Preparing for your child’s appointment:

Read any Booking Emails we send or other information we provide & check booking, joint parenting and privacy requirements.

OUR BOOKING EMAIL.

• Please keep this at hand to check and review..

• It provides the appointment and referral details and explains the policies, requirements and responsibilities of holding the booking, attending the appointment and engaging in a healthcare relationship with your doctor.

• A Booking Email is sent each time you make or confirm an appointment.

• A Reminder Booking Email is sent 72 hours prior to your child’s appointment. Please review it to check the requirments and advise us promptly if you do not wish to keep the appointment.

Respond to our contact efforts (by SMS, email, phone) as a matter of priority.

• Following your Reminder Booking Email about 72 hours prior to your child’s appointment, we send you an SMS reminder about 48 hours prior to your appointment. Please either

  • reply Yes to the SMS to confirm receipt and acknowledge you are aware of the appointment

  • or contact us by phone or email.

  • providing sufficient notice that you no longer want the appointment allows us to re-allocate the time to a another child in need..

  • minimum notice to avoid a cancellation fee is 18 business hours.

• We may need to contact you about the appointment for other important reasons, so please take these calls or respond as requested to any message, phone call or email.

• We do not contact you unless it is necessary.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH RECORD,  ​PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN CARE AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION:

• Both parents can usually lawfully access their child's medical records until their child is 16 years old. If parents are separated, especially if estranged or conflictual, contact the practice without delay to advise the situation, provide any current court orders and obtain an information handout, Joint Parental Responsibility in Paediatric Health Care. 

• Patients 16 years or older should advise their doctor and Prosper Paediatrics if they wish to restrict, refuse or limit the previously permitted parental access and decision-making.

Provide important forms and paperwork to us well before the appointment.

CONSENT TO POLICIES FORM.: NEW PATIENTS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THIS FORM TO CONFIRM THEIR BOOKING.

• All patients should complete this form at least once per year whilst continuing care with an associated paediatrician.

• Please review the policies in the For Patients and Families section of the website and in our emails to ensure you remain up to date with and understand current policies, responsibilities and requirements.

PATIENT DEMOGRAPHIC FORM: ALL NEW PATIENTS MUST COMPLETE THIS TO CONFIRM THEIR APPOINTMENT.

• Returning patients should advise any updates to these details such as changes to addresses, parental separation, change of GP etc..

• Please alert us to joint parenting problems as soon as possible and provide any current Parenting Orders. Your doctor and their admin team need to know if parents are experiencing difficulty, conflict or estrangement in jointly parenting their child, or if a parent has not been involved or is no longer available to your child, or has died.

PATIENTS AGED 16 YEARS OR MORE

• Patients aged 16 or more should complete these forms and provide details of at least one parent or other trusted carer to be an Account-Holder, with responsibility for fee payment.

• Older patients should complete a CONSENT TO SHARE WITH FAMILY FORM and advise administrative staff or their doctor if they wish to restrict parental access to their health information at any time or regarding any matter.

please ensure as soon as possible and at least a week prior to the first appointment that the following are on file:

• your child’s current referral

  Further information is available via this link: Medicare valid referrals about

  • Medicare requirements for valid referral

  • How to check when you need to obtain a new referral.

  • Your responsibility to provide a current referral if you wish to access the advised Medicare rebates.

• the consent to policies and demographic forms.

• needed documents such as reports

• any current parenting orders.

What to expect from the consultation:

We aim to help your child enjoy their visit, experience a welcoming atmosphere and have fun with age-appropriate toys and activities.

The associated paediatrician specialists are skilled in building trust and helping your child feel at ease. They will communicate sensitively regarding your child's development and feelings and assess your child's needs and best interests in line with their professional obligations and judgement. They will speak with, observe and examine your child; ask you and your child (where possible) about their "history" (medical, developmental, social); discuss and consider your expectations, questions and concerns. Following their assessment, they will discuss their diagnosis, which may be provisional or undecided between several (differential) diagnoses. They may recommend a management plan, including further tests, reviews, therapies, or medications. Often, several appointments are needed. 

Play, reading and relaxation are important for young people and can be very helpful in indicating how a child is developing or feeling. Happy, occupied children allow parents the space to talk with their doctors.

Children enjoy building positive relationships with clinicians and staff.

Duration of Appointments

General Paediatricians and Neurology: New Patient appointments are usually about 60 minutes; standard length review appointments are usually 20 to 30 minutes; long review appointments are a minimum of 40 minutes. Many of the paediatricians request we book a long review appointment when a new referral is filed.

Neonatologist: New Patient Appointments are usually 60 minutes; review appointments are usually booked as long reviews of 45 minutes.

Endocrinologist: New Patient Appointments are 40 minutes; reviews are 20 minutes.

Your provider may change the duration of the appointment at their discretion.

Appointments may be delayed.

Providers aim to keep on time. However, your doctor may be required to attend urgently to a newborn or other unexpected clinical or other needs, resulting in a significant delay in the start time of your appointment. Please allow at least 2 hours for your visit to accommodate possible delays. If delays are expected to become very long, staff will advise if possible, and rescheduling may sometimes be the best option.