Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you do need a referral from your doctor or medical specialist to see Mr Patten. This enables us to claim a Medicare rebate on your behalf for your consultation fee and provides Mr Patten with medical history and information about your problem.

If you have seen Mr Patten in the past and would like to see him again, you may need a new referral for your next appointment if your last referral has expired (GP referrals are valid for 12 months whereas specialist referrals are valid for 3 months). At the time of booking your next appointment, please check with our staff if you need a new referral.

Please send us (or ask your referring doctor to send us) your referral, as Mr Patten triages all incoming referrals. Once your referral has been triaged, our staff will contact you to book an appointment. Your referral can be emailed to us at reception@sampatten.com.au or faxed to (03) 9516 2394.

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• A referral letter from your doctor or medical specialist

• Your completed patient registration form. If you are a new patient, we will send you a patient registration form to complete and bring to your appointment. Alternatively, you can download the patient registration form by clicking here

• Medicare, private health insurance and/or DVA card/s, if applicable

• Relevant radiology results, if required. At the time of booking your appointment, please inform us of where your imaging was performed so that we can ensure we are able to access your results online.

We are located inside Epworth Hospital Richmond on level 8 of the Danks Wing. We are in suite 8.1, which is the first suite on the 8th floor. You can reach us by entering:

• The hospital’s front entrance at 89 Bridge Road. This involves the least amount of walking. Upon entering, walk straight ahead towards the café and take the elevators on your left to level 8.

• The hospital’s rear entrance at 34 Erin Street. Walk straight ahead towards Main Reception and take the elevators on your left to level 8.

• Epworth Centre’s entrance at 32 Erin Street. This involves the most amount of walking. Upon entering, turn left and follow the signs overhead for Main Reception. Once you reach Main Reception, take the elevators on your left to level 8.

To view our location on Google Maps, please click here.

Limited street parking is available on the streets surrounding the hospital, including Erin Street, Bridge Road, and Lennox Street.

The hospital’s paid underground car park is accessible at 89 Bridge Road. For information regarding parking rates, please click here.

Please allow extra time for traffic and parking.

The hospital’s front entrance (89 Bridge Road) and rear entrance (34 Erin Street) also have space for pick up and drop off.

Yes, the following public transport is located nearby:

• Trams 48 and 75 (stop number 15) - approx. 1-minute walk

• West Richmond Train Station - approx. 5-minute walk

• Jolimont Train Station - approx. 10-minute walk

• Richmond Train Station - approx. 15-minute walk

• 246 Elsternwick/Clifton Hill Bus (stops at corner of Hoddle Street and Bridge Road) - approx. 5-minute walk

To view a map of where we are located, please click here. For more information on public transportation near our rooms, please visit Public Transport Victoria.

Yes, payment for your appointment is required on the day of your attendance. We accept payment via EFTPOS and Visa/Mastercard. Provided that you have a valid doctor’s referral in place, the appointment fee attracts a Medicare rebate which we can transmit on your behalf following payment.

WorkCover and TAC patients are required to pay for their appointment in full at the time of their attendance. A portion of the fee can be claimed from WorkCover or TAC by the patient. For information about current WorkCover and TAC reimbursement rates, please feel free to contact us.

If your injury/condition is covered by DVA, our accounts will be sent directly to DVA, and therefore no payment is required from you.

For more information about Mr Patten’s consultation fees, please click here.

Mr Patten is happy to see patients who are not covered by private health insurance for an appointment, with the understanding that he only operates in a private hospital and therefore cannot perform surgery in the public sector. For any surgery Mr Patten recommends to an uninsured patient, quotes for all costs involved in self-funding surgery in the private sector can be provided.

Mr Patten is more than happy to see patients for a second opinion. When considering having surgery, it is important to feel confident and comfortable with your surgeon and your treatment plan, and so seeking more than one specialist opinion is entirely reasonable.

Mr Patten’s consultation fees are as follows:

Initial consultation - standard: $280.00

Initial consultation - long: $350.00

Review consultation: $165.00

If you are an existing patient and have not consulted Mr Patten for two years or more, an initial consultation fee will apply for your next appointment. This is to allow additional time for Mr Patten’s history taking and assessment in view of the time elapsed since your last visit. Long initial consultations (for complex conditions or a second opinion) incur an increased fee to reflect the additional time involved in assessment, reviewing additional history and imaging, and post-consultation report writing.

Mr Patten’s surgery fees vary depending on the type of surgery you are having performed. For any surgery Mr Patten recommends, an estimate of costs will be provided to you detailing all anticipated costs. For more information about consultation and surgery fees, please click here.

Mr Patten performs all surgery at Epworth Hospital in Richmond.

Our team incorporates administrative staff, physicians, and anaesthetists who work together to make pre-operative planning for your admission and surgery as safe and smooth as possible. General information on how to prepare for your admission and surgery can be found here, however we will provide you with all the information and instructions needed for your specific procedure. Further information, provided by Epworth Hospital, can be found here.

Your requirement for rehabilitation (inpatient or outpatient) is determined by several factors, such as your type of surgery, your living arrangements, your general health, and your overall physical condition. Any rehabilitation you require will be arranged by hospital staff during your admission.