Frequently asked questions

• Do I need a referral for my appointment?
  Yes. A referral from your GP or specialist is required for your appointment. This is to ensure you can claim with Medicare and to keep your family GP up to date. Your GP referral will be valid for 12 months, whilst a specialist referral will be only valid for 3 months. Referrals need to be renewed annually.
• What should I bring to my appointment?
  • Your GP referral, Medicare card and your private health insurance details.
  • Results of any blood tests, urine tests, ultrasounds or other imaging studies ordered by your GP prior to this appointment. Please have your GP email or fax them to us or bring copies to the appointment.
  • Previous operation reports or hospital discharge summaries related to your condition.
  • A list of regular medications.
• What if I am bleeding on my appointment day?
  If you notice you are bleeding leading up to the appointment day please call us as some procedures are best re-scheduled and we will try to accommodate this promptly. If you are bleeding heavily on arrival at the rooms, please let reception staff know straight away.
• What if I cannot attend my appointment?
  You will receive a reminder prior to your appointment date. If you are no longer able to attend your appointment, please call the practice at your earliest convenience. A cancellation fee may be charged if you do not turn up to your appointment.
• What if I am running late to my appointment?
  If you are running late, please contact the practice and let us know as early as possible. We will do our best to reschedule or adjust your appointment time for your convenience.
• Is there a fee payable for the consultation?
  Yes, we are not a bulk billing practice. You will be charged a fee for your consultation and any procedures required on the day (e.g colposcopy, Mirena insertion etc). Medicare rebates do not cover the full cost of providing you with specialist medical care, however a Medicare rebate may apply for eligible patients with a valid Medicare Card. Private health insurance does not cover out-of-hospital consultations. Please contact our practice for more information if required or for fees related to specific office-based procedures.
• Do I have to hold private health insurance to see Dr Lowes?
  Private health insurance is not required for a consultation. If you do not hold private health insurance, Medicare eligible patients may be able to have surgery through the public hospital system.
• What if I need to be booked for surgery?
  The fees for surgery with Dr Lowes are dependent on your operation type and complexity. You will receive a quote and financial information from Dr Lowes before your operation is arranged. Fees for your hospital admission will depend on the hospital, your length of hospital stay, need for other services and the level of your private health insurance cover. You will need to confirm any additional co-payments or excess directly with your health fund and the hospital you are booked into. It is also important to ensure that your policy covers you for admission and procedures as a patient in a private hospital. Pregnancy and obstetric care is a common exclusion on some health insurance policies. If you have any doubts, contact your private health insurer to understand the specifics of your policy’s coverage. Anaesthetics and pathology are separate to Dr Lowes’ fees and the specialists will send you their invoice separately.
• What methods of payment do you accept?
  Our preferred method of payment is credit card or EFTPOS. We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
• Is there Parking on the Premises?
  Patient and visitor parking is available in the multi-storey car park, which is owned and operated by Wilson Parking. Parking fees are displayed at all entrances to the car park. There is also paid metered parking along Westbourne Street for up to 3 hrs. Alternatively, it is a short walk to St Leonards station and bus stops on Pacific Highway if you would like to travel by public transport.
• What if I cannot attend my appointment? Is there a cancellation policy?
  You will receive a confirmation SMS reminder from our practice 5 days prior to your appointment. If you do not have a mobile phone number on file we will email or call to confirm. Please note, this may come from a private number. If we do not receive an SMS reply from or verbal confirmation by 9am the working day prior to your appointment your appointment will be cancelled to allow access to patients on our waitlist. You will then need to call us and reschedule to the next available appointment. Please be aware the late cancellation fees (within 24hrs of appointment) or no show fees apply if you fail to attend on the day and further appointments may not be re-booked until these cancellations fees are settled.

Useful Links

On this page you will find links to external websites you may find helpful in obtaining further relevant clinical information or information regarding additional useful services. Although we make every effort to ensure these links are accurate, up to date and relevant, Dr Basia Lowes cannot take responsibility for pages maintained by external providers. If you come across any external links that don’t work, we would be grateful if you could report them to [email protected] .