How to make an appointment:
The Northern Sydney Local Health Genetics service is a specialist service and so requires a written referral from your doctor. Patients have no out of pocket expenses for clinically appropriate services providing they have a valid Medicare card.
How to request a referral
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Discuss the need for an appointment with your doctor (GP or specialist).
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Once we receive your referral, you and your doctor will be notified. You will be placed on a waitlist and contacted in due course.
Your Appointment
Prior to your appointment
One of our genetic counsellors will call you to obtain information about your personal and family medical history. They will also answer any questions you have about your appointment.
We sometimes enquire about your first degree and second degree relatives. We might ask you to pass on a consent form to certain relatives to request permission to access their relevant medical records. We will not contact your relatives directly without permission and the information provided to us is confidential.
At your appointment
You will be seen by a clinical geneticist and/or a genetic counsellor. The consultation time is around one hour in duration. You are welcome to bring a family member or friend along for support.
The majority of time is spent providing you with information and discussing your concerns. Depending on the reason for referral, a doctor may want to perform a physical examination. It is not always possible to obtain a diagnosis.
Testing may or may not be ordered on the day. Any genetic testing is just a simple blood test. If testing is performed, we will arrange a second appointment to discuss your results.
After your appointment
Both you and your doctors will receive a written report about what was discussed during the consultation, including any recommendations made. Follow-up appointments are arranged as required.
