Before your Visit

  • What to bring:

    ID documents and/or medical aid details

    Legal guardians or foster families to bring relevant legal paperwork

    Relevant investigations e.g. hearing tests, medical reports or scans. These can also be emailed to us to include in your file

  • Referral letters are not essential, however certain medical aids require a referral letter to ensure payment at your insured rate. Kindly check with your chosen medical aid.

    Arrival 10minutes prior to your appointment allows for a more relaxed consultation, paperwork completion and helps keep us on schedule.

    At your first visit, we will require routine personal and medical aid details- this will be used to create your patient file and help us to contact you.

    We will also ask you to review and sign a POPIA act consent form.

    If we are running behind schedule, we will inform you. We never intend to be delayed- delays may be due to Dr Brownell attending to a sick or more complex patient, or an emergency. Our aim is to provide comprehensive care to all patients.

Costs/ Billing

  • This practice charges rates recommended by the ENT Society of South Africa.

    This may be above a rate that your medical aid offers to cover (depending on which medical aid or plan you have selected).

    We are not contracted to medical aids as a designated service provider (DSP).

    The patient is liable for payment on the day of the appointment via card payments only (no cash). Consultation fees do not include additional procedures done in the rooms.

    Medical aid reimbursement depends on your selected medical aid plan and its rules and/or exceptions.

    Surgeries are charged at private rates. This fee may be fully/partially covered by your medical aid, depending on your selected medical aid and plan.

    We would advise making use of Gap cover as this may help to cover outstanding surgery balances not covered by medical aids- otherwise patients are liable for shortfalls.

    An estimated surgery quote will be provided prior to surgery for patient review, and submission to medical aid for authorisation.

  • What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.

Before/After Surgery

  • Dr Brownell will discuss risks, benefits, surgical procedure and time off work/school required, during the consultation to allow for questions before signing a consent form.

    You will receive a quote for surgery (with related codes) which you can submit to your medical aid for pre-authorisation.

    Post operative consults are included in the surgical cost

    Feel free to contact us should anything be unclear or if you have any questions.

  • No eating/drinking 6 hours before surgery (including coffee, tea, formula, breast milk).

    Your child may have clear fluids (water, clear apple juice) 2 hours before surgery.

    Present to the hospital admissions department/ ward at 06:30 for admission, paperwork and surgical preparation

    Bring:

    ID, Medical aid details, favourite soft toy/blanket and comfort items, list of chronic medication

  • Most surgeries are day cases and you are likely to be discharged by the afternoon, however Dr Brownell will discuss this with you in person. This is dependant on your anaesthetic fitness and overall health and the nature of the procedure planned.

    Dr Brownell will discuss the outcome of surgery with you in person, and allow for questions.

    On discharge you will receive an aftercare information sheet and follow-up date.

    Post-operative related consultation fees are included in your surgical fee.

    Should you have any post operative concerns feel free to contact the practice on any of the following platforms: Whatsapp, consulting rooms or via email.