PODIATRY RICHMOND

A podiatrist is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of issues related to the foot, ankle and related structures of the leg. These conditions include musculoskeletal injuries, skin and nail conditions, sporting injuries, foot arthritis, paediatric foot problems, the effects of chronic disease on the lower limbs and feet along with many other injuries and ailments related to the feet and lower limbs.

You do not need a referral to visit us in the clinic, however, if you have a referral or any paperwork from your GP or Specialist, please do bring it along to your appointment. 

Private health funds do cover ancillary health services that include podiatry. Whether your cover includes podiatry will depend on the level of cover that you have with your provider. Whether you are eligible to claim back your podiatry charges will depend on the scope of your insurance coverage. If you are curious as to what your health fund may pay on your service, you may phone them prior to your appointment to determine your likely rebate. 

Here at Greater Western Health, your initial consultation will go for 30-45 minutes depending on your needs. This time allows your Podiatrist to thoroughly examine and understand the issue at hand, your ongoing needs as well as providing the necessary time to understand your condition properly, in the context of your other environmental factors. A ‘biomechanical assessment’ is a little more detailed, in which the podiatrist will gather a ‘history’, as well as conduct necessary assessments to provide an accurate picture of the issue at hand. 

We will also develop a comprehensive treatment plan that will enable you to achieve your recovery goals as soon as possible during this consultation.

A general consultation is a core podiatric service that focuses on dealing with a wide range of foot ailments and will include an expert diagnosis and a foot treatment. A general consultation can include any of the following treatments;

• Nail Care
• Ingrown Nail Treatment
• Corn Removal
• Hard Skin Removal
• Diabetic Foot Assessment
• Warts
• Tinea
• Other Skin Pathologies

If you have diabetes, it is recommended that you have your feet checked at least once a year by a podiatrist. Diabetes can lead to ulcers and other complications and it’s important to identify these problems early. Our Podiatrists are able to undertake a ‘Doppler’ examination to check blood flow in addition to regular treatment. It is also advised that people with diabetes should refrain from self treatment of problematic nails, corns and calluses, as this will increase your risk of infection and potential long term complications.

Routine care of nails and calluses is not painful. Some conditions such as ingrown toenails may be sensitive to treatment. We do our best to minimise pain and can also offer local anaesthetic injections when required.

Your feet can definitely contribute to lower back pain. The pronation of your feet and ankles may cause your knees to turn inward. This in turn can impact your hips which will affect the way you walk. If not corrected, this may affect the muscles acting on your spine leading to lower back pain. Our Podiatrists have the benefit of having our experienced physiotherapists in house so they may refer between each other to work toward a comprehensive treatment plan, and vice-versa. 

There could be a number of reasons for why you may experience pain when you are walking or exercising. Whether it be plantar fasciitis, corns, calluses, arthritis, pregnancy, high arches, flat footedness or ill fitting shoes, there could be any number of reasons for why you are experiencing pain. Due to the many small bones, ligaments, tendons and body tissue the diagnosis of the cause can be complex and difficult to pinpoint. Our podiatrists will perform a detailed assessment (“biomechanical assessment”) of your foot to identify what is causing your pain and discomfort.

Yes, we regularly treat children for a variety of issues which is no surprise considering the rapid growth spurts they have and the levels of activity they participate in. We endeavour to get our paediatric patient’s walking in the best alignment possible from an early stage, to prevent excessive stresses to the lower limb later in life. Our podiatrists have experience in treating children’s feet and will assess your child’s posture, gait, muscle flexibility and strength from head to toe as part of their assessment. From walking age usually is appropriate, however our podiatrists have experience in treating younger children if they have ingrown toenails.

Absolutely! We just require your treatment approval and the details of your claim (including claim number, claim manager name and contact details). 

If you do not have these details prior to your appointment, you will be required to pay the full consultation fee on the day of your visit and can seek reimbursement from your insurance company.

Absolutely! Although, whilst we do accept Veterans Affairs claims, your coverage will depend on what type of card you possess. For Veterans with a “Gold Card”, you will are completely covered for all podiatry services. For Veterans with a “White Card”, DVA will fund podiatry services if they are required because of an accepted war or service related injury or disease. We recommend speaking with DVA prior to the consultation to identify your level of entitlement. We will need a referral letter from your GP in order to claim through DVA.

The Chronic Disease Management Plan (Formerly EPC – Enhanced Primary Care) program is a government initiative that allows individuals with chronic medical conditions to receive Medicare rebates for podiatry services. Discuss with your GP to see if you are eligible to obtain this referral to our clinic. We accept these forms in the clinic, which will subsidise most of the cost of the appointment. 

We accept payment via all types of Visa & Mastercard, TYRO and cash payments. We are able to process your Private Health at the time of your appointment, rather than you having to claim back later from your fund. 

Yes we regularly clean and sterilise our equipment after every single use (using a commercial, medical grade steriliser) and adopt industry standard best practices to ensure the safety and care of our patients at all times.

Yes we do offer home visits for our patients who are unable to physically attend the clinic for a variety of reasons. There are additional costs with a home visit due to travel costs and the time taken to leave the clinic and visit your home. Please contact us to discuss your needs for a home visit and for more information.

We can also arrange a visit to a nursing home, please contact us to discuss further.

We are situated next to the Richmond Coles Shopping Centre and there is ample parking available right next to the clinic in the large shopping carpark. You can even pop over to the shopping centre for a coffee after your appointment!

We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality care for our patients, and as a result, we aren’t able to offer bulk billing on the Chronic Disease Management Plan (previously called an EPC). Our consultation fees apply to all visits, and a Medicare rebate can then be issued to you with a valid EPC referral. There is a small out of pocket expense for our appointments.