Information for NDIS participants

Appointments may be arranged by:

• the participant
• a parent or guardian
• a support worker
• a support coordinator
• a plan manager
• another authorised representative

A valid referral from a GP is required before an appointment can be considered.

When making an enquiry, please tell our administration team if the patient:

• is an NDIS participant
• has a support coordinator
• has a plan manager
• is managed by the NSW Trustee and Guardian
• has a legal guardian or substitute decision-maker

Providing this information early helps avoid delays in appointment scheduling and invoicing.

Where appropriate, a support worker, family member, guardian, support coordinator or other support person may attend appointments with the participant. The psychiatrist may request time alone with the patient as part of the assessment.

Before all appointments, our psychiatrists require copies of relevant medical and psychiatric records wherever possible. This may include:

• previous psychiatrist reports
• psychiatric assessments
• hospital discharge summaries
• mental health treatment plans
• psychological reports and assessments
• GP correspondence
• specialist reports
• neurodevelopmental assessments
• behaviour support plans

Please also provide any relevant medical information, including:

• blood test results
• pathology reports
• imaging results
• specialist investigations
• reports relevant to the patient’s medical history

Current medication information is essential, including current medication lists. Please also bring support summaries where they are available.

Failure to provide adequate documentation may limit the psychiatrist’s ability to undertake a comprehensive assessment, and may result in the need for additional appointments.

Wollongong Psychological Medicine is a private billing practice.We do not offer bulk billing for NDIS participants. All consultation fees remain payable regardless of NDIS participation status.

See fees and Medicare for current consultation fees, Medicare rebates, payment requirements and billing policies. If you have questions about fees before booking, our administration team will be happy to help.

If a participant’s finances are managed by the NSW Trustee and Guardian, additional information is required before an appointment can be confirmed. We require:

• formal confirmation that the NSW Trustee and Guardian has approved payment for the appointment
• confirmation that sufficient funds are available
• the name of the participant’s PCM (Private Client Manager) team
• the email address for the relevant PCM team
• any specific invoicing requirements

Appointments may not be confirmed until:

• financial approval has been received;
• appropriate billing details have been supplied; and
• adequate funding has been confirmed.

This process helps ensure invoices are directed to the correct contact and prevents delays in payment processing.

To ensure accuracy and appropriate clinical review, all documentation requiring completion, review, signing or clinical input by a treating psychiatrist must be addressed during a scheduled appointment attended by both the patient and the psychiatrist.

Our psychiatrists maintain a full clinical workload and are generally unable to complete forms, reports or administrative requests outside allocated appointment times.

Documentation that generally requires an appointment includes:

• NDIS reports
• supporting letters
• housing applications
• guardianship documentation
• capacity assessments
• functional information requests
• funding review documentation
• service provider forms
• Centrelink-related documentation
• insurance forms
• medical certificates
• other third-party paperwork requiring psychiatric input

Where possible, please provide paperwork before the appointment. This allows the psychiatrist to review the request beforehand, determine whether additional consultation time is required, and make sure the documentation can be appropriately completed.

Additional fees may apply for complex reports and documentation requiring significant clinical review.