generally be required every 12 months for most of the children we see and a longer (45 minute) appointment will be booked and billed.
Referral Letter Requirements
The following information is required to support good continuity of care
- Addressed to Ascot Vale Paediatrics or to a specific paediatrician
- Shows the name of the referring doctor, their practice address and provider number
- Specifies the reason for the referral (as much information as possible about each issue which requires discussion)
- Dated and signed by the referring doctor, no later than the day of the appointment
- Be provided prior to the appointment
Please note that it is your responsibility to check that the GP who wrote the referral is still practising at the same location where they wrote the referral. If not, the referral will be invalid.
Medicare only recognises referrals from Registered Medical Practitioners. Letters from your clinical psychologist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, educator often have great clinical value but cannot be used as a Medicare referral.
We do encourage you to send additional relevant information from your child’s treatment team prior to their appointment, which may be useful for the Doctor treating your child.