Paediatrician Melbourne is a specialist paediatric clinic dedicated to caring for children.

• Consultation Attendance: Medicare requires that the child be present during the consultation.

• Doctor’s Referral:

  • A valid doctor’s referral is necessary to claim a Medicare rebate.

  • Referrals are valid for 12 months, so a new referral will need to be obtained from your local doctor after this period.

• Appointment Scheduling:

  • Appointments are triaged based on urgency.

  • Initial consultations typically last 45–60 minutes.

  • Review appointments are usually 30–45 minutes, depending on the complexity and time required.

  • Babies under 12 months are prioritised and may be placed on a cancellation list in addition to the next available appointment.

• Cancellation List:

  • Patients on the cancellation list may be offered appointments on short notice (1–2 days).

  • If you no longer need an appointment, please inform us so we can offer it to another family.

• Booking Fee: A non-refundable $100 booking fee applies for new appointments. This fee will be deducted from the cost of your first appointment.

• Medical Reports:

  • A copy of the medical report will typically be emailed to the address you provide.

  • If you do not wish to receive your report via email, please let us know.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Consultations:

  • Some doctors uses Lyrebird Health AI software during consultations to record and transcribe discussions in real time.

  • Please notify us if you prefer not to have this transcription software used during your consultation.

• Pre-Appointment Preparation:

  • To streamline your visit, please complete the attached registration form before your appointment.

• Paediatricians in Victoria are required by law (under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005) to report to Child Protection (part of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing – DFFH) if they form a reasonable belief that a child:

  • has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm from physical injury or sexual abuse, and

  • their parents/carers are unable or unwilling to protect them.

  This is called mandatory reporting. It applies to all doctors and certain other professionals. The goal is to keep children safe and help families get support when needed.

  Most consultations are completely private and confidential. Reporting only happens in rare cases where there is serious concern for a child's safety.

Paediatrician Melbourne: Important Information for Patients

1. About Us: Paediatrician Melbourne is a private specialist clinic dedicated to providing care for children and their families.

2. Fees:

   • Individual paediatricians’ fees will be provided via email upon booking your appointment.

   • A valid GP referral is required to claim Medicare rebate. GP referrals usually last 12 months and new referrals will be required afterwards or for any new issues.

   • Fees are reviewed annually to account for inflation.

   • Payment is required on the day of your consultation.

   • Future appointments and reports will not be issued until the account is fully paid.

3. Payment Options:

   • Credit card and EFTPOS facilities are available.

   • EFTPOS/Cheque/Savings Transactions: No additional fee.

   • Credit Card Surcharges:

     • Visa/Mastercard: 1.1%

     • American Express: 1.65%

4. Referrals and Medicare Rebates:

   • A referral from a general practitioner (GP) is required to claim a Medicare rebate for specialist consultations.

   • GP referrals are typically valid for 12 months.

   • Without a valid GP referral, Medicare rebates may not be claimable.

5. Bulk Billing and Fee Reduction:

   • Paediatrician Melbourne does not offer bulk billing or reduced fees.

   • For free services, please ask your GP for a referral to a public hospital or publicly funded clinic.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for further assistance.

After your appointment, copy of the medical report will usually be emailed to the email address you have provided us with. Please let us know if you do NOT wish to receive emailed copy of the medical report.

Your paediatrician will decide if a script, allergy plan, additional forms, letters and reports can be provided without an in-clinic appointment.

A $20 fee applies to all scripts and all allergy plans requested outside of appointments.

A $50 fee applies to any outside of appointment reports, letters or forms.

Cancellations

• SMS Reminder: You will receive a courtesy SMS reminder for your next appointment 7 days in advance.

• Cancellation List: We maintain a waiting list for cancellations. If you are unable to attend your appointment, please notify us as soon as possible so we can offer the slot to another child.

• Rescheduling Responsibility: It is the family’s responsibility to contact us to reschedule any appointments.

• Late Cancellation Fee: A fee of $100.00 will be charged for appointments not cancelled at least 48 hours in advance.

• Unconfirmed Appointments: If we do not receive confirmation from you within 48 hours prior to your appointment, it will be cancelled and offered to another patient.

• First Appointment Booking Fee: The first appointment booking fee is non-refundable.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us provide timely care for all our patients.

Special Interests of Dr. Ania

In addition to her general paediatric practice, Dr. Ania has a special interest in assessing and managing:

• Food Reactions: Including food intolerances and food allergies (both IgE and non-IgE mediated, as well as FPIES).

• Anaphylaxis

• Eczema

• Asthma

• Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever)

• Insect Sting Reactions and Other Allergic Reactions

• Drug Allergy

• Urticaria (Hives)

Skin Prick Testing: Dr. Ania may perform skin prick testing during your appointment if clinically indicated.

Skin Prick Testing Information

Purpose: Skin prick tests are used to assist in the diagnosis and follow-up of immediate food allergies. Not all food reactions require skin prick testing.

What to Expect:

• Skin prick tests feel similar to mosquito bites and itch just as much!

• The procedure takes about 5 minutes, with results available within 15 minutes.

• Tests are typically performed on a child’s back to prevent scratching.

Common Food Allergens: Most food allergies are triggered by a limited number of foods for which commercial extracts are available. This includes:

• Milk

• Soy

• Peanuts

• All tree nuts

Testing for Less Common Food Allergens: If there are concerns about allergies to less common foods (e.g., fruits, meats, fish, or shellfish), please bring a small portion of the specific food to your appointment for testing.

Preparation for the Skin Prick Test

1. Avoid Moisturiser:

   • Do not apply moisturiser to your child’s back on the day of the appointment, as this is where the test will be performed.

   • You may continue using creams on other parts of the body if needed.

2. Avoid Antihistamines:

   • Do not give your child antihistamines for at least 4 days prior to the appointment, as they interfere with test results.

   • This includes medications such as:

     • Zyrtec

     • Claratyne

     • Aerius

     • Phenergan

     • Polaramine

     • Vallergan

     • Demazin

     • Dimetapp

3. Continue Other Medications:

   • All other medications, including asthma medications and nasal sprays, should be continued as usual.

When Skin Prick Testing Cannot Be Performed

Skin prick tests cannot be performed if your child:

• Has taken oral antihistamines within the last 4 days.

• Has a febrile illness.

• Has acute asthma requiring Ventolin within 48 hours of the appointment.

• Had an anaphylactic reaction in the past 6–8 weeks.

Rescheduling

If your child:

• Is unwell with a febrile illness.

• Has acute asthma.

• Has taken oral antihistamines within 4 days of the appointment.

Please contact us to reschedule the appointment.

By following these guidelines, we can ensure accurate and reliable test results for your child.

Dr Ania Hargrove – Privacy Policy and Fees Information

1. Introduction

Dr Ania Hargrove (“I”, “me”, “my”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of children and their families. This Privacy Policy explains how personal and health information is collected, used, stored and disclosed, and how parents or legal guardians may access and correct that information.

This policy applies to all personal and health information collected by Dr Ania Hargrove in the provision of paediatric medical services and is available free of charge.

2. Whose Information Is Collected

Information collected includes:

• Personal and health information about children

• Contact and billing information about parents or legal guardians

Parents or legal guardians usually provide consent on behalf of their child, unless the child is assessed as having sufficient maturity to make their own decisions, in accordance with Australian law and medical guidelines.

3. What Information Is Collected

Information necessary to provide safe and effective care, including:

• Names, dates of birth and contact details

• Parent/guardian details and relationship to the child

• Medical history, diagnoses, medications and allergies

• Medicare, private health insurance and referral details

• Consultation notes, correspondence and medical reports

Information is usually collected directly from parents or guardians, and may also be obtained from referring doctors, hospitals or other health providers with appropriate consent.

4. How Information Is Used

Personal and health information is used to:

• Assess, diagnose, treat and manage a child’s health

• Communicate with parents or guardians about care and results

• Coordinate care with other healthcare professionals

• Manage practice administration, billing and Medicare compliance

Information is not used for unrelated purposes without consent, unless required by law.

5. Disclosure of Information

Information may be disclosed to:

• Referring GPs and other treating health professionals

• Hospitals, pathology and imaging providers

• Medicare, insurers and regulatory bodies

• Approved service providers supporting practice operations

All disclosures occur in accordance with privacy law and professional obligations.

6. AI-Assisted Transcription

Secure, Australian-based AI clinical transcription services (e.g. Lyrebird) may be used during consultations to assist with accurate record-keeping:

• Data remains stored in Australia

• Information is not used for training or secondary purposes

• Parents or guardians may opt out at any time

7. Overseas Disclosure

Personal or health information is not routinely disclosed overseas. If overseas disclosure becomes necessary, appropriate privacy safeguards will be applied and consent sought where required.

8. Data Security, Storage and Retention

Medical records are stored in a secure Australian cloud-based clinical system (Xestro), using encryption and restricted access controls.

Practice email uses the domain @vpaed.com. Email correspondence is handled by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in accordance with AWS privacy and security policies, with services hosted via the European Union (Ireland) region.

Only authorised staff involved in patient care may access records. Information is retained as required by law and then securely deleted or de-identified.

9. Consent and Choice

You are not required to provide all requested information; however, this may limit the ability to provide care.

By registering with the practice, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of information as described in this policy, subject to any limitations you notify.

10. Reports

A consultation report will be sent to the referring GP as required. As a courtesy, a copy will also be emailed to the parent or guardian unless you advise otherwise.

11. Fees

Consultation fees are above the Medicare schedule fee and an out-of-pocket cost applies. Payment is required at the time of consultation. A valid referral is required to claim a Medicare rebate.

12. Privacy Concerns

Privacy concerns may be directed to privacy@vpaed.com. A response will be provided within 14 working days.

If unresolved, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): Phone: 1300 363 992 | Website: www.oaic.gov.au

13. Updates

This policy may be updated from time to time. The current version is available on request.

Parent Collaboration Policy

At Paediatrician Melbourne, we are committed to providing optimal care for all children. We believe it is in your child’s best interest that parents collaborate and communicate about their child’s welfare, including health, education, social life, and agreed parenting frameworks. This policy outlines the responsibilities and commitments essential for managing your child’s care, minimizing conflict, and respecting the rights of both parents.

Communication Responsibilities

• Parent Communication: We will communicate directly with the parent who books the appointment. It is the responsibility of the parents to communicate with each other directly regarding appointments and any information shared during the consultation.

• Joint Parenting Responsibilities:

  • If there is joint parenting, the parent making the appointment must inform the other parent of the appointment time and confirm their availability before booking.

  • SMS reminders are sent only to the parent who arranges the appointment.

• Implied Consent: By booking and attending an appointment, we will assume in good faith that both parents consent to the assessment and any agreed-upon therapy for the child.

Payment and Financial Arrangements

• Bills must be paid at the time of the appointment.

• Any financial arrangements or disputes regarding Medicare/health fund claims are to be resolved between the parents.

• The parent arranging the appointment is responsible for paying the bill.

Child Protection

If there is any risk of harm to the child or if a disclosure requires mandatory reporting, we are legally obligated to report it to the Department of Family and Community Services.

Pre-Appointment Requirements

Before an appointment can be made, we require:

1. Court or Parenting Orders:

   • Copies of any court or parenting orders regarding medical decision-making for the child must be provided.

2. Parent Questionnaires:

   • Both parents must complete all required questionnaires and forms unless one parent has sole custody for decision-making. This ensures we have a complete understanding of your child’s behavior and abilities.

By working together, we aim to support your child’s health and well-being while fostering a collaborative and respectful approach between parents. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this policy.