Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about appointments, referrals, fees, services, imaging, surgery and recovery.
For information specific to your circumstances, please contact our team.
Appointments
A referral is generally required for appointments with a medical specialist if you wish to claim a Medicare rebate. It also helps us understand your problem and direct you to the most appropriate service.
A referral is not usually required for physiotherapy, exercise physiology, pain coaching or metabolic health appointments.
Workers compensation and motor vehicle accident appointments usually require insurer approval before treatment can commence.
You can submit a Request Appointment form through our website or contact our practice by telephone.
Online requests are reviewed by our team before an appointment is confirmed. This allows us to consider the service required, clinical urgency, available imaging and any funding or insurer requirements.
We do not offer instant online bookings, but appointments can be requested online.
Spinal and neurosurgical conditions vary considerably, and the information provided with your request helps us determine which clinician and appointment type may be most appropriate.
Waiting times vary according to the clinician, service required and clinical urgency.
Please indicate on the appointment request form if your condition is urgent and provide enough clinical information to support triage. Our team may contact you or your referring practitioner for further information.
Please bring:
- your referral, if applicable
- your Medicare card
- private health insurance details, if applicable
- workers compensation or motor accident claim details, if applicable
- relevant imaging and imaging reports
- a current medication list
- relevant specialist reports, hospital discharge summaries or test results
Where possible, documents can be uploaded when submitting your appointment request.
Telehealth may be available for selected appointment types and circumstances.
An in-person assessment may still be required depending on your condition, particularly where a physical examination is important or additional imaging is required.
Choosing the Right Service
Provide information about your condition, symptoms, referral and imaging when requesting an appointment. Our team will review the information and help direct you to the most appropriate clinician or service.
The right clinician depends on your injury, symptoms and stage of recovery.
Many workplace spinal injuries do not require surgery. Patients may be assessed by one of our Occupational Physicians, Spine Physicians, Physiotherapists or Exercise Physiologists, with referral to a Neurosurgeon or Spine Surgeon if specialist surgical assessment is required.
If you are unsure which service is most appropriate, simply submit a Request Appointment. Our team will review your information and direct you to the clinician best suited to your needs.
No.
Many spinal conditions can be managed without surgery. Depending on your needs, you may be directed to a Spine Physician, Occupational Physician, Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist or another member of the multidisciplinary team.
No.
The purpose of a specialist surgical consultation is to assess your condition and determine whether surgery is likely to help. When surgery is not appropriate, your surgeon will explain why and may recommend non-surgical treatment or further assessment.
What conditions do you assess?
Our clinicians assess a broad range of spinal, neurosurgical, musculoskeletal and work-related conditions.
These include neck and back pain, sciatica, radiculopathy, disc herniation, disc degeneration, spinal stenosis, nerve compression, cervical myelopathy, spondylolisthesis, spinal and brain tumours, hydrocephalus, peripheral nerve conditions and workplace spinal injuries.
Referrals & Imaging
Relevant imaging is often helpful, particularly for appointments with a Neurosurgeon or Spine Physician.
The type of imaging required depends on your symptoms and condition. Please provide any existing scans and reports with your appointment request. If further imaging is required, this may be discussed with you or your referring practitioner.
We require access to both the images and the written report.
In most cases, the images are available online through your imaging provider. If you are unsure, let us know your radiology provider before your appointment and we can check whether we have electronic access. If you have a CD or films, please bring them as a backup.
Older imaging may still be useful, but updated imaging may be required if your symptoms have changed since your last scan. If further imaging is required, your clinician will discuss this with you or your referring practitioner.
Our online Refer a Patient form includes fields for clinical information, the referrer's details, signature and date.
Where completed by an eligible referring practitioner and containing the information required for a valid referral, it may serve as the referral document. The referring practitioner remains responsible for ensuring Medicare referral requirements are met.
Fees & Funding
Medicare rebates are available for eligible consultations where the relevant Medicare requirements have been met.
Medical specialist consultations generally require a valid referral. Physiotherapy and exercise physiology consultations may attract a Medicare rebate where you have an eligible Chronic Disease Management plan.
Medicare generally does not cover the full consultation fee, and an out-of-pocket cost usually applies.
Private health insurance generally does not cover medical consultations provided outside hospital.
However, it may become relevant if hospital treatment or surgery is later recommended.
Yes. We regularly assess and treat patients with workplace spinal injuries.
Please let us know if your injury is work-related when requesting an appointment and provide your claim number, insurer and case manager details if these are available. If your claim has not yet been accepted, you may still be able to arrange an appointment. Our team can advise you about the available options.
Sydney Spine Institute accepts patients under a range of insurance and compensation schemes, including:
- Workers Compensation (WorkCover)
- Compulsory Third Party (CTP) motor accident claims
- Comcare
- Lifetime Care and Support Scheme
- Income Protection Insurance
- Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance
- Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
Requirements vary depending on the scheme. In most cases, we will require your claim number, insurer details, case manager (if applicable) and any required approval before treatment can commence.
If you are unsure whether your insurer or compensation scheme is accepted, please contact our team before your appointment. We will be happy to advise you.
Yes. Private health insurance is not required to attend a consultation.
Professor van Gelder operates in both private and public hospitals. If surgery is required, treatment may be available through the public hospital system, subject to clinical prioritisation and hospital waiting times.
We do not currently offer payment plans. Payment is required on the day of your consultation unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance.
Surgery
Your surgeon will consider your symptoms, examination findings, imaging, general health, previous treatment and the likely benefits and risks of surgery.
Surgery is generally recommended only where it is reasonably likely to improve the problem being treated.
Public hospital surgery is available for eligible patients.
Public hospital waiting times and admission priority are determined according to NSW Health policies, clinical urgency and hospital capacity. A surgeon cannot independently bypass the hospital waiting-list process.
Public patients are not generally guaranteed treatment by a particular surgeon. While Professor van Gelder participates in public hospital surgery, patients treated as public patients are allocated according to the hospital's processes and available surgical teams.
Patients who elect to use private health insurance while receiving treatment in a public hospital may have greater choice of doctor, although public hospital waiting-list processes and hospital policies still apply.
Yes.
Surgery may occasionally be postponed because of emergency admissions, changes in hospital capacity, staffing, equipment availability or a change in the patient's health.
The hospital and our practice will provide further information if this occurs.
Recovery & Rehabilitation
In most cases, patients do not require in-patient rehabilitation. In the event it is needed, it will be decided by the hospital team and arrangements will be made for a transfer to a rehab unit. You don't need to organise anything in advance.
Not every patient requires the same rehabilitation program.
Physiotherapy or exercise physiology may be recommended before or after surgery to improve movement, strength, confidence, physical conditioning and return to activity. Your surgeon will advise when physiotherapy can start.
This depends on the procedure, your recovery and the physical and cognitive demands of your role.
Some patients can return to suitable or modified duties before they are ready to resume their full role. Return-to-work planning should be individualised and coordinated with the treating team where required.
Urgent Concerns
Seek urgent medical attention if you develop symptoms such as:
- sudden or progressive weakness
- loss of bladder or bowel control
- numbness around the genital or saddle area
- severe symptoms following significant trauma
- new difficulty walking or loss of coordination
- severe headache with neurological symptoms
- altered consciousness, confusion or seizure
- signs of serious infection following surgery.
Call Triple Zero (000) or attend the nearest emergency department if your condition may be an emergency.
No.
Sydney Spine Institute is an outpatient specialist practice and does not provide an emergency service. Urgent or life-threatening symptoms should be assessed through an emergency department or by calling Triple Zero (000).
Medical Records & Communication
Requests for medical records must be made in writing.
We may require identification, patient authority and sufficient information to identify the records requested. Administrative fees may apply for extensive requests or where permitted by law.
With your consent, relevant correspondence is generally sent to your referring practitioner and other clinicians involved in your care.
Email may be used for administrative communication and document exchange, but it is not suitable for urgent concerns or detailed clinical assessment.
Clinical questions may require an appointment or telephone discussion. Please do not use email for emergencies.
Still Have a Question?
Please contact our team if you cannot find the information you need.