Patient info
Becoming a patient with us is a straightforward process. It begins with a current referral from your general practitioner (GP) or optometrist, followed by a quick call to our team to schedule your first visit. We look forward to helping you on your healthcare journey.
Your initial appointment is a comprehensive, non-surgical assessment with a FRANZCO-qualified specialist ophthalmologist who holds specialist registration with AHPRA. We understand that many patients feel anxious about their eyesight or a change in their vision, and our team will guide you through each step in a calm and supportive environment.
Referral First: A valid referral from your GP or optometrist is required before your specialist eye consultation can be scheduled.
Simple Preparation: Bringing a few key items with you on the day will help your first visit run smoothly.
Driving and Vision: Because your assessment may require dilating eye drops that temporarily blur your vision, we strongly advise arranging a driver to take you home.
Clear Communication: Your surgeon will explain all clinical findings in plain, everyday language, giving you and your family ample opportunity to ask questions.
In Australia, a referral from your GP or optometrist is essential to see a specialist ophthalmologist. This ensures your eye care remains closely connected with the primary doctors who know your medical history best. It also allows you to claim the appropriate specialist rebates through Medicare.
A valid referral can be provided by:
Your referring doctor can securely send your letter to us directly via fax, or they may hand you a physical copy to bring along to your appointment.
Urgent referrals: If your vision concern is highly time-sensitive, such as a sudden and unexpected change in your sight, or the sudden appearance of new floaters or flashes of light, please contact our rooms immediately so we can arrange a prompt, priority assessment.
To help our reception team check you in efficiently, please bring the following items to your first appointment:
Your first appointment is a thorough, step-by-step diagnostic examination of your eyes. The exact tests we perform are tailored precisely to the symptoms described in your doctor's referral letter.
A typical first visit involves:
If your assessment requires dilating eye drops, your pupils will expand. This temporarily makes your vision slightly blurred and highly sensitive to bright light or glare for a few hours.
Because it is not safe to drive with dilated pupils, we strongly recommend that you do not drive yourself home after your appointment. Please arrange for a family member or friend to collect you, or plan to use local public transport or a taxi. Bringing a pair of sunglasses can also help make your journey home much more comfortable.
Because our diagnostic assessments are thorough, and dilating eye drops take time to work effectively, your first visit will be more involved than a standard medical check-up. We want to ensure our surgeons never have to rush your care.
Please allow up to two hours for your first appointment. This gives enough time for testing, dilating drops where required and an unhurried consultation with your surgeon. Your visit may be shorter depending on the assessment needed.
To streamline your arrival and reduce waiting times in the clinic, you can complete our patient registration form online before your appointment. Filling this out ahead of time ensures our administrative team has your details correctly organised and ready the moment you walk through the door.
Complete Your Registration Online(Note: If you prefer to fill out a paper version of our registration form on the day, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time).
Our care for your vision continues long after you leave our rooms. Following your assessment, your surgeon will send a detailed clinical report back to your referring GP or optometrist, keeping them fully informed so your healthcare network remains connected.
If a specialised procedure or cataract surgery is recommended, our administration team will guide you through the process and confirm the venue. Epping Surgery Centre is our main day-surgery facility, with Sydney Eye Hospital, Macquarie University Hospital and Chatswood Private Hospital also used depending on your surgeon and procedure.
If you or your family members think of any further questions after returning home, please do not hesitate to contact our rooms. We are always here to help.
These pages cover the practical detail around your first visit, from finding our rooms through to the questions patients ask us most.
Where to find us at 22 East Parade, how to get here and where to park before your first appointment.
For referrersHow GPs and optometrists send a referral, what to include in the letter, and which surgeon suits each presentation.
Patient infoShort answers to the questions patients ask us most, from appointments and referrals through to cataracts and macular care.
Once you have a current referral from your GP or optometrist, a call to our rooms is all it takes to arrange your first visit. Our team will find a time that suits you and confirm what to bring on the day.
All consultations at Eastwood Eye Surgery are with specialist ophthalmologists. This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Please speak with your ophthalmologist about your individual circumstances.
