FAQ – Patient Information

• When will my appointment be made?
  SUG require a referral along with relevant investigations to be received and then triaged by one of our Specialists prior to an appointment being made. This process ensures timely management of all our patients.
• How will I be informed of my appointment?
  SUG will contact you via phone for urgent appointments (as determined by the specialist). For all other appointments we will send an appointment letter to you either via AusPost or email. These letters contain all the information you will need for your upcoming appointment.
• Confirming appointments?
  Due to high demand for Urology services in Shepparton it is required that you call to confirm your attendance to your appointment (as per information on your appointment letter.) Our staff endeavour to make reminder calls prior to your appointment, however this is not always possible. We require 24hours notice for any cancellations. If cancellations are not made, a full fee is charged for the missed appointment with no rebate available. Any future rebooking’s must then be paid in advance before the appointment is made.
• Where will my appointment be?
  Our main office location is at 32 Wyndham Street (on the corner of Regent Street) Shepparton. We have minimal onsite parking, however you are welcome to park to the rear or at the front of our premises. Ample offsite free parking is available in both Wyndham & Regent Streets. We have ramp access at front door.
• What do I need to bring with me to my appointment?
  All patients need to bring a valid Medicare card. This enables an electronic rebate from Medicare to occur.

  If you hold current; Private Health Insurance, DVA Gold card or DSP, AGED Pension cards please bring these to your appointment.

  For return consultations you will need to ensure that your referral is current and valid. If this is not the case you will not be entitled to a refund component from Medicare.

• How much will my appointment cost?
  As this is a PRIVATE PRACTICE all accounts must be settled IN FULL on the day of your consultation. Payment options are: Cash/Cheque/EFTPOS.

  For initial consultations the fee is $175 for all our urologists. The available Medicare rebate is $73.85. All subsequent consultations are charged at $95 with the Medicare rebate available being $37.15. As previously noted, our practice submits these electronically to Medicare at the time of payment with Medicare then reimbursing your personal registered bank account.

  Our practice does offer reduced fees for AGED and DSP *valid pension card holders.

  It may be determined that you require an ultrasound scan during your consultation. This will be performed by the specialist to aide in your assessment. The fee for this service is $30 with no rebate currently available.

• How often is my doctor available?
  • Mr. Peter Mortensen is available fortnightly, Monday to Thursday.
  • Mr. Lih-Ming Wong is available 4-weekly, Monday to Wednesday.
  • Mr. Dan Lenaghan is available 4-weekly, Monday to Wednesday.
  • Mr. Tony Makris is available fortnightly, alternating (Wed-Thurs) & (Thur-Fri).

  It is important to note that SUG does have a visiting urologist in attendance each week *(excluding annual leave periods).

  In the case of urgent care being required Mr. Dan Lenaghan and Mr. Ming Wong are also available in; Hopper’s Crossing, East Melbourne and Lilydale.

• What if I need an operation?
  For patients that are NOT privately insured you will be given paperwork to complete and return to Goulburn Valley Health or Kyabram Health. Once the hospital receives your completed paperwork they will add you to the public waiting list for surgery with your specialist. When a date becomes available the hospital will contact you with all necessary details.

  Patients with Private Insurance (hospital cover) will have the choice of the next available operating date at Shepparton Private Hospital.

• How much will my operation cost?
  If your procedure takes place within the public system (Goulburn Valley Health or Kyabram Health) there will be no out of pocket charge.

  For PRIVATE patients that elect to admit in a Private Hospital (Shepparton Private, Epworth or St. Vincent’s) you will have out of pocket expenses depending on your level of cover and your insurer. We will provide you with an estimated out of pocket expense for our surgeon when booking your procedure. This out of pocket expense is expected to be paid prior to your operation.

  You may also find there is an out of pocket expense with the Hospital and the Anaesthetist; these fees are separate to the surgeon. We provide you with contact details for both the hospital and anaesthetist, along with the expected item numbers for your procedure, this allows you to contact them and be informed of their fees prior to your admission day.

• What are your opening hours?
  We are open:

  • 9am – 5pm, Monday to Thursday
  • 9am – 1pm, Friday

  We are closed public holidays.

  We endeavour to be available at the above times, however, in peak times an answering service is available to leave a message so that we can return your call.