A family member, friend or carer can usually sit in on your appointment if you want. Let us know that they'll be attending. You can also have an interpreter; health professional or anyone else you may think will be helpful for the consultation and your treatment plan. Sometimes having your near and dear ones during consultation helps clarify the problems and improve management plan. If you have the appointment in your GP's clinic, your GP might sit in with you.
The same privacy and confidentiality requirements apply for face-to-face and online consultations. The psychiatrist will take notes, but your consultation will not be recorded, unless you agree to it being recorded for treatment purposes. Unless situations suggesting high risk arise, your consultation remains confidential. Please discuss with your psychiatrist for further details.
Psychiatrists don't usually offer consultations by phone. This is because seeing your face while you talk provides important information for the psychiatrist. However during ongoing follow up reviews, these can be organised if absolutely necessary. In Australia, Medicare doesn't cover the cost of a phone consultation.
Online consultations can be complicated to set up; there are often other patients who are waiting some weeks for a consultation. So do your best to keep the appointment. If you need to cancel, let us know as soon as you can. If you cancel less than 24 hours ahead of appointment time, there will be a cost involved. It is unfair to other patients and the specialist who allocates their time for your consultation, if you ‘hold’ an appointment slot and then don’t attend. Please refer to cancellation policy.
If there is a space available, appointment can be arranged at short notice. If you reside in metropolitan area (not eligible for Medicare rebate), you do not need a referral from your local doctor (GP) for the consultation. However if you need to claim Medicare rebate, you will need to obtain an urgent referral from your local doctor (GP) If you are experiencing acute psychological distress/ significant suicidal ideation/ ideas of harm to others, it is best to contact your nearest Hospital Emergency Department or the Mental Health Services Helpline in your region.