What Happens at Your First Appointment
Your first appointment is an assessment. Your podiatrist takes a history of the problem and your general health, examines both feet, watches how you stand and walk, and explains what they have found. You leave with a diagnosis where one can be made, and a plan for what happens next.
- History. What the problem is, how long it has been there, what makes it better or worse, and any previous treatment or imaging.
- Examination. Both feet are examined, not just the sore one, along with your footwear.
- Assessment. Where the problem is mechanical, your podiatrist watches you stand and walk. Where imaging is needed, it is arranged.
- Explanation and plan. What the problem is, what the options are, and what each one involves. Treatment often starts at the same visit.
How long it takes
Manly Foot Clinic has not published a standard consultation length, so this page does not state one. Ask when you book if you need to plan around it, and say then if you think your appointment will need longer, for example if you are bringing a child or several problems at once.
What to Bring
Bringing the right things to a first appointment saves a second one. The shoes matter more than people expect: they carry the wear pattern that shows how you load your feet.
- Any referral letter, and any recent x-rays, scans or reports.
- Your private health fund card, so a claim can be processed at the clinic.
- The shoes you wear most, including work shoes and sports shoes.
- Any orthoses, insoles or braces you currently use.
- A list of your current medications.
- For a child, their school shoes and sports shoes, and any report from a GP or physiotherapist.
Do I Need a Referral?
A referral is not necessary. As your primary health care provider, we encourage referrals so as to keep your GP in the loop regarding your foot health.
What It Costs
Our consultation fees are set out below and on our FAQ page. What you pay depends on which practitioner you see and what the appointment involves, so if you are not sure which applies to you, call the clinic on (02) 9977 0047 before you book.
- General consultation, initial: $120.00
- General consultation, subsequent: $105.00
- Saturday general consultation, initial: $120.00
- Saturday general consultation, subsequent: $110.00
- Biomechanical consultation: $160.00
- Dr Ozan Amir, initial surgical consultation: $290.00
- Dr Ozan Amir, subsequent consultation: $180.00
What You Can Claim
All of the major private health funds recognise the clinic. Please call the centre for further information and guidance prior to calling your insurance company.
Private health cover
Podiatry sits under extras cover rather than hospital cover, so what you get back depends on your level of extras and how much of your annual limit you have already used. Your fund can tell you both figures before you come in, and it is worth asking them for the rebate on the specific item rather than a general answer.
Medicare, DVA and NDIS
Some patients can access podiatry through a Medicare care plan arranged by their GP, through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or through an NDIS plan. Call the clinic on (02) 9977 0047 before your appointment and ask, because it changes what you pay on the day.
After Your Appointment
Most plans are staged across more than one visit, and you will be given a review date rather than left to judge progress yourself. Where you were referred, or where you have asked us to, a report goes back to your GP or referring practitioner.
If treatment involves a procedure, orthoses or a course of therapy, that is arranged separately and quoted before it starts. If your problem turns out to need a surgical opinion, Dr Ozan Amir consults at the same clinic, so that conversation does not mean a new referral and a second waiting list.