What to do beforehand
In helping people who attend the clinic we aim for the highest standards. This involves a comprehensive and thorough assessment and treatment plan. You can help with this greatly by completing some administrative activities prior to attending the clinic and this will definitely make the most of your clinic time. If you could bring a list of your current medications, all your previous medical imaging, reports and names of medications this would be most helpful. Please also remember to bring a copy of your referral. Even better, if you can scan and email, or fax this information to us, we will be better prepared to help you on the day of your first appointment.

Click here to download the pain clinic questionnaire, or go to the ‘handouts and resources’ section of the website and find the ‘Initial Questionnaires’ document. Completing this will help our multidisciplinary team better assess and manage your pain.

We ask the questions in the questionnaire with the objective of better understanding your problems. If you are uncomfortable answering any questions please feel free to leave them and we can talk through any issues through with you when we see you. As already noted it would be helpful if you could post, fax or email the questionnaire and other paperwork back to the clinic prior to your attendance. You can fax to (02) 8313 7114, or email to reception@westernpaincentre.com.au This will assist in making the most of your appointment time. If you cannot send it beforehand then bring it with you to your appointment and we will review it prior to your consultation.

In regards to billing, as a private clinic there is a fee is discussed with you when you book your appointment. If this could be settled on the day of your appointment this would be appreciated. If you have a current Workers Compensation or motor vehicle accident insurance claim the fee may be covered by your insurer. Please be sure to obtain approval prior to attending the clinic. Otherwise you will need to pay the fee on the day and claim it back from your insurer.

If you need to cancel your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible. Given that clinic and clinician time is valuable, cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment will incur a cancellation fee equal to the consultation fee. If you cancel more than once with less than 48 hours notice we may ask you to pre-pay for future appointments.

What to expect on the day
Your first consultation is an assessment and will most likely be with a pain specialist, who is a medical doctor with advanced training in pain management. The appointment will be between forty-five minutes and one hour. Your doctor will talk with you about the centre and how we can help. They will also find out what you hope to gain from coming to us. They will then conduct a thorough medical assessment, and will take a history of your pain. He will also ask you questions about work, family, your psychological history and so on. This is so your doctor can understand you and the impact or your pain better, and so the centre can develop a comprehensive treatment plan for you.

At the end of the assessment your doctor will make some recommendations. This may involve some initial medication treatment, and it will also most likely involve you seeing other members of the team. After these assessments are complete we will develop a comprehensive treatment plan. After the first session your doctor will write a letter to the person that referred you to us. If you see other members of the team they will also write similar letters. Please understand that sometimes people are see who have acute medical problems that need immediate attention. In addition the nature of chronic pain means that people attending the clinic can be running late, sometimes because of their pain or sometimes because they come a long way to see us. This issues can mean that your doctor may be running late on the day to see you. Please allow extra time when you come to see us and please be patient, your doctor wants to ensure that everyone gets effective and appropriate help.