GENERAL INFORMATION
Do I need a referral to see Dr. Sandeep Tewari?
- For an appointment with Dr. Tewari a valid referral from a medical practitioner is required. This referral can be from your General Practioner (GP), specialist or registered doctor.
- A referral is essential to claim a Medicare rebate for part of your consultation fee (if you are a private or uninsured patient).
What is the expected wait time for an appointment?
- Dr Tewari only consults in his private rooms on average 2 days per week, he endeavours to see all patients in a timely fashion and he will make an exception for ‘urgent’ appointments. Please call our friendly staff anytime to inquire about the next available appointment time.
What if I am running late for my appointment?
- Please call our rooms ASAP to advise and our friendly staff will be only too happy to reschedule your appointment for a new time if possible or another day if clinic will not allow.
- Dr Tewari has structured his practice so that he will run as close to your appointment time as possible but if he is running behind for any reason, we will let you know via SMS (please ensure that you provide our reception staff with your current mobile number).
What if I need to cancel?
- We ask that you provide a minimum of 24 hours notice for any cancellations.
- We have a waitlist of patients who are eager for an earlier appointment and your notice allows us the time to contact them. However, we understand some extenuating situations may occur. Please contact our staff ASAP.
What can I expect from an appointment?
- On arrival you will be greeted by our friendly staff, who will ask you for referral (if not already received), your completed information forms, relevant imaging/investigations and insurance details, if applicable.
- During the consultation with Dr. Tewari, there will be
- Questions regarding your presenting complaint, development of symptoms and medical/surgical history
- Physical examination of the affected area
- Review of any imaging, scans and investigations undertaken
- Review any photos or videos brought in by you
- Review of surgical sites and areas if required
Appointment for your child
- Dr Tewari ensures that the consultation is tailored to the needs of the patient and is appropriate for their age.
- We encourage parents and guardians to bring any videos and photos which demonstrate your primary concern for your child, ie. if you are concerned about a limb, please bring a short video of this to the consultation.
- Please ensure that clothing is suitable for examination of the area of concern, allowing the rolling up of sleeves and pants as needed.
- Tewari will aim to understand your concerns and determine a diagnosis. Dr. Tewari, together with you, will decide the best way to proceed with an effective management plan. This may include further investigations, referral to other specialist or allied health professional (ie. physiotherapist, podiatrist, etc) or in some instances, it may also mean more definitive treatment such as an appropriate surgical procedure.
- Tewari will go through all of your options which will include the various methods, benefits and disadvantages of each.
- If orthopaedic surgery is recommended, this will be described in full detail and written information will be provided to you. You will then have the opportunity to consider your options and decide on what is best for you! This may all occur in one consultation or it may occur over a span of several.
NEW PATIENTS
BOOKINGS
- Please call or email our private rooms at Adamstown to make a suitable appointment or you can request your GP/Specialist to email or fax a referral to our Adamstown rooms E: admin@tewariortho.com.au or F: 02 4952 7400 and we will call you!
- Once an appointment has been confirmed for you, we will email you a confirmation of appointment letter and patient information forms for you to complete. These forms will need to be returned on the day of consult.
TELEHEALTH
- We do offer Telehealth appointments through our private rooms, please request this on the day of booking and we can organise this for you. Consult fee is payable via phone on the day of consultation (we accept debit/credit card or direct deposit).
HEALTH FUND REQUIREMENTS
- Private Hospital Health Fund cover is required to secure a timely adult appointment and should surgery be an option for you, it will also ensure timely treatment in a private hospital setting.
PAYMENT FOR CONSULTATIONS
- Consult fee is payable on the day of consultation (we accept cash, debit or credit card). You will be advised of your consult fee and Medicare rebate at the time of booking.
Public paediatric and adult (uninsured) patients have an option of seeing Dr Tewari in his private rooms (limited adult appointments and fees apply) or seeing Dr Tewari and his Team at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Orthopaedic Out-Patient Clinic (children) or at the Royal Newcastle Centre Orthopaedic Out-Patient Clinic (adults). Dr Tewari consults weekly at the hospital.
BOOKINGS FOR PUBLIC PATIENTS
- Patients wishing to see Dr Tewari in the private rooms will need to request their GP/Specialist to email or fax a referral to our Adamstown rooms E: admin@tewariortho.com.au or F: 02 4952 7400. We will contact you once we have received your referral to make a suitable appointment for you.
- Once appointment has been confirmed, we will email you a confirmation of appointment letter and patient information forms for you to complete.
- Appointment bookings at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital or at the Royal Newcastle Centre cannot be made via our private rooms. Your GP/Specialist will need to fax your referral directly to the Referral Management Centre at John Hunter Hospital on F: 02 4922 3900.
- All hospital incoming referrals are assessed and triaged accordingly. The hospital will advise you of your appointment date/time.
BILLING FOR PUBLIC PATIENTS
- Public (uninsured) patients who have elected to be seen in the private rooms, will be required to pay the normal consult fee on the day.
- Public (uninsured) patients seen in the Out-Patient Clinics at the hospital will be bulk billed.
TELEHEALTH FOR PUBLIC PATIENTS
- Telehealth appointments are available through the John Hunter Children’s Hospital and the Royal Newcastle Centre upon request and will be bulk billed.
- Telehealth appointments are also available to public (uninsured) patients through our private rooms upon request but normal consult fees apply and are payable on the day of consult (via phone debit/credit card or direct deposit).
SURGERY FOR PUBLIC PATIENTS
- Public (uninsured) patients who are offered surgery through John Hunter Children’s Hospital or the Royal Newcastle Centre will have their surgery booking form sent through to the hospital and they will be placed on Dr Tewari’s hospital surgery wait list. The hospital will then advise you of your surgery date.
WORKCOVER/THIRD PARTY PATIENTS REQUIREMENTS
- If you have an existing WorkCover or Third-Party claim or are in the process of submitting a claim, we will require you or your GP/Specialist to email or fax a copy of your referral to our Adamstown rooms E: admin@tewariortho.com.au or F: 02 4952 7400. A copy of your referral will also need to be provided to the Insurance Company.
APPROVAL FROM INSURER
- To enable us to make an appointment for you, your Case Manager/Insurer will need to provide their written approval to cover the cost of your initial consult (AMA – #AC500) to our Adamstown rooms E: admin@tewariortho.com.au or F: 02 4952 7400.
- Once we have received approval from your insurer, our Adamstown rooms will contact you via phone to organise a suitable appointment for you. We will then email you our confirmation of appointment letter and patient information forms for completion. These forms will need to be returned on the day of consult.
PAYMENT FOR WORKCOVER/THIRD PARTY CONSULTATIONS
- Our invoice for approved Workcover or Third-Party consultations will be forwarded directly to the Insurance Company.
WORKCOVER/THIRD PARTY REPORTS
- We prioritise all reports and investigations for Workcover and Third-Party patients. A copy of Dr Tewari’s consult report will be sent to all parties involved in your claim (ie. GP, insurer, physio, rehab provider and yourself), to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone involved.
- Should surgery be required, we will liaise with your insurer to obtain their approval.
ADF PATIENTS
- All referrals for ADF patients are received via the Defence referral system portal. Appointments are generally made directly with ADF on the day or we will contact you to confirm a suitable date/time.
- If you are aware of a referral being sent and have not heard from either ADF or us, please do not hesitate to call or email our private rooms at Adamstown and we can follow up for you P: 02 4952 7400 or E: admin@tewariortho.com.au
- Once referral has been received and an appointment approved by ADF, we will email you a confirmation of appointment letter and patient information forms for you to complete. These forms will need to be returned on the day of consult.
ADF – PAYMENT FOR CONSULTATIONS
- Our invoice for consultation be forwarded directly to the ADF.
ADF – REPORTS
- We prioritise all reports and investigations for ADF patients. A copy of Dr Tewari’s consult report will be sent to all parties involved in your health care (ie. ADF, physio, yourself, etc), to ensure the best possible outcome for everyone involved.
- Should surgery be required, we will liaise with ADF to obtain their approval.
SURGERY – PREPARING FOR A PROCEDURE
Preparing for surgery – Getting home after the procedure
- Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours.
- Do Not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home.
- The combination of anaesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat.
- Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours.
- If you had surgery on an extremity (leg, knee, hand or elbow), keep that extremity elevated and use ice as directed. This will help decrease swelling and pain.
- Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty controlling the pain.
Preparing for surgery – What to bring to hospital?
- All scans relating to your procedure
- A list of your current medications
- A small bag of items in case you are required to stay overnight in hospital
- Something to keep you entertained (a book, iPad etc)
Preparing for surgery – Fasting
- Most procedures will require you to fast beforehand.
- You will receive a phone call from the hospital the day before your operation to advise you of any fasting required, as well as the time of your operation.
Preparing for surgery – Medications
- Prior to your surgery, you will most likely be required to stop any medications that cause bleeding.
- Please ensure that you inform Dr Tewari of all your medications that you take. Without this information and the correct steps being taken, the surgery may be delayed or rescheduled.
Preparing for surgery – Time off work
- You will require an amount of time off work, school, and possibly driving following your surgery.
- The amount of time required differs depending on the nature of your procedure and will be discussed with you at the time of your consultation.
- We will provide you with a medical certificate if required.
- Do not drive on any day that you are taking strong pain medication.
surgery – ANAESTHETIC
What do I need to know about Anaesthetic?
Most surgical procedures require anaesthesia to be given and this can be a new and scary experience for children and adults. The below link “Royal College of Anaesthetists” will provide you with all the information you need to know regarding anaesthesia for children and adults.
AFTER SURGERY
AFTER SURGERY – Post-operative period
- After surgery in the hospital – Dr. Tewari will review you in the hospital following the operation. He will assess your wounds and discuss any operative findings with you.
- Tewari will review you and ensure you are fit to be discharged home and ensure an effective discharge plan is created.
- Recovery periods depend on the type of operation you are having and differ between each individual.
- For most operations, a post operative appointment will be scheduled with Dr Tewari in the rooms.
- This post operative appointment tends to be 6 – 8 weeks post the surgery.
- We will also encourage patients to follow allied health advice during this time including post-operative physiotherapy and occupational therapy as appropriate.
- If at any stage you are concerned about any part of your recovery, please contact the rooms immediately.
- If it is outside of business hours, please present to the Emergency Department of your nearest hospital.
need to know more?
Our friendly team can provide you with more information and how to make an appointment with Dr Tewari.