Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you do need a referral to see Mr Patten. The referral should come from your GP or medical specialist. This enables us to claim a Medicare rebate on your behalf for your consultation fee.

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.

What to Bring

• A referral letter from your GP or medical specialist. This is required so that you are eligible for a Medicare rebate, and is helpful in giving Mr Patten information about your problem and medical history.

• 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.

• An up-to-date list of your current medications.

• Any relevant radiology (x-ray, MRI, bone scan, etc) reports or blood test results in your possession.

• Any previous letters or documentation related to your condition.

• It can be helpful to bring a relative or friend with you to your appointment, as they are able to remember information from your appointment and help ask questions.

• You may find it helpful to write down a list of questions you may have to ask Mr Patten before your appointment. This will help to ensure you don’t forget anything during your consultation and get the most out of your appointment.

Our rooms are located inside Epworth Hospital, Richmond, at 89 Bridge Road. We are located in the Bridge Road Tower, also referred to as the Danks Wing. To reach our rooms, take the elevators beside main reception on level 2 up to level 8. You will find us just to your left in suite 8.1. To view our location on Google Maps, please click here.

Limited street parking is available on Erin Street and surrounding streets, including Bridge Road and Lennox Street. The entrance to Epworth Hospital’s underground car park is located on Bridge Road (next to the front entrance of the hospital), which you may park in for a fee. For information regarding the hospital’s parking rates please click here.

Yes, trams 48 and 75 stop at the front of Epworth Hospital on Bridge Road (stop number 15). The closest train station is West Richmond station, which is on the South Morang and Hurstbridge train lines. Jolimont station is approximately a 10-minute walk away from our rooms, and Richmond station is approximately a 15-minute walk away. Click here to view a map of where we are located. For more information on public transportation near our rooms, please visit Public Transport Victoria.

Yes, payment is required on the day of your appointment. We accept payment via EFTPOS or cash. Please note that we do not accept American Express. Upon payment, we can transmit your account to Medicare online to immediately claim your rebate on your behalf.

Existing patients covered by Victorian WorkCover or TAC are required to pay our private consultation fees on the day of their appointment, and then seek reimbursement from their WorkCover insurer or TAC. To read more about our consultation fees, please click here to view our Patient Fees page.

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

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.

The initial consultation fee with Mr Patten is $250.00, and any subsequent review consultations involve a fee of $150.00. Both fees attract a Medicare rebate, which we can claim on your behalf electronically at the time of payment, provided that you have a valid referral in place from your doctor.

Mr Patten’s surgery fees are based on the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) fee guidelines. For more information about Mr Patten’s surgery fees, and other potential fees associated with surgery, please click here to view our Fees page.

Mr Patten performs all surgery at Epworth Hospital in Richmond.

Our team incorporates reception staff, physicians and anaesthetists who will make your pre-operative planning as smooth as possible. We will provide you with plenty of information about your admission and procedure and ask that you take the time to carefully read all material given to you.

Before Your Admission

• Depending on your type of surgery, we may arrange for you to see our physician for a pre-operative assessment, to check your general health and ensure that you are medically prepared and safe for surgery and an anaesthetic.

• If we have referred you for a pre-operative blood test, please ensure that this is done five to ten days prior to your admission.

• Please take the time to carefully read the material given to you by our rooms and ensure you have completed your hospital admission form prior to your admission.

• Take care of yourself. In the weeks before your surgery, try to eat a nutritious diet and get enough sleep. Undertaking light exercise to maintain and enhance flexibility and strength will also be helpful in your recovery from surgery.

• If you smoke, please try to cease smoking as soon as possible, or for at least the few days leading up to your procedure.

• If you take any regular medications, please advise our rooms in case you need to cease any prior to surgery. If you have a consultation with our pre-operative physician, you will be advised during that appointment of any medications that may need to be ceased.

• Arrange for a family member or friend to be available to pick you up from hospital on discharge, as you cannot drive yourself home. The hospital will ask that someone be with you overnight when you return home. You may also benefit from having a friend or relative available to help you in the week or two after surgery. If required, the hospital will arrange for you to spend some time in inpatient rehabilitation before you discharge home.

On the Day of Your Admission

• We will advise you what time you need to fast from on the day of your procedure. Please ensure that you strictly adhere to the fasting time we give you.

• Ensure that you pack a bag of everything you will need during your hospital stay, including personal hygiene products, comfortable and loose-fitting clothing, supportive footwear, and all medication you are currently taking.

• Before you leave home, have a long shower, wash your hair and put on freshly washed clothes. This helps to prevent bacteria from coming into hospital with you.

Provided that your health insurance (or other third party, i.e. WorkCover, TAC, etc) has agreed to cover the cost, inpatient rehabilitation is available for our patients after surgery. Whether you have inpatient rehab after surgery depends on several factors, such as the type of operation you have had, your living arrangements, your general health, and your overall physical condition. Inpatient rehab is coordinated by the hospital during your admission. Soon after your surgery, a member of the hospital’s rehab team will attend your bedside and discuss rehab options with you in detail, including which rehab facility you may be transferred to.