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Your first appointment

Your first appointment is a specialist consultation at the Mount Lawley rooms, involving a thorough review of your pain and medical history. You need a referral from a GP or specialist to be seen. No procedure happens on the first day — the appointment is for working out what is driving your pain and agreeing a plan.

Do I need a referral?

Yes. A referral is required both to be seen and for you to claim a Medicare rebate. Referrals from a GP are valid for 12 months; referrals from another specialist are valid for 3 months. Your doctor can send the referral by Healthlink (EDI: painmdwa), fax (08 6114 0717) or email (admin@painmedicinewa.com). Once it arrives, the practice will contact you to arrange a time.

If your care is under a WorkCover WA or ICWA claim, tell the practice when booking — pre-approved funding must be confirmed with your insurer before your appointment. Approval generally takes around two weeks and can take longer, so mention your claim as early as possible. If a claim is not disclosed until the day of the appointment, payment in full is required on the day, and you can then seek reimbursement from your insurer.

How long will I wait for an appointment?

Routine appointments are generally available within two to four weeks, though this varies with availability. If your referring doctor considers your situation urgent, urgent assessment can be supported — ask them to mark the referral accordingly or to call the rooms. Referrals for cancer pain are prioritised.

What should I bring?

• Your referral, if it hasn't already been sent — referrals should be emailed to the practice before your appointment is confirmed
• A list of your current medications and doses — or simply bring the boxes
• Any blood tests, scans or reports relevant to your pain, or the details of where they were done
• Your Medicare card, private health fund details, and any WorkCover WA / ICWA claim details
• Payment for the consultation — EFTPOS, debit or credit card; cash is accepted but change cannot be given
• If it helps, a short written note of what you most want from the appointment

If English is not your preferred language, or you have hearing, vision, mobility or other access needs, let the practice know when booking so arrangements can be made. You are welcome to bring a family member, carer or support person.

What happens during the appointment?

Dr Martin will take a detailed history: how the pain began, how it has changed, what makes it better and worse, what has already been tried and what happened with each treatment. He will ask about how the pain affects your function, sleep, mood and work — because these both influence pain and are affected by it. A physical examination follows, focused on the painful region and your nervous system, and any imaging you bring is reviewed alongside it.

At the end, Dr Martin will explain what he thinks is driving your pain and talk through the options — what each involves, what it can realistically achieve, and what he would suggest as the next step. Where the honest answer is that a procedure is unlikely to help, he will say so, and the plan will focus on what is more likely to make a difference.

What will NOT happen at the first appointment?

No injection or procedure is performed on the day. If a procedure is likely to help, it is planned and booked separately, at one of the private hospitals, so you have time to consider it and ask questions. You will not be asked to make any decision on the spot.

What happens afterwards?

A letter goes to your referring doctor summarising the assessment and the plan. If a procedure has been agreed, the rooms will contact you with the booking details, the hospital information and the costs — in writing, before anything goes ahead. If the plan involves other clinicians — a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or psychologist — the referrals and coordination are arranged.

Where is the appointment?

Consultations are at 13 Grosvenor Road, Mount Lawley. Parking is available next to the clinic in a one-hour free car park, and there is free street parking outside the clinic.

The rooms are fully wheelchair accessible, and disabled parking is available both at the front of the clinic and in the car park next to it.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time. The practice aims to run on time, but occasionally runs behind — please allow at least an hour for a new appointment.

Can I have my appointment by telehealth?

Telehealth consultations are available for rural and remote patients, so distance from Perth need not delay assessment. Ask for a telehealth appointment when booking. Where a procedure is subsequently planned, it takes place at one of the Perth private hospitals.

Payment and cancellations

Payment is expected at the time of consultation, by EFTPOS, debit or credit card (cash accepted, but exact amounts only — change cannot be given). A fee schedule is supplied on booking, prior to your consultation, so you know the amounts in advance.

If you cannot attend, please call at least one full working day ahead. A fee may apply where less than 24 hours' notice is given — late notice means another person in pain misses the chance to take your place.

What does it cost?

Consultations are billed privately with a Medicare rebate where applicable. A fee schedule is supplied on booking, prior to your consultation — see the Fees and billing page for how billing works, including no-gap arrangements for procedures in hospital.

This page provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. In a medical emergency, call 000.

Reviewed by Dr Chris Martin, Consultant Pain and Rehabilitation Physician.