At Australian Eye Specialists, we would like your experience with us to be as friendly, efficient and professional as possible. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please ensure you bring them with you to your appointments.
To help you prepare for your appointment, please read through the information below carefully.
Referral to our clinic
To be able to see an Ophthalmologyst you are required to have a valid referrral for the date of consultation. Referrals can be received from another specialist (please note these referrals are only valid for 3 months), an Optometrist or a Medical Practitioner (these referrals are valid for 12 months from the date of consultation).
Without a referral, you cannot claim a rebate from Medicare or for any procedures from your private health insurance. You will be required to pay in full on the day for any costs associated with your appiontment, that may include investigations, pathology tests, radiology, etc.
On arrival, please provide your referral letter to our friendly receptionist.
Initial appointment
At your initial appointment you will be seen by an Orthoptist as well as the Ophthalmologists. The Orthoptists may take your medical history, perform some examinations/investigations prior to you seeing the Ophthalmologist.
Please allow up to 90 minutes for your initial consultation.
From time to time, our Ophthalmologist may be delayed due to unforseen circumstances due to previous patient’s consultations. You are welcome to phone our centre between one hour to fifteen minutes prior to your appointment to check if your Ophthalmologist is running on time or has been delayed.
As you eyes may be dilated, they will be sensitive to light and you should bring a pair of sunglasses with you. You will not be able to drive if your eye(s) have been dilated as your vision will be affected. It is recommended that you bring a carer (who is over the age of 18, has a valid drivers license, is not on L Plates or requires supervision, etc) with you to ensure you get home safely.
Please ensure that you bring your referral with you to the appointment including a list of your current medications and any previous relevant investigations.
If you have registered your mobile number with us, we will send you an SMS reminder approximately 48 hours prior to your appointment. If you do not want us to send an SMS reminder, please advise the reception staff that you would like to “opt out” of this service.
Our centres are private billing and we do offer a discount on some consultations for pensioners. However, this is at the sole discretion of the Ophthalmologist. Payment for consultation, investigations, etc is required at the time of the appointment. Please ensure you have appropriate funds available for payment.
Review or follow-up appointments
Depending on your eye condition you may or may not be required to have further examinations or investigations with our Orthoptists prior to seeing the Ophthalmologist. Generally, review/follow-up appointments are approximately 15 minutes in duration. However, if you need tests performed by the Orthoptist first, your appointment could take up to 45-60 minutes.
From time to time, our Ophthalmologist may be delayed due to unforseen circumstances due to previous patient consultations. You are welcome to phone our centres one hour to fifteen minutes prior to your appointment to check if your Ophthalmologist is running on time or has been delayed.
As you eyes may be dilated, they will be sensitive to light and you should bring a pair of sunglasses with you. You will not be able to drive if your eye(s) have been dilated as your vision will be affected. It is recommended that you bring a carer (who is over the age of 18, has a valid drivers license, not on L Plates, does not require supervision, etc) with you to ensure you get home safely.
Please ensure that your referral is valid for the date of your follow up/review appointment(s). If you are unsure, please check with the reception staff at the time of making your appointment.
If you have registered your mobile number with us, we will send you an SMS reminder approximately 48 hours prior to your appointment. If you do not want us to send an SMS reminder, please advise the reception staff that you would like to “opt out” of this service.
Our centres are private billing and we do offer a discount on some consultations for pensioners. However, this is at the sole discretion of the Ophthalmologist. Payment for consultation, investigations, etc is required at the time of the appointment. Please ensure you have appropriate funds available for payment.
Your medical history
Your Ophthalmologist needs to know your complete medical history to plan the best treatment. It is important that you fully disclose all health problems, previous operations, allergies (including for medications), symptoms and medical risks you have or may have had in the past, family medical history.
Some health problems interfere with surgery, anaesthesia and care after surgery. Please ensure you tell the Ophthalmologist if you:
- Have every had an allergy or bad reaction to antibiotics, sedatives, anaesthetic drugs or any other medicine, including aspirin
- Bleed heavily when you are injured or have surgery
- Have any blood disorder, such as haemophilia
Medications
At your initial appointment, and at each follow-up appointment, you must tell us of any medications you are prescribed or any changes to medications occurring between your appointments.
Please provide us with a list of the following:
- Prescription medicines including any eye drops, injections or tablets
- Over-the-counter medicines
- Nutritional supplements or herbal preparations
Please let your Ophthalmologist know what medications you are currently taking or have previously taken (in the last 3 months).
If you are having surgery, please seek your Ophthalmologist and treating practitioner advice about whether to stop Aspirin therapy prior to any surgery.
Have a driver or carer collect you after your appointment
We want you to get home safely. We recommend that you have a driver or carer collect you after your appointment because your vision may be blurred from the application of dilating eye drops.
Your driver or carer must be over 18 and have a valid driver's license.