Your Appointment
How to book an appointment
It is a requirement for psychiatrists to practice within their scope of expertise. Hence, Laura reviews all referrals to assess suitability for her practice. If Laura feels that your mental health concerns would be better addressed by another psychiatrist, your referring doctor will be informed. If Laura no longer has capacity to take on new patients, your referring doctor will be informed. In these circumstances, your referring doctor is responsible for seeking alternate care.
If Laura feels that she is well placed to provide psychiatric care to you, and upon reviewing your referral, you will be contacted to discuss consultation fees and book an appointment. If you have concerns, you are encouraged to follow up with your referring doctor.
If your mental health concerns worsen prior to your first appointment, please seek advice from your referring doctor. Alternatively, if you are experiencing an emergency, please contact Triple Zero (000), attend your local emergency department, or contact your local mental health psychiatric triage service. These numbers can be found in the link below.
Appointment information
Consultations are typically 45-60 minutes long depending on the type of appointment. Please allow 60 minutes for your first appointment and arrive 15 minutes early to complete any additional paperwork (including screening questionnaires).
Fees & Payments
Laura provides a private service and does not bulk bill. Fees are set according to the type and length of consultation. Payment is required on the day of consultation. Please contact the practice for information about the current fee schedule. Please note that fees are set in line with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) recommended schedule of fees.
Medicare Rebate
A Medicare rebate is available for eligible patients which will cover part of the cost of the appointment. To access this, you will need a written referral from your General Practitioner or other medical specialist. For patients that use medical services regularly, you may be eligible to register for the Extended Medicare Safety Net to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please let us know with as much notice as possible. Last minute cancellations will incur a charge of 100% of the missed consultation fee. Non-attendance at your appointment without notice will incur the full fee of the missed consultation as this can limit Laura’s ability to provide a service to other patients.
Privacy Information & Confidentiality
The health information you share with Laura and your medical record is private and confidential.
Sharing relevant health information between healthcare providers can improve quality of care for patients. Relevant information may include, but is not limited to, Laura seeking information from previous healthcare providers or important nominated people and/or sharing specific information such as your mental health diagnosis and your treatment plan with current healthcare providers or nominated people. Laura will discuss with you and seek your informed consent for this to occur.
In the situation where your safety or the safety of someone else is imminently and seriously threatened, relevant information may be shared with the authorities (for example, emergency services) and/or your nominated person under an exemption to privacy laws.