Consultation FAQs

• Sydney Shoulder Unit Main Rooms at Edgecliff are open from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
• Appointments can be made (at the location of your choice: Edgecliff, Olympic Park, Sutherland Shire, Macquarie St or Telehealth) by contacting our Main Rooms on (02) 9215 6100 during business hours (or via email admin@drpant.com.au).
• Alternately, please submit the online appointment request and our staff will contact you to arrange an appointment. SSU staff will generally get back to you the same day.

For your first appoint please bring with you the following:

• Valid current GP referral (if you wish to claim your Medicare rebate)
• Medicare Card
• Health Fund details (if applicable)
• Hard copy of any shoulder imaging and reports (X-ray, CT, and MRI)
• Any other communication you have received about your shoulder from other doctors/surgeons/physiotherapists
• If you are a Worker’s Compensation or CTP patient then please bring your claim number and case manager details with you
  
• You may complete the “Patient Information” and “Shoulder Score” forms prior to your appointment; or alternatively, please arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow sufficient time to complete those on the day.

• The cost of the initial consultation is $250 (Medicare rebate of $76.15)
• Review consultation is $150 (Medicare rebate of $38.60)

• If your consultation is approved prior then the account will be sent directly to the insurance company and there is no cost to you
• However, you are welcome to seek consultation prior to approval, however, you will need to settle the account on the day of your appointment (at WorkCover/CTP rates).

Yes, we do. Please enquire about this when you make your appointment.

• Edgecliff
• Olympic Park
• Sutherland Shire
• Macquarie St (CBD)
• Telehealth

Please note that Dr Pant values your time and usually runs to time. Very occasionally, he will run late or be held up in surgery – for that we apologise.

• Edgecliff
  • If travelling by train, take the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line towards Bondi Junction to Edgecliff station. Take the escalators from the station and exit at New South Head Road and turn left. Walk approximately 20 metres to 203-233 New South Head Road in the Edgecliff centre. Our rooms are on Level 2, Suite 211.
• Olympic Park
  • If travelling by train, Olympic Park railway station is an approximately 500 metre walk from the consulting rooms..
• Sutherland Shire
  • A bus stop and taxi rank are located on the Kingsway. Please telephone Transport Infoline on 13 1500 for bus routes and timetables. These are also available at the Kareena Private Hospital Main Reception.
• Macquarie St (CBD)

  • Martin Place, St James, and Circular Quay. All within 10 – 15 minutes walk from BMA House.

• You do NOT need a GP referral to see Dr Pant; however, to be able to claim the Medicare rebate you DO need a valid current GP referral. The referral from your GP also helps to provide Dr Pant with relevant clinical information regarding your health and to include them in your shoulder care. Dr Pant also works closely with Physiotherapists and is happy to communicate with them to enhance your recovery; however a referral from your physiotherapist will not be sufficient for you to claim your Medicare rebate
• Medicare stipulates that GP referrals are valid for 12 months and Specialist referrals are valid for 3 months. Please note that your GP cannot backdate referrals by law.

• This depends on how far along your shoulder investigation journey you are. If you are at the initial stages then it is best Dr Pant sees you, takes a history, completes the examination so that appropriate imaging can be arranged (as not all patients require MRI imaging).
• However, if you have already been thoroughly investigated (or you are a country patient) then it may be preferable for you to have a MRI prior to your consultation. If this is of interest to you please mention this to the SSU staff at the time of booking your appointment and we can make arrangements if appropriate.
• Unnecessary radiological investigations (x-ray and CT ) do increase your risk of radiation; so we aim to use these judiciously.

• Dr Pant can access most imaging providers online
• Please notify SSU staff with which imaging provider you have had your scan and the online access will be organised by us.
• In the event your scan has been done at a smaller provider you will need to bring the hard copes or CD and the report with you to your consultation.
• Please note that a report alone is not sufficient to make an accurate diagnosis. Dr Pant provides a thorough and considered shoulder service and will need to review the images himself and demonstrate the findings to you at the time of your consultation. It is the combination of a careful history, examination, imaging review and discussion with you that leads to better advice and improved surgical care.

Please wear something comfortable to your consultation and be mindful of the need to examine your shoulder. For men, a shirt that is easy to take on and off is ideal; and for women, a singlet underneath allows for easier shoulder examination.

• At Sydney Shoulder Unit we look after many patients outside of Sydney and can guide you through the process of arranging your consultation with Dr Pant. This can be in person or via Telehealth using video.
• Please note we offer Telehealth to all country patients who find this a convenient option – because seeking a shoulder specialist to provide an opinion should be available to all regardless of their geography.
• In many cases much of the initial assessment and Imaging can be organised electronically. Dr Pant is able to access your imaging remotely and carefully review your scans with you. If the diagnosis is clear at that point and surgery is recommended then plans for this can be made. In some cases the final “in person” examination is done on the day of surgery and minor adjustments are made to the nature of any surgery that has been previously planned. For more complex cases, we recommend you travel to Sydney the day prior for assessment.
• We aim to streamline your surgical admission and minimise your hospital stay. Most of your follow-up can be arranged again via Telehealth, requiring no further visits to the city. We have looked after and helped many regional patients who seek specialist shoulder care in this way.

• If you are not in a health fund then you have three options:
  1. See a public surgeon and be placed on a public waitlist (often 1-2 years); the procedure is carried out in a teaching hospital by training surgeons. The follow up is generally in public outpatients by junior doctors. There is no cost to you with this option and Australia has a very good level of health care.
  2. Self-fund for your treatment by the surgeon of your choosing at your preferred private hospital. This allows you immediate access to surgical care (often weeks) and follow up in the private rooms by the operating surgeon whom you have personally selected. A competitive quote is provided that clearly outlines the costs associated with your care. Please note that a proportion of the surgical fee does attract a rebate via Medicare. For short stay and overnight procedures the cost is becoming more affordable.
  3. Take out health insurance and wait 12 months to access surgical care for pre-existing conditions. When taking out new health cover, be sure to choose your policy carefully and take note of any exclusions that may apply to you. Beware of polices that only cover you as a private patient in a public hospital. Some policies allow you to access private treatment if you suffer an accident during your 12 month waiting period.