Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral to see a specialist?
A referral assists our doctor in understanding your medical concern and obtain information about any results or investigations completed by your GP along with your current medications. A valid referral is also required if you wish to obtain a Medicare or DVA rebate for your consultation and any surgery that is booked. A valid referral is to be provided prior to booking your appointment. Please visit your GP to discuss the need to see an ENT Specialist and determine which specialist is most suitable for your medical concern. Referrals are to be addressed to the appropriate ENT Specialist. Refer HERE for more information
Can the doctor see me as a public patient?
Perth ENT Centre is a private clinic and therefore we do not offer public appointments. If you prefer to be treated as a public patient, we recommend discussing this with your GP. In some instances an ENT doctor can refer you to the public hospital system for surgery however it does not guarantee your surgery will be fast tracked. In the public hospital system, your surgery is conducted by the ENT surgeon on duty on the day and therefore you cannot nominate your choice of ENT Surgeon.
If you are already on a public waitlist, please be advised that our rooms do not have access to the waitlist and therefore are unable to provide you with information on wait times. The hospital will notify you when an appointment or surgical date is available. You must contact the relevant hospital if you require information on your current status.
What are the costs for a consultation with an ENT specialist?
Your consultation will consist of a consultation fee plus any other investigations completed on the day. For example purposes only:
-
For an ear condition, a consult fee and a hearing test may apply
-
For sinus/nasal/throat/voice/tonsil/adenoid issue, a consult fee and a nasoscope or stroboscope (small camera) fee may apply
-
For ear and tonsils/adenoids a consult fee, hearing test and a nasoscope (small camera) may apply
-
For a Voice Clinic - a consult fee, stroboscope fee and speech pathologist fee may apply
The doctor will determine the appropriate investigations or treatments that are to be conducted during your appointment, therefore it is difficult for our team to provide you with a complete estimate of fees at the time of booking. We do provide an estimated schedule of fees as determined by the individual doctors, within your appointment letter as a guide, so you are prepared for the final account on the day.
Please note that we are not a Bulk Billing Service. We also strictly do not accept Workers Compensation or Motor Vehicle accident claims and reserve the right to refuse referrals that do not meet the ENT doctors scope of practice.
What should I bring with me to the appointment?
We prefer to receive all information relating to your medical concern prior to the appointment from your referring doctor, fax or email so that it is on your clinical record for the doctor to review. However, make sure on the day that you bring your Medicare card, Health Fund or concession cards with you in addition to any other medical reports you feel are relevant.
English is not my first language, can you provide a translator?
If you do not have a responsible adult who can attend the appointment, we can organise a translator at no cost to you. At the time of booking the appointment, please let us know that you require a translator and the preferred language. The translator is booked to attend the practice for the period when you are due to arrive till the completion of your visit.
Do you have parking nearby?
Subiaco: there is no free parking available in Subiaco and the majority of parking stations including our basement, are controlled by Wilson Parking. We recommend downloading and using the Wilson Parking app to make your parking experience easier. Appointments can at times run late depending on patient needs on the day. In this instance we always recommend you pay for parking with this in mind as the parking inspectors are frequently checking the parking stations.
Jandakot: parking is free and onsite ( This site is currently closed)
Karrinyup: The building does not provide for visitor parking so we ask patients please do not attempt to park under the building. Plenty of open air free parking is available at the shopping centre across the road and on side streets. We recommend you allow extra time to obtain parking before arriving for your appointment.
Please find more information about parking options HERE
What will my surgery cost and can I have an estimate of fees?
An itemised estimate of surgery is provided following your appointment with your ENT Specialist. As individual ENT specialists may have their own preferred course of treatment for your medical concern, so will the estimate of costs vary. For this reason we do not provide any estimates of surgery prior to an appointment. The doctor will determine the estimated cost post appointment.
The doctors are currently registered with health funds as "Known Gap" providers. The Doctors do not offer "No Gap" surgical options.
Your surgical cost will always consist of 3 accounts:
-
The Doctors fee for performing your surgery. The Doctors out of pocket cost must be paid to the practice prior to surgery being confirmed. All doctors are KNOWN GAP ( they do not offer no gap surgery), therefore all surgical accounts will include an out of pocket cost for patients with appropriate health insurance. If you are self insured or uninsured (including some health funds), you will be required to pay the full account prior to surgery.
-
Anaesthetist Fee: The details of the anaesthetist will be provided to you when booking surgery and we recommend you contact their rooms to determine their fee and method of payment. Many will expect their fee to be paid prior to surgery and are only contactable via email.
-
The Hospital will collect from you the out of pocket or Excess Fee determined by your Health Fund policy. If you are uninsured or self insured then the hospital may request payment of the account in full before surgery. This fee covers the cost of you being admitted to the hospital and the services the hospital provides for your care.
We remind patients that our staff do not have the ability to check if your health fund insurance covers your surgery. This is solely your responsibility and we recommend patients contact their insurer with the item numbers provided in your estimate of fees as soon as possible so you can confirm your coverage. As a general rule, you must have hospital cover (not ancillary). If you have been with your fund for less than 12 months or have downgraded your insurance, you may not be covered for surgery.
How do I know when to admit to hospital for my or my childs surgery?
Prior to your surgery, the doctors secretary will email you a detailed surgical pack. Within the cover letter will contain all information relating to fasting and how to obtain your admission instructions. This information does vary depending on the hospital and even the anesthetist attending your surgery. Please read the letter provided carefully so you understand what will happen. In most cases your fasting and admission times will be advised to you the day prior to your surgery by phone and these calls can arrive at any time that day into the early evening so we do recommend patients keep their phones handy and answer calls so that you are able to receive this important information.
Can I or my child still have surgery if they are unwell?
We recommend you contact our nursing team to discuss the nature of the illness. In many cases surgery can still proceed and the illness may be the reason for the surgery in the first place. Our nursing team will advise you if it is safe to proceed with surgery or if it is advisable to reschedule. The anaesthetist will in most cases have the final say.
When is my post operative appointment?
All post operative appointments are booked at the time of arranging your surgery and will be contained in your surgical letter discussed above. Depending on the type of surgery you have, post operative appointments will be between 2 and 8 weeks post surgery once sufficient recovery time has passed. At times a hospital may ask you to contact the practice on discharge to book your appointment. We ask that you please refer to your surgical letter issued by our rooms to obtain this information before ringing the rooms. You may also receive a post operative call from our nursing team to check on your recovery post surgery. This is a good opportunity to ask any questions you may about your recovery. Our team is always available if you have a concern about your recovery.
How do I obtain my blood or pathology results?
Please call our nursing team to discuss your results. We recommend you wait at least a week to call our rooms as some results can take some time to be processed by the laboratories. Preferably, these results will be discussed in your booked post operative appointment.
Some of the tissue pathology tests can take between 2 - 3 weeks to be processed. Your doctor will make a follow up appointment to discuss these results or advise you to call the nurses if appropriate. Results must be discussed with the doctor or nursing team prior to copies being made available to you. Your GP will also receive a copy of the results.
How do I obtain my radiology scan results?
Your doctor will make a follow up appointment to discuss these results with you or advise you to contact the nursing team if appropriate. Results must be discussed with the doctor or nursing team prior to copies being made available to you.
Where can I obtain more information about my surgery or post operative care?
The doctor will discuss surgery and post operative care with you during your appointment prior to surgery being booked. The doctor may also provide you with leaflets or brochures pertaining to your surgery. You can also refer to HERE in our website for general information about your surgery. We understand that it can be overwhelming to understand recommended treatment and surgery and you may have more questions before you decide to book surgery. That is ok! Our Nursing team are more than happy to assist you and explain the surgery and post operative care with you.
Myself or my child have been recommended to use earplugs post surgery. Do you provide them for sale?
Yes we do offer a standard range of premade ear plugs and headbands for children specifically for keeping water out of the ears, which come in a range of sizes and are a cheaper option for short term use. Please ring our Nursing Team to arrange a fitting as bookings are required. We strongly recommend you organise ear plugs before the day of surgery as children often do not tolerate ear plug fittings immediately post surgery.
Kidshear offer custom made plugs called Instafit Plugs. These are made onsite following a mould of the ear being taken and coated in a silicon finish in a range of colours. These plugs will last much longer than premade plugs and can be recoated and adjusted as your child grows. Appointments at Subiaco or Karrinyup are a must as you will need to allow at approximately 30 minutes (per set) for the plugs to be moulded and coated ready to take home on the same day. These are also suitable for adults. All appointments for moulded plugs are to be prepaid at the time of booking.