Frequently Asked Questions

Consultations at our centre are by appointment only.

Please call our centre on (03) 9783 5245 to arrange an appointment. The centre is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm.

If you require an urgent appointment, please call the centre for assistance prior to coming in.   

Please bing the following to your appointment:

• Referral from your GP or Optometrist

• Medicare card

• Private health insurance card

• Government pension card (Pension/DVA card)

• List of medications

• Current glasses

Medicare require a valid referral in order to receive a rebate.  The referral can be from a General Practitioner, Specialist, or Optometrist. Once this referral expires, or if you have a different problem, a new referral will be required to obtain a Medicare rebate. 

Southern Eye Centre is a private clinic and all accounts are to be settled at the conclusion of your appointment. If you have a valid referral, the receipt can then be submitted to Medicare to claim your rebate.

We advise you to allow about 90 minutes for your consultation.

The consultation begins with the Orthoptist who will assess your eyes and will usually instil dilating drops prior to seeing the Ophthalmologist. These drops take approximately 20 minutes to work and will allow the Ophthalmologist to perform a detailed examination of your eyes. Extra testing is sometimes required and may result in a longer consultation time.

Please reschedule your appointment if you are unable to allow the time necessary for the consultation.

The dilation drops required for the eye examination can cause your vision to become temporarily blurred and light sensitive. These drops can take several hours to wear off and we advise you not to drive until your eyes have returned to normal.  Sunglasses are also a good idea to assist with the light sensitivity while you wait for the drops to wear off.