FAQ — Garry Walter Child Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist Lower North Shore Bondi Sydney Child Psychiatry Willoughby Chatswood Bondi Junction Sydney child children adolescent adolescents teenager teenagers adult family ADHD anxiety depression therapy psychotherapy medication Professor

FAQs

Do I require a referral?

Yes, a referral from a General Practitioner (GP) or a medical specialist is required. This referral enables Garry to communicate with other medical professionals you’ve seen. A referral also usually entitles you to a Medicare rebate.

Will there always be follow-up appointments?

Occasionally, Garry sees patients for only the one appointment. This may be because, as arranged beforehand, the single appointment is to provide advice and an opinion, or because it becomes clear to Garry in the appointment that another service would be more appropriate for ongoing treatment.

Will I get a rebate from Medicare?

With a valid referral, Australian citizens and permanent residents are able to obtain a Medicare rebate. A GP referral is valid for 12 months and a specialist medical referral for 3 months, so please ensure that your referral is up to date.

Medicare also has Safety Net, which provides a higher rebate once your out of pocket expenses have reached a certain threshold.

Please note that there is no Medicare rebate for out-of-session script fees, reports and cancellation fees.

Can I have sessions remotely?

Garry is able to offer TeleHealth (phone or Zoom) appointments. The Government currently provides a Medicare rebate for TeleHealth appointments, but this may change in the future.

What if there is a crisis?

If there is a mental health crisis or other urgent matter before your next scheduled appointment, please consider presenting to your nearest Emergency Department, phoning 000 or calling Lifeline on 131114. Garry does not provide an after-hours or crisis service but, to supplement the emergency services mentioned, is sometimes able to offer a brief TeleHealth appointment or bring forward the next scheduled appointment.

What are Garry’s fees?

Information about Garry’s fees, including the cancellation policy, is available by phoning or emailing his administration team. For contact details, please click here.