We are a psychiatry practice that provides gold standard treatments for adults. We provide a quality integrative service as we work alongside three clinical psychology clinics.
Common Questions
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have done further specialised training in psychiatry and are Fellows of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Psychiatrists treat a variety of complex and serious mental illnesses and may prescribe medication, together with psychological treatment.
People are often confused about who they need to see and what the difference is between a psychiatrist and psychologist and the services they offer.
Psychiatrists are trained medical specialists, meaning they obtain a medical degree before going on to specialise. They offer treatments, which may include, general medical care (checking your physical health, physical effects of medication), mental health help, medication, psychological treatments and brain stimulation therapies (such as, electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnetic stimulation). Psychiatrists usually assess and treat a range of severe and complex mental disorders.
Psychologists are professionals that have undertaken highly specialised training in the diagnosis and psychological treatment of mental, behavioural and emotional disorders.
A psychologist may hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) and be called “doctor”; but, is not a medical doctor (M.D.).
If you are unsure whether you should see a psychiatrist or psychologist, talk to your general practitioner. They can give you advice about whether a psychiatrist or psychologist is right for you. This usually depends on your particular symptoms and the type of treatment you need. It may also depend on what treatment has already been tried.
Please note, our doctors are currently reviewing referrals for limited new patients and also have extended wait times. Please take this into consideration when requesting an initial appointment.
A referral from your GP needs to be received and accepted before an appointment can be booked with one of our psychiatrists.
Once your referral has been received (this can be faxed to us on 07 3112 4248, sent via Medical objects or emailed by yourself or your GP clinic) our reception staff will pass it onto the doctors to determine if they are able to take on your care. Acceptance is not guaranteed, and depends upon the doctor’s patient load, patient mix, and the availability of adequate appointment space to provide the required level of care.
If your referral has been accepted, our reception staff will contact you via phone to make an appointment. A deposit is required to secure your first appointment (this is the out-of-pocket amount for your first appointment).
If we are unable to accept your referral, we will advise your referring doctor of this outcome. If there is a patient email address on the referral, we will also email you to let you know.
We aim to process and contact accepted referrals within 10 business days; however this may vary if doctors are on leave.
Please feel free to email us to enquire about the progress of your referral. admin@oxfordclinic.com.au.
We are happy to talk you through the intake process, however all patients require a General Practitioner referral for the Medicare Rebate to be available.
Referrals can be sent directly from your GP, in person or emailed directly to the clinic (refer contact page).
Please be aware that the clinic is not open on weekends and does not provide after hours appointments.
Fees and rebates
Patients require a valid referral from a General Practitioner to access the Medicare rebate which covers some of the appointment. Please contact us for more information on fees.
All fees are to be paid in full on the day of your appointment. We are not a Bulk Billing service. We accept all normal forms of payment including Credit and Debit cards.
Rebates are processed electronically on the day or service to the patient’s bank account associated with their Medicare card.
Cancellation fees
In the event you wish to cancel your appointment, please provide 24 hours notice for a follow up appointment, or 2 business days notice for an initial appointment to prevent a cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees do not attract a Medicare rebate and must be paid in full prior to your next appointment.
By giving us notice of your cancellation, you allow another patient in need on our waiting list to have the chance to access a Specialist appointment.
Please refer to our cancellation policy. Another appointment will not be booked unless the fee is paid (or extenuating circumstances grant a waiver).
The Medicare Safety Net means that the Government will meet 80% of out of pocket costs for all medical services (including appointments with a psychiatrist) delivered out of hospital after an individual or family has spent $2030.00 in out of pocket fees (or $647.90 if you are a concession card holder or family receiving family tax benefit (A)) in a calendar year.
If you become involving in ongoing treatment, this will substantially reduce the costs of seeing a psychiatrist. Although you will still pay the same amount for your appointment, Medicare will refund 80% of your costs.
To receive this benefit you must be registered for the safety net (either as an individual or family). A registration form can be filled in and lodged with Medicare. We strongly recommend this.
For more information regarding the Medicare safety net visit their website at https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net
In the event you wish to cancel your appointment, please provide 24 hours notice for a follow up appointment, or 2 business days notice for an initial appointment to prevent a cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees do not attract a Medicare rebate and must be paid in full prior to your next appointment.
By giving us notice of your cancellation, you allow another patient in need on our waiting list to have the chance to access a Specialist appointment.
Please refer to our cancellation policy. Another appointment will not be booked unless the fee is paid (or extenuating circumstances grant a waiver).
Please kindly note that scheduling a new patient appointment with a psychiatrist on short notice can be quite challenging. Thus, when appointments are cancelled late, it may result in inconvenience not only to the patient, but also to other patients who are waiting to see the psychiatrist. We kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation in minimising cancellations and no-shows to ensure that we can accommodate as many patients as possible.
To reduce cancellations and non-attendance, Oxford Clinic has implemented a policy where patients must confirm their attendance 2-3 business days before their appointment.
Our administrative staff cancel any appointments not confirmed by the patient without penalty.
If a patient confirms an appointment but subsequently cancels or fails to attend, our clinic policy is as follows:
- Cancelling a confirmed appointment with more than one business days’ notice for follow-up appointments and two business days’ notice for initial appointments does not attract a cancellation fee.
- Patients with a confirmed follow-up appointment on Monday must contact the clinic by 12 pm on Saturday to cancel without penalty. Patients with a confirmed initial appointment on Monday must contact the clinic by 12 pm on Friday to cancel without penalty.
- Cancelling an appointment with less notice than specified above incurs a cancellation fee equal to the consultation fee, which cannot be claimed back through Medicare.
- Failing to attend a confirmed appointment attracts a cancellation fee equal to the consultation fee, which cannot be claimed back through Medicare.
- Non-attendance, or cancellation of an initial appointment without adequate notice (less than 2 business days), will result in forfeiture of the deposit paid for that appointment slot. If a further initial appointment is made, this will require a new deposit to be paid.
- To ensure fairness, these fees apply to all patients, and the practice manager, reception staff, or doctors cannot alter them.
- It is the patient’s responsibility to contact Oxford Clinic to reschedule after cancelling or failing to attend an appointment.
- Any outstanding cancellation fees must be paid in full before scheduling further appointments. Any existing appointments will be placed on hold until all outstanding fees are cleared.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to this policy.
Oxford Clinic is an outpatient clinic and does not have an on-call service. In an emergency call 000 or go to your local hospital emergency department.
Acute Care Team
The Acute Care Team Service is the point of access to Mental Health Services in CQ Health for people over 18 years old. You can access this service by calling the 24 hour hour access number 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 2255).
Other services:
Mental Health Access Line 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
Veterans Support Service 1800 011 046
PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression) 1300 726 306
Butterfly Foundation (Eating Disorders) 1800 334673
Mental Health Emergency Services
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