About
Dr Southgate would like to notify patients that he will be changing his work hours as of the 10th of March to the following.
He will now be working 4 days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
His consulting hours on those days are: 8:00 am – 12:30 pm.
Dr Southgate will recommence BULK BILLING certain groups of patients. Please see the below Billing section for details:
Dr Stephen Southgate has thirty-seven years of experience working as a doctor in various roles in Western Australia after graduating from the University of Western Australia in 1987.
He has spent the last 32 years in metropolitan General Practice. Dr Southgate enjoys all aspects of general practice and is passionate about achieving the best health outcomes for his patients. He has experience working with patients of all age groups and backgrounds in the modern general practice environment.
Billing:
Dr Southgate will recommence his prior policy of bulk-billing certain groups of patients. The Federal Government’s “bulk billing incentives” introduced in November last year have made this feasible at the present time.
There will be no change at this time in the private fees for consultations with Dr Southgate. Hence the standard (Level B) consultation fee will remain $90.00. A long (Level C) consultation fee will remain $165.00 etc.
The following billing arrangements will apply for Dr Southgate’s patients from May 1st, 2024:
- All patients who do not fall into the groups below will be billed the full private fee for services provided. This includes those with Commonwealth Government Seniors Cards.
- All patients on Pensions and Children 12 and under will be bulk billed for consultations.
- All patients on Centrelink Health Care Cards who do not fall into group 2 will receive a $20.00 discount on the usual Private Fee.
- All patients are recommended to undergo the relevant, Medicare-funded Health Assessments (e.g., annually for patients over the age of 75) and preparation of GP Management Plans for those with chronic medical conditions, often requiring more complex, multidisciplinary care – these services are bulk-billed for everyone. These additional services add to the value of the care we provide and improve long term health outcomes.
- All Department of Veteran’s Affairs patients whose conditions are covered by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs will continue to be bulk billed.
- All consultations related to Workers Compensation and Insurance Commission of WA claims will be billed privately and will need to be paid for by the patient at the time of consultation until their claim has been accepted by the third-party insurer.
- Any patients experiencing genuine financial hardship are requested to discuss their situation with Dr Southgate. Fees may be reduced on a case-by-case basis at the doctor’s discretion.