Preparing for your appointment

As soon as you know the date of your appointment

You’ll need to have a copy of your referral from your doctor. Please bring this referral to your first appointment.

1. Have your scans

Scans are a vital diagnostic tool for your treatment. Please arrange to have yours done as soon as possible, to allow time for them to be processed.

You may need to pick up your scans from a hospital or your doctor yourself. Please confirm at the time of your scan the best way for you to collect the results.

Having trouble getting copies of your scans? We may be able to help – call us on 1300 255 261.

2. Tell your support people
If you have a partner, relative or friend who you would like to be fully informed about your condition, they’re welcome to accompany you to your appointment.

You may also find it helpful to bring a written list of questions to ask.

3. Complete a Patient Information Form
After you have completed it, please scan it and email it to us at surgery@spinalsurgeon.com.au. You can also bring your completed form to your appointment if you don’t have access to a scanner. If you’ve been sent a pdf copy of the form, you can complete it electronically and email it back.

You can download a Patient Information Form here.

Returning for a follow-up appointment?
Please have your scan closer to the appointment time: 1–2 weeks prior is ideal. Remember to bring any past scans and reports as well as your most recent ones to your appointment.

Worker’s Compensation
If Workcover is involved in your case, you will need to arrange a letter stating you are pre-approved for your consultation. You can either

• bring your pre-approval letter with you on the day, or

• arrange for it to be sent to Dr Allan. If this is the case, please call our office a week before your appointment to confirm that it has been received.

If you arrive without a pre-approval letter, you will need to pay upfront for the consultation and claim it back later from your insurer.

Even with a letter, if this is a CTP matter or Comcare is your insurer, you will need to pay upfront for the consultation and claim it back later from your insurer.

3 days before your appointment

• We will send a courtesy SMS reminder 72 hours prior to your appointment

• Please respond by texting ‘Y’ to confirm your appointment

The day before your appointment

Please check that you have these items arranged:

• Patient Information Form completed and emailed back to us – or ready to bring

• All past and recent scans and reports

• A list of your current medications

• Medicare card, or Pension card, or Veterans Affairs card

• Your private health fund details, if you have private health insurance

• Your pre-approval letter, if Worker’s Compensation applies to you.

On the day of your appointment

Fees
Fees are payable at the time of consultation. Payment on the day can be made using cash, credit card (Visa or Mastercard), cheque or EFTPOS.

If you bring your Medicare card, we can claim from Medicare for you on the day.

Please note that fees are reviewed periodically and are subject to change.

For more information, please see our fees and accounts FAQs.

Non-attendance or cancellation
If you fail to attend, or cancel with less than two business days’ notice, a cancellation fee will apply. As appointments are booked months in advance, please let us know if you need to reschedule so your appointment can be offered to someone else.

Emergencies
From time to time Dr Allan is required to attend to emergencies. If this occurs on the day of your appointment we will contact you as soon as possible.