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Preparing for your visit

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Your child's eye examination
Getting here 

  • Westside Private Hospital is adjacent to Taringa train station

  • For your convenience 3 hours free parking is available on site. Entry to the hospital car park is via Harrys Rd 

  • Please note that if you require pupil dilation or a biopsy of an eyelid lump you will be unable to drive after your visit as your vision may be impaired or your eye patched. We recommend you arrange a driver or take public transport to your appointment

What to Bring

  • A referral from your GP, optometrist or other specialist (if it has not been transmitted by your referrer)

  • Your medicare card

  • Any spectacles or contact lenses you currently use

  • A list of your current medications

  • Any pension or health care cards (if applicable)

  • Details of your private health insurance (if applicable)

Pupil dilation

Almost all new patients (adult and children) will require pupil dilation with eye drops as part of your visit. Your close up vision will be blurry for between 1-3 hours after these drops. You will also be glare sensitive. Sunglasses and/or a hat are useful to bring to reduce glare symptoms on your journey home.

Duration of Visit

  • Adults: Please allow up to 2 hours for an initial assessment for an adult to allow time for your preliminary tests, pupil dilation, assessment by the ophthalmologist and possible additional investigations or procedures. 

  • Children: Please allow up to 3 hours for an initial assessment for a child to allow comprehensive preliminary testing by both the orthoptist/ophthalmic technician and the ophthalmologist followed by 45 minutes for pupil dilation then further assessment and discussion with the ophthalmologist. 

We endeavour to make your child’s examination as efficient as possible and to minimise distress. Despite these efforts it may still be quite a long and overwhelming process for young children (and parents). Your child's eyes are likely to need to have eye drops instilled to dilate the pupils are relax their focussing. These drops sting briefly on instillation. You may need to hold your child to assist the technicians or doctor to instil the drops. The effects of the drops usually wear off within a few hours but may take longer. While your child’s eyes are dilated, your child will experience light sensitivity and may have blurry vision. This is harmless and temporary.

 

The practice is equiped with a playroom and kids TV but we we recommend that you bring along your child’s favourite snacks, toys and/or games to help comfort and entertain them during their visit. 

 

Cost of your visit

Queensland Ophthalmic Specialists is a private billing clinic. If you have a valid referral then your visit will attract a Medicare rebate which will cover part of the cost of the consult but there will be some additional out of pocket costs.

 

Private health insurance does not cover outpatient medical appointments, it only provides rebates for in-hospital treatment.

 

When booking your initial appointment our staff will discuss the estimated cost of the appointment and associated rebate. If additional investigations or procedures are required at the time of your consultation there will be an additional fee for these which you will be informed about. 

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A written financial consent will be provided to you prior to booking any surgical treatment. The cost of surgical procedures is determined by the length and complexity of the procedure as well as your level of health insurance cover. As a result staff are unable to provide an estimate of surgical costs prior to your consultation. 

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