Private vs Public Fees

You may choose to be a public or a private patient.

Public Hospital Patients:

Australian residents who decide to be a public patient are entitled to free treatment under Medicare. I now only work in the private sector. If you wish to be treated as a public patient, your GP can refer you to an orthopaedic outpatient clinic at a public hospital. Your treatment will be carried out by an appropriate specialist which will be arranged prior to your admission. After discharge, your care will either be continued in an outpatient clinic or you will be referred to your local general practitioner.

In the public hospital, the surgery is often performed by a registrar (doctor training in orthopaedic surgery) but the registrar is supervised by a senior surgeon who is responsible for your care.

There are no fees for surgery in the public hospital, however, there is a waiting list. Your position on the waiting list will be based on the severity of your condition. Your follow up visits after surgery will be arranged through the hospital.

Private Hospital Treatment:

In the private system, I will perform your surgery personally and will also look after you post-operatively whilst an in-patient. All follow up appointments will be in my office, or optionally via phone appointments if you live in the country. There may be a fee for your surgical treatment. The fee will depend on your level of cover. The will usually be a gap fee for your consultation because private insurance does not cover out of hospital consultations.