OPENING HOURS 9am – 4pm Monday to Friday
We have put together information on what you can expect when visiting our clinic.
Have a read through and if you still have questions you can note them down to ask us when you come in, or give us a call, our friendly team will be very happy to answer any questions you have.
During your consultation Dr Anderson will discuss your diagnosis, risks, complications, limitations of surgery and the degree of success or likelihood of failure of surgery.
You will be asked to sign a surgery consent form, which is published by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons outlining that you understand the risks of your procedure.
Dr Anderson will also provide you with a surgery booking checklist at this consultation and it is available here.
NQ ENT staff will prepare an estimate of the likely medical costs you will be required to pay for your in hospital elective procedure which you will be asked to read and sign. Your quotation includes the item numbers to be billed to Medicare and/or your private health fund by Dr Anderson. It does not cover services provided by other doctors, including anaesthetist, radiologist, nuclear physicians and pathologists, nor other costs associated with your stay in the hospital, e.g. accommodation, pharmacy and physiotherapy.
Your quotation and surgery information pack will be emailed to the address you have provided at your consultation, please ensure this is correct. Your theatre booking will not be confirmed until a signed quotation is received.
If you are uninsured, you will be asked to pay the total surgery fees upfront before surgery date is confirmed.
If you have private health insurance, your quotation will include your item numbers and known gap, which is the amount billed directly to your health fund and your health fund is responsible for paying your invoice. Each private health fund has their own fee schedule, and these fee schedules and your level of insurance coverage are continuously changing, so you must contact your health fund to ensure you are covered for each item number on the quotation. You are required to read, sign, and return a copy of the quotation to the clinic and confirm you are covered for the item numbers on the quotation. This is your financial consent that your health fund will pay Dr Anderson for each item number on the quotation. If Dr Anderson’s claim is rejected by your private health fund, you will be liable for payment of the full amount. If you are not covered, please contact us as this will alter your fee.
Your quotation may also include a gap fee (out-of-pocket costs) which is payable by you to confirm your theatre booking. Your surgery will not be booked until the gap fee is paid.
Dr Anderson uses anaesthetists from Northern Anaesthesia and Perioperative Support Services (NAPSS). Your surgical quotation will outline the date of your surgery and the anaesthetist. It is your responsibility to contact NAPSS to obtain their costings and to pay their anaesthetic fee prior to surgery.
Dr Anderson only performs surgery at the Mater Pimlico Campus. You will need to contact the Mater Hospital to obtain their costings. You will need to complete a pre-admission form, this can be obtained online at www.matertsv.org.au. You will need to complete your Mater patient registration form and pay your out-of-pocket fees to the hospital prior to your admission. This needs to be completed no later than one week before the surgery.
There are a range of accommodation options available to patients who do not reside in Townsville or may not have relatives or friends to stay with.
For patients having tonsilotomy, tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy surgery, please be aware that you will need to stay in the Townsville area for 2 weeks following surgery due to the risk of post operative bleeding. This includes no day trips to locations such as Ingham, Ayr, Magnetic Island, Charters Towers etc. You are also unable to fly for three weeks post-operatively and children require two weeks off daycare/school.
Unless otherwise specified by Dr Anderson, you cannot have any blood thinning medications for two weeks before surgery including but not exclusive to: Aspirin, Nurofen, Disprin, multivitamins, herbal medications, probiotics, fish oils or vitamin C. Please check with us if you take any medications, vitamins and/or supplements. Panadol is acceptable to take if required. Failure to cease any of these may result in your surgery being rescheduled. NQENT staff will contact you 1-2 business days prior to your surgery date to advise Fasting & Admission Times and these are unique to each patient.