What to bring

• Referral
• Initial Appointment Patient Pain Questionnaire & Authority Form (please see ‘Patient downloads’ below)
• Scans, x-rays, or recent investigations & reports
• Copy of approval (if workers comp/CTP)
• Medicare & Private Health details

*Fee payable at time of appointment for all private patients EFTPOS or Credit Card. NO Surcharge on Credit Cards.

Patient Information

Patient information form for pre-consultation can now be completed online via : https://sydneyspinepain.snapforms.com.au/form/ssp-patient-authority-pik

Fees & Billing

The fee will be discussed with you when you book your appointment. If this could be settled on the day of your appointment this would be appreciated.

We electronically submit to Medicare on your behalf so the Medical rebate can be back in your bank account within days if your details are up to date with Medicare.

If you have a current Workers Compensation or motor vehicle accident insurance claim the fee may be covered by your insurer. Please be sure to obtain approval prior to attending the clinic otherwise you will need to pay the fee on the day and claim it back from your insurer.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible. Given that clinic and clinician time is valuable, cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment will incur a cancellation fee equal to the consultation fee. If you cancel more than once with less than 48 hours notice we may ask you to pre-pay for future appointments.

What to expect on the day

Your first consultation is an assessment and will most likely be with a pain specialist, who is a medical doctor with advanced training in pain management. The appointment will be between forty-five minutes and one hour. Your doctor will talk with you about the centre and how we can help. They will also find out what you hope to gain from coming to us. They will then conduct a thorough medical assessment. This involves taking a history of your pain and asking you questions about work, family, your psychological history, and so on. This is so your doctor can better understand you and the impact of your pain, so that the centre can develop a comprehensive treatment plan for you.

At the end of the assessment your doctor will make some recommendations. This may involve some initial medication treatment, and will also most likely involve you seeing other members of the team. After these assessments are complete we will develop a comprehensive treatment plan.

After the first session your doctor will write a letter to the person that referred you to us. If you see other members of the team they will also write similar letters.

Please understand that sometimes people are seen who have acute medical problems that need immediate attention. In addition, the nature of chronic pain means that people attending the clinic can be running late, sometimes because of their pain or sometimes because they come a long way to see us. These issues can mean that your doctor may be running late on the day of your appointment. Please allow extra time when you come to see us and please be patient. Your doctor wants to ensure that everyone, including you, gets effective and appropriate help.