There are a few things to note about your appointment at North West Eyes
Yes. To be able to claim a rebate from Medicare you need a referral from your General Practitioner/Specialist or Optometrist. In most cases this will last for 12 months and the staff will inform you when you will need to obtain a new one if you require follow-up care.
Your consultation at North West Eyes is partially covered by Medicare rebate, not by private health insurance. If you have private health insurance for hospital, this will cover you for most hospital admissions that may be necessary. If you have extras cover for glasses, your health fund will then cover some of the cost.
Appointments can be made between the hours of 8.30am and 4.00pm from Monday to Friday,
To make an appointment please telephone (02) 6766 3944. Please request which doctor you wish to see at the time of booking, It is sometimes helpful to know the nature of your problem to determine the urgency of the appointment. Your understanding and patience in this regard is appreciated.
At your initial visit you will be required to complete a patient registration form. Please bring your referral letter, Medicare, Veterans Affairs, Pension, Health Care and Private Health insurance cards. At each visit you should also bring a list of your current medications and allergies, details of your GP and optometrist, as well as your current glasses/spectacles or contact lenses.
It is advised that you do not drive yourself to the appointment as eye drops, which dilate your pupils, are usually used at each visit to allow the doctor to examine inside your eyes.
This means that you will have blurred vision and you will be sensitive to bright lights for 3-4 hours. It is best to wait until your vision returns to normal before you drive. It is also beneficial to bring a pair of sunglasses with you as this will reduce problems with glare and bright lights.
You will initially an Ophthalmic Assistant who will conduct basic eye tests and perform relevant investigations of your eyes. You will then see your Ophthalmologist who will look at the results, examine your eyes and discuss treatment options with you. Some treatment is performed on the same day but other treatment may need day-case surgery which will be discussed with you.
Yes. An account will be issued on the day of your visit and it is expected that all accounts will be settled on the day of consultation. You will be advised of consultation fees when you make an appointment. However we do not always know what extra testing may be required, and this may involve extra fees.
The staff will inform you of this on the day if needs be. Rebates for consultations and most tests can be claimed from Medicare, provided you have a current referral. If your consultation is to be covered by either a WorkCover or TAC claim, insurers contact details, a claim number and the case manager’s name must be provided at the time of your consultation. For a WorkCover patient who may require elective surgery, please note that a request to proceed with surgery must be given to the insurer. Written confirmation regarding the status of the claim must be received before the hospital will agree to proceed with your surgery.
Cash, cheques, EFTPOS and credit cards (Mastercard and Visa) are all accepted. We can transmit your claim to Medicare electronically on the day of your visit to claim the rebate for you. Please check that Medicare has your bank details so the rebate can be credited into your account, usually within 24 hours.
There is kerb-side car parking outside North West Eyes. There is also a handicapped parking area to the right-hand side of the clinic. There is wheelchair access to the clinic.
Established patients should contact the office with the usual office number. New patients with an urgent problem should ask their referring practitioner or optometrist to contact the office directly to arrange an emergency appointment with the most appropriate doctor.
If you are unable to contact the office and you require urgent medical attention, you should contact the Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital on (02) 6767 7700 and speak with the Emergency Department.