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Open Access Colonoscopy & Endoscopy
Warringah Day Surgery is a specialist day hospital servicing Sydney’s Northern Beaches and wider North Shore community with expert medical care. Over the past two decades the medical industry has seen a shift in the GP-to-Specialist referral pathway with the advent of Open Access programs allowing patients more efficient access to colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures.
Open Access Overview
Warringah’s Open Access Program gives patients priority access to see our next available gastrointestinal specialist without needing an initial consultation. It allows the patient’s primary healthcare provider (the GP) to retain control over their patient’s healthcare needs. Our Open Access Program benefits patients and GPs by streamlining diagnosis and post-procedural outcomes at a reduced cost to patients.
Priority, Expert Medical Care for Your Patients
Open Access Colonoscopy, and Gastroscopy has become increasingly popular in Australia and abroad. Noted for its effectiveness in streamlining the GP-to-Specialist referral pathway, Open Access gives your patients timelier access to diagnostic procedures whilst removing the financial pressure that comes with the cost of an initial consultation.
Your patients experiencing unexplained digestive health problems or more apparent symptoms like blood in their stool can book in with our next available specialist, typically within 14 days. Negating long wait times to obtain a diagnosis helps to reduce patient’s stress and anxiety that comes with having gastrointestinal symptoms whilst putting control back in the hands of the patient and you, their GP. Results are provided to you and your patient upon discharge so that a clinical care plan can be put in place.
Our Industry leading detection and satisfaction rates
Known for being leaders in their field, the gastroenterologists and general surgeon at Warringah Day Surgery use the most advanced gastrointestinal medical equipment to diagnose, treat and manage patient’s gastrointestinal disorders. Our facility has industry-leading benchmark detection and satisfaction rates, meaning patients can have complete confidence in the thoroughness of their medical procedure.
All colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures are digitally recorded and held for peer review. Always striving for best practice medicine, our Open Access team provide you with a comprehensive outcome evaluation and recommendation report within 24 hours of your patient’s procedure.
Open Access Endoscopy and Gastroscopy Benefits
Our Open Access Program offers numerous benefits to both patients and GPs, making it an attractive and efficient referral pathway for your patients to access specialist care.
Under our Open Access Program, patients don’t require an initial consultation to see our next available specialist. Instead, they can book in directly for their endoscopy or gastroscopy, provided they meet our admission criteria. Please note that patients with co-morbidities must attend a specialist consultation before their procedure.
As the patient’s referring GP, you will be sent a postprocedural evaluation report including treatment recommendations from our specialist within 24 hours of your patient’s procedure. Patients are also provided with this report upon discharge.
You are offering your patients a more cost-effective treatment pathway by cutting out the expense of an initial consultation when deemed unnecessary, which patients appreciate.
By removing the additional wait time involved with scheduling a specialist consultation, patients can promptly get the specialist care they need, usually within 14 days, which reduces the associated stress and anxiety that comes with having uncomfortable digestive symptoms.
Put your Trust in Warringah’s Open Access Team
Our Open Access specialists safely perform over 1000 colonoscopies and gastroscopies yearly using state-of-the-art gastrointestinal equipment. You can have confidence knowing your patients will receive high-quality, expert medical care through our Open Access Program, and here’s why:
- Unlike some hospitals which take stand-alone digital images during the procedure, Warringah Day Surgery records your patient’s entire procedure.
- Both colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures are performed under our Open Access Program.
- We comprehensively assess every patient prior to their procedure.
- Our hospital has an electronic system to ensure patient recalls are sent by mail to the patient.
- Warringah’s specialist gastroenterology unit leads our Open Access Program. We have industry leading benchmark detection and satisfaction rates, and meet the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
- Warringah Day Surgery has a team of expert gastroenterologists and a general surgeon, to provide ready access and continuity of care when surgical intervention is required.
Referring Your Patients
Referring your patients via Warringah’s Open Access Program is a simple and straight forward process. Choose from any of the following options.
1. Open Access Referral Form
Submit your Open Access Referral Form via secure fax or email. Download a copy below or order your Referral Pads from our Clinical Manager Katie Brooks at wds@monserrat.com.au
2. Have your Patient Contact Us
Provide a referral to your patient and have them call our hospital on (02) 9063 7585
3. Send an E-Referral
Send an E-Referral (Template + Instructions below). For technical assistance downloading and installing these templates please email info@montserrat.com.au
Medical Director
Important Note:
Do not open the template in Word or any other program.
It must be SAVED unopened as an .RTF file
Best Practice
Important Note:
Do not open the template in Word or any other program.
It must be SAVED unopened as an .RTF file
Meet Our World-Class Team of Open Access Specialists
Dr Jeffrey Tu MBBS, FRACP
Special Interests
Investigation and management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Extensive experience performing gastroscopy, colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy
Speciality
Gastroenterologist
Bio
Dr Jeffrey Tu graduated from University in 2002. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2010 after completing advanced training in gastroenterology. He subsequently undertook an advanced therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at the Prince of Wales hospital. Dr Jeffrey Tu has extensive experience in performing gastroscopy, colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy, and is accredited to undertake these procedures by the Gastroenterological Society of Australia. He offers therapeutic procedure such as EMR polyp removal, trans colonic antibiotics infusion in the treatment of intestinal parasite and infrared coagulation therapy of internal haemorrhoid. Dr Jeffrey Tu’s clinical interest is the investigation and management of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). He runs a state-of-the-art breath testing lab which investigates IBS triggers including dietary intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
Dr Christopher Vickers MBBS (Hons), BSc (Hons), FRACP, FAGA, FAASLD
Special Interests
Colonoscopy
Gastroscopy
Oesophageal dilatation
Haemorrhoid banding
Bilary and pancreatic stenting
Removal of bile duct stones
ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
Speciality
Gastroenterologist
Bio
Dr Christopher Vickers graduated from Sydney University in 1979 with 1st Class Honours as a student of Royal North Shore Hospital. He completed his residency and specialist training in Gastroenterology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Christopher was the first Gastroenterologist to look after Liver Transplant patients in Australia in 1986, being involved with the first six transplant patients. He then went to the UK for several years to study liver diseases and organ transplantation. When he returned to Australia, Christopher was appointed as a Specialist at St Vincent’s Hospital where he still works. He has been a Consultant Gastroenterologist at the Warringah Medical and Dental Centre Day Surgery since 1990 where he performs the following procedures:
• Colonoscopy
• Gastroscopy
• Oesophageal dilatation
• Haemorrhoid banding
• ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
• Bilary and pancreatic stenting
• Removal of bile duct stones
Dr Vickers is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association and a Fellow of the American Association for liver disease, awarded for scientific contributions in the fields of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases. He teaches students of the University of New South Wales and the University of Notre Dame.
Dr Jamal Merei MBChb, FRCA (GLAG), MD (Melb Uni), FRACS
Speciality
General Surgeon
Bio
Dr Jamal Merei provides General Surgery services at the Warringah Medical & Dental Centre. He is a Consultant General Surgeon at North Shore Private Hospital and a Visiting Medical Officer at Manly Hospital.
Dr Merei graduated in 1999 from the University of Melbourne after completing his research at the Royal Children Hospital in Paediatric surgery. In 2010 he completed his Advanced General Surgery training at Royal North Shore Hospital and was awarded his fellowship by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
Jamal’s practice covers all areas of general surgery, with a special interest in biliary pathology dealing with gall bladder surgeries as well as other laparoscopic procedures. He is accredited to perform gastroscopies and colonoscopies with or without banding of haemorrhoids. Jamal’s other areas of expertise include bowel surgeries dealing with all kinds of bowel cancer as well as key hole procedures for hernia repair, which he performs in over 99% of such cases.
