Your care is our concern
Our team will work together to provide an extensive support network through each step, including pre-surgery meetings with the surgeon and daily hospital visits by our surgical team after your operation.
Referrals
If you wish to claim Medicare rebates, you must have a valid referral from your GP or another specialist. If you do not have a valid referral, you will not be able to claim a rebate from Medicare or your health fund, and you will be liable for the full cost of your consultation and/or procedure.
Making an appointment
In most cases, once you and your GP or specialist physician have decided to seek advice or treatment from one of our surgeons, a referral will be sent through and an appointment will be made for you to see the surgeon. That appointment may be phoned through to you or sent in the mail. If we have your mobile phone number, you will receive a reminder message a few days before your appointment. If you need to change your appointment date or time, please contact us, bearing in mind that our surgeons only see patients in the clinic on certain days of the week and at certain times.
Most of the time, you won’t have to wait more than a few weeks for an appointment. If your problem is an urgent one, the referring doctor is welcome to ring Adelaide Cardiothoracic to discuss arranging an urgent appointment, if possible.
If you or your family speak a language other than English as your main language, please let us know and we will be happy to arrange the services of an interpreter in the language of your choice.
Attending your appointment
Patients can help us deliver the best possible care by following a few simple guidelines:
-
Make sure Adelaide Cardiothoracic is given or is holding a valid referral on your behalf. This will ensure you can claim Medicare rebates and inform the cardiothoracic surgeon of the background to your condition.
-
If you are attending for the first time, please arrive 15 minutes early to give time for our staff to obtain your details
-
For billing and Medicare rebate purposes it is vital you bring your Medicare, Private Insurance, and concession cards to the appointment.
-
It is very important that your cardiothoracic surgeon knows what medications you currently use. The safest way to be sure we have the correct information is to bring the medications to the appointment.
- Please be aware that your appointment may be delayed depending on the needs of other patients being seen before you.
To give you the best possible care and prepare you properly for your surgery, it is important your surgeon has a clear understanding of your current medications, your past medical history, any fears or concerns you might have and any other information that might influence your surgery. Be open and honest with your surgeon regarding everything to do with your health as this all helps towards ensuring you receive the best possible care before.
Cancellation of appointments
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please contact us to advise of the cancellation as early as possible. This allows us to make you a new appointment, and gives us the opportunity to make your vacated appointment available to another patient. Waiting times for appointments to see our surgeons can be kept to a minimum if all available appointments are made available to patients.
Billing policy
Adelaide Cardiothoracic is committed to providing quality care with a patient-focused approach. There is a fee payable at the time of your consultation with your surgeon, and there may also be a fee for a consultation with our nurse practitioner. Medicare rebates are available for these consultations, and we strive to keep your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum. Consideration will be given to providing a bulk-billed (no out-of-pocket fee) service to pensioners and concession card holders.
At this time, we are committed to providing all in-hospital procedures in private hospitals on a no-gap basis, where we deal directly with your private health fund and do not charge you any out-of-pocket expenses.
Medicare claims for consultations will be submitted electronically on your behalf by our staff at the end of your appointment. If you have registered your details with Medicare, you should receive the rebate directly into your bank account within a few working days.
If you have concerns about your ability to pay our fees, please discuss this with your surgeon.
Privacy
Patient records are protected by our compliance with all privacy legislation and the guidelines of relevant professional bodies such as the AMA.
Access to personal records
A request for access to your medical record held by Adelaide Cardiothoracic should be directed to your treating surgeon.
Complaints
Our doctors and staff are passionate about being the first choice in cardiothoracic surgery for patients and referring GP or specialist physician. We apply a culture of continuous learning and improvement to all aspects of our services, with patient wellbeing as the focus of all our actions.
If you feel there are instances where we could have done better we would welcome your feedback. Your concerns will always be treated respectfully and resolved promptly. Issues should be raised with your treating cardiothoracic surgeon or by emailing Adelaide Cardiothoracic at contact@adelaidecardiothoracic.com.au.
Contact us
Click here to go to the Contact Us page.
