Dermatologists are doctors that specialise in all aspects of skin conditions — from skin cancer management, to medical, surgical and cosmetic treatments. The Australasian College of Dermatologists is the government-accredited provider of such specialist training. Only fellows of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (titled FACD) are recognised as “specialist of the skin” by Medicare Australia.
Skin cancer clinics are usually run by non specialist doctors. At Northside Dermatology, you will only been seen by a specialist dermatologist who has received extensive training in diagnosing and managing of all skin conditions, highly skilled in the early detection and management of skin cancers.
Yes. Why? A referral ensures that: 1. There is clear communication between your local doctor and your specialist regarding your condition, medical history and medication. 2. You are able to receive your eligible medicare rebate for the consultation and any procedures, making private specialist care more financially accessible. Cosmetic consultations do not require a referral. There is no Medicare rebate for cosmetic procedures.
A referral from your GP is typically valid for twelve months. A referral from a specialist is valid for three months.
As we are a private medical clinic, bulk billing is unfortunately not available. We require payment on the day of the consultation. We can process your Medicare rebate directly to your account. We accept EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard. A detailed guide on fee structure and medicare rebate will be emailed to you with your initial welcome pack. Initial consultation $295 ($78 rebate), biopsy $130 -160 (depends on the site and nature, $46 rebate), procedures $150-700 out of pocket depending on number and complexity. If you require frequent medical care outside of the hospital, we recommend you register with Medicare Safety Net
(Click Here for Medicare Safety Net)
Unfortunately not. Private health insurance in Australia does not cover any out-of-hospital based consultations or procedures.
We are currently able to offer our patients with a routine appointment within 8-12 weeks. If you feel that your condition requires more urgent attention, please speak to one of our friendly receptionists.
Failing to attend an appointment causes inconvenience to other patients who have been waiting for an appointment. We send SMS text reminders for our appointments to minimise forgotten appointment times. A non-attendance fee of $80 is charged for missed appointments. Should you fail to attend your appointment and then wish to reschedule a subsequent appointment, you may be asked to prepay your appointment fees.
If you were recently seen by our doctors (<3 months), then we can provide you with a new script. If you were seen by our doctors more than 3 months ago, then we can provide a script to cover you (at your doctor’s discretion) for a month until you can be seen again. If you were seen more than 6 months ago, you will need to be seen by our dermatologist as your condition may have changed and the medication may no longer be appropriate. There is a charge of $25 for replacement of a lost script.
We generally advise our patients not to wear makeup when attending appointments. If you must wear makeup, we can provide you with makeup remover during your consultation in the event that we need to assess your facial skin. Remember to bring makeup to reapply after your appointments.
We try our best to minimise your waiting time for your appointment. Medical appointments are different to other appointments, as more complex problems and urgent procedures often put us behind schedule. We advise patients to allow for an hour of time in case there is a delay or you require an extra treatment/procedure when attending your appointment. You are welcome to ring our friendly receptionist in advance to check if our specialist dermatologists are running on time.
We generally advise that you:
There are a few ways you can access more urgent appointments:
We recommend that you register your family with Medicare Safety Nets. The Medicare Safety Net provides a higher Medicare rebate for out-of-hospital expenses (i.e., costs not covered by insurance such as specialist fees, medications and CT scans). While a doctor’s visit cost remains the same, you’ll receive a higher Medicare rebate once you and/or your family reach the threshold. You can find out more about Medicare Safety Nets here. If you have trouble financially with private care, your GP can refer you to a public hospital where our specialist dermatologists also work. The services provided through a public hospital are paid for by the government and are entirely free to you. If you are an existing patient here and wish to go to a public hospital, our specialist dermatologist will be happy to write you a referral and include any of your past relevant test results.
North Fitzroy: Street parking is available along St Georges Rd and in the surrounding streets. Reservoir: Parking is available along Broadway and Marchant Ave. There is also a large car park behind the shops on Broadway on Bernard St.
North Fitzroy: Tram 11 (Victoria Harbour Docklands to West Preston via Melbourne CBD, East Melbourne Northcote, Thornbury) travels along St Georges Rd and stops a few doors up from us. The Mernda train line stops at the Rushall Station, which is a 10-minute walk away. The Mernda line connects Mernda and CBD via Richmond, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Fitzroy North, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Reservoir, Thomastown, Epping and South Morang. Tram 96 stops at the Nicholson St/Holden St stop, which is a 12-minute walk away. Tram 96 connects East Brunswick to St Kilda beach via Melbourne City, South Bank, South Melbourne and Middle Park. Bus 506 stops at Miller St near our clinic. Bus route 506 connects Westgarth to Moonee Ponds via Brunswick East, Brunswick and Brunswick West. Bus 250 stops at the corner of St Georges Rd and Holden St. Bus 250 runs between Melbourne City and La Trobe University via Carlton, Clifton Hill, Fairfield, Thornbury, Ivanhoe, Heidelberg and Bundoora. Reservoir: The Mernda train line stops at Reservoir Station. We are a 5-minute walk away from the Reservoir Station. Bus 552 connects Reservoir and Northcote Plaza via High St, running through Regent, Preston Market and Thornbury. Bus 561 connects Macleod and Pascoe Vale via La Trobe University, Kingsbury, Reservoir and Coburg. Bus 556 connects Epping Plaza with Northland Shopping Centre via Lalor, Thomastown, Reservoir and Preston. Bus route 555 runs between Epping Shopping Plaza, Lalor, Thomastown, Reservoir, Preston and Northland Shopping Centre. Bus 301 connects Reservoir to La Trobe University. Bus route 558 connects Reservoir Station to North West Reservoir. Bus route 553 connects Preston and West Preston Market. The nearest bus stop to us is Marchant Ave/Broadway, which is located almost outside of our clinic.
North Fitzroy: We are at 379 St Georges Rd, between Barkly St and Clauscen St, south of the Merri Creek primary school and Northcote High School, opposite the Northside Clinic (general practitioner’s clinic). Look out for an Edwardian-style heritage building on the left if you are travelling north on St Georges Rd. Reservoir: We are located near the corner of Broadway and Marchant Ave, opposite the Lady Bower cafe. From the Reservoir train station, we are an easy 5-minute walk east.
We see a wide range of patients, from babies to the elderly. We specialise in conditions of the skin, hair and nails. Our patients come from a variety of geographic locations including Whittlesea, Mernda, Doreen, Yarrambat, Hurstbridge, Greenvale, Roxburgh Park and Craigieburn to the North; Eltham, Montmorency, Lower Plenty, Ivanhoe and Eaglemont in the east; Gladstone Park, Tullamarine, Essendon and Keilor in the west; and Northcote, Brunswick, Thornbury, Fitzroy, Carlton, Clifton Hill, Alphington, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Melbourne CBD in the south. We also see many patients from country Victoria.
Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm
Medical Enquiries:
reception@northsidedermatology.com.auLaser & Cosmetic Enquiries:
cosmetic@northsidedermatology.com.au