What are your primary consulting and operating locations?
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Mr Soong Chua currently consults out of East Melbourne, Richmond, Heidelberg and Box Hill.
The addresses can be found on the locations page.
What surgeries do you perform at the Box Hill location?
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Mr Chua performs a range of knee, elbow and shoulder surgeries in Box Hill. He not only operates but also consults at the Epworth Eastern in Box Hill.
Why Are Orthopaedic Surgeons in Australia called Mr rather than Dr?
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In Melbourne, medical students become doctors upon graduating from medical school. Fully qualified surgeons have completed many years of training after medical school so they are all medical doctors. Sometimes they are addressed as Mr, Ms or Miss due to a convention that originates from the UK.
This is because the origins of surgery are not from the tradition of doctoring but from the Barber Surgeons, the people with a sharp knife. In the early days, doctors or medical physicians regarded surgeons as less educated but with time the professions united under the medical umbrella. These days surgeons are at the forefront of medical research and evidence-based studies to guide best practice and provide the best patient outcomes.
When the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons was formed in 1927, there remained a strong influence from Britain and so the use of this term was adopted here. Recently, there has been a shift away from this along the lines of the USA, where all surgeons use Dr or specify MD in their name title. There are even differences along state lines with most surgeons in New South Wales using Dr while Mr persists as the majority in Victoria.
Regardless of which title is used, your surgeon is fully qualified to work as a surgeon in Australia only if they hold a Fellowship of the Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).
Do I need to book an appointment?
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Yes. Mr Chua sees patients by appointment only.
Do I need a referral?
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Yes. A referral from a GP is usually valid for 12 months and a referral from another specialist is only valid for 3 months.
Does Mr Chua see Workcover, TAC and DVA patients? What about patients who do not have private insurance?
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Yes. Mr Chua is happy to see all patients including Workcover, TAC and DVA patients, and patients who do not have private insurance.
Do I need to pay for a visit on the day?
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Yes, we require payment on the day.
If you are a Work Cover or TAC patient, you must bring your claim number with you, otherwise you will be billed on the day and a receipt will be provided for you to claim this back from Work Cover or the TAC.
Will I get a rebate from Medicare?
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Yes, Medicare eligible patients will receive a rebate for consultations. We can process this for you and you should receive the rebate in your nominated bank account within a few working days.
How can I pay?
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Acceptable payment methods include:
- Cash
- Cheque
- EFTPOS
- Credit card (Visa and MasterCard)
- Apple Pay
Do we have a cancellation policy?
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Yes. If you need to cancel your appointment please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer this appointment to another patient who needs treatment. If you cancel your appointment within 24 hours you will be billed an administration fee. Please note: there is no rebate from Medicare for cancellation fees.
How long does an appointment take?
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Appointments can take up to half an hour, depending on the complexity of your case.
Does private health insurance cover my appointment?
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Private health insurance and extras cover does not cover the cost of consultations.
