1. Where we are and opening times
2. About the staff
3. The Rooms - Virtual Tour
4. Pregnancy Care

Where we are and opening times

My consulting rooms are at Suite 45, 26 Belgrave St., Kogarah. Enter the rooms from the Kensington Street side. Please refer to the map.

Our office hours are 8am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

To make an appointment call 02 9588 5155 or 02 9588 5133 during office hours. Our fax number for any results, doctors’ letters, etc., is 02 9588 5233. I am available for appointments every day and later on Thursdays till 7pm. The later consulting on Thursdays is to enable pregnant women who are working and their partners to attend. Because I know it is difficult sometimes for women, partners and other family members to make the first visit during normal working hours, I also do a monthly Saturday morning clinic for pregnant women having their first visit.

The clinic is once a month on the second or third Saturday of the month. Please ask the staff when you call if you wish to make use of this. I am always happy to see you earlier if you have any concerns.

To contact me during office hours please ring the rooms first. Out of hours or if there is no response from my rooms, I am always contactable for emergencies on my pager. If you need to use the pager please call 9214 1015 and leave a brief message with your name, contact number and how urgently you want me to get back to you.

I do not work every weekend. I am on call one weekend in three and on the weekends I am not available, my colleagues: Drs James Opperman, Emmanuel Karantanis and Trent Miller provide cover. We all practice obstetrics in a similar way and if you have any particular requirements or risks they will follow the plan that we have made prior to labour and delivery. The hospital where you are booked will know who is covering me and can contact that doctor if you have a problem or go into labour. Our on call system runs from midday on Friday through to 6 am on Monday morning. If you are already in labour on Friday before midday I would continue to care for you until the baby is born.

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About the staff

I have two administration staff, Annie and Ashley, and a practice manager Annette, who will answer your calls, make appointments and receive you when you come in for an appointment.

To try and provide more rounded care for my pregnant patients I have recently employed Sallee, a midwife who will see you at the rooms two to three times during your pregnancy and discuss midwifery matters. When she sees you I will also be consulting so if there are any problems she can speak to me directly. After the birth she will come and visit you at home and be available for calls about any postnatal problems, particularly breastfeeding.

For those women needing gynaecological surgery, I have a nurse, Michelle, who arranges all my operating. She will discuss the procedures and financial costs for your treatment either in the rooms or by phone if this is more convenient. She will ring you after surgery to make sure that your recovery is progressing uneventfully.

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The Rooms

Click here for a virtual tour of the rooms.

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Pregnancy Care

What do you get?

I am accredited to deliver babies at St George Hospital, St George Private Hospital and Hurstville Community Private Hospital – the choice is yours. I also provide obstetric care for a small number of women booked at the Birth Centre at St George Hospital who have private insurance (see below).

From the time you make your first appointment to see me, I undertake responsibility for you and your pregnancy, including your postnatal visit after the baby is born. On average, this care consists of:

- 10 to 12 antenatal visits
- care during your labour and pregnancy
- daily visits on the postnatal ward
- postnatal check at six weeks

Every pregnancy is different and at times you will need more support from us. I can always be contacted for urgent matters and Sallee is also available during office hours. Most days I will be able to see you the same, or the following day, if necessary. However, many of the problems in pregnancy can be dealt with over the phone so please ring Sallee or me if you wish.

Women going through the Birth Centre at St George Hospital as private patients come and see me three times during their pregnancy but are cared for by their Birth Centre midwife. If all goes well the midwife rings me when the woman comes in labouring and afterwards with the good news. If there are problems, however, either during pregnancy (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes) or in labour (e.g. slow labour, need for an epidural) the midwife rings me and I take over the care for that woman for the remainder of the labour and birth. The advantage of this is that the woman gets someone she knows and has met before rather than being transferred to the registrar of the day.

How much does it cost?

Your first visit will be longer as I need to take your history and examine you. For this visit the fee is $200 of which Medicare will give you back $60 i.e. $140 is the 'out of pocket' expense. I will often do an ultrasound scan to confirm your dates at this visit. This costs $70 and you will get back $30 from Medicare for this. These costs are approximate as Medicare fees change a little each November. Please bring a referral letter from your GP as you will not be able to claim from Medicare unless you have a valid referral. Subsequent antenatal visits are $100 per visit and you will get $38 back from Medicare plus $30 (or $68 in total) after you have reached the threshold for the Medicare Safety Net (see below).

For the remainder of your care in pregnancy I charge a management fee. When you are having your first baby with me this fee is $3200, for your second $2800, third $2400 and, any more, $2000 and a psychiatric referral. I think this fee is reasonable given the work and responsibility involved. I expect you to pay this at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy and you will be sent a reminder for this prior to the payment. Payments may be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card.

Medicare Safety Net (MSN)

The MSN applies to all 'out of pocket' medical expenses (excluding hospital admissions) in each calendar year. In pregnancy this means some pathology tests, ultrasound scans, antenatal visits and the Management Fee (Medicare Item Number 16590). Once you have reached the family threshold for the calendar year (currently $1126) you will be able to claim a proportion of 'out of pocket' expenses back under the MSN. From January 1, 2010 the new Medicare Fee for Item No.16590 is $306.30. This means that Medicare will repay you $260.40 plus $203 from the MSN if you have reached the threshold.

What else will you have to pay?

The fees listed above are for my care only. Other bills you can expect are for pathology tests, ultrasound scans, anaesthetist's fees (e.g. for an epidural), an assistant's fee if you have a caesarean section, and hospital fees. If you have private insurance, variable amounts of these fees will be paid. You should check with your insurance company early in pregnancy to be sure. If you are not insured we have a list of the costs available and booking as a private patient at St George Hospital (a public hospital) is the cheapest option. If you have any questions about the costs please talk to the administrative staff.

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