Lumina is a paediatric specialist clinic in Sydney that cares for children with a range of health challenges. Specialist physicians work with you to address those challenges, helping you achieve happy, well, and fulfilled lives.
Lumina provides outstanding child neurology, psychiatry and psychology, endocrinology and clinical genetics services. Lumina also offers on-site electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to support diagnostics and treatment planning.
The specialist physicians and healthcare professionals working through Lumina have completed years – sometimes decades – of specialist and subspecialist training and clinical experience.
Lumina’s Clinical Director is Paediatric Neurologist Dr Simone Ardern-Holmes. Simone completed her subspecialist training as a child neurologist at the Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital and has practiced clinically for over 20 years. Simone works as a senior consultant in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. She also holds an academic appointment to the University of Sydney, where she completed a PhD researching neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) in children.
For more information on healthcare professionals providing services through Lumina, click here
To obtain the correct Medicare support for your visit, you will need a referral from your paediatrician or GP. We review referrals before booking an appointment and may refer you to a hospital if your child will need to be seen there. There may be tests or treatment that can only be obtained through the hospital.
For more information, visit our New Patients page here.
Doctors wishing to refer patients to Lumina can access more information about referrals here.
Visits are by appointment only, and usually require a referral from your Paediatrician or GP. Referral letters from a GP last 12 months. If you are hoping to see a particular doctor, please be aware that you may be able to see a different doctor much sooner. We will let you know the options where we think we can provide an earlier visit.
Initial visits are longer to allow for comprehensive review of your child’s history, your family and social background, and to undertake examination of your child’s health and wellbeing.
If you are unable to make an appointment let us know as soon as possible. Please don’t expect a quick rebooking as the doctor’s calendar may be full, and other people may have been waiting for some time.
If you cancel an appointment within 48 hours, we may invoice you for the missed visit if we’re unable to rebook someone into your appointment time.
Please speak with our team before your visit to ensure you’re clear about the fees to be paid. Payment is expected at the time of your visit.
Healthcare practitioners attending Lumina set their own fees. These reflect:
Initial visits are longer to allow for comprehensive review of your child’s history and current health and wellbeing, and to develop a treatment plan and share it with your GP or paediatrician. Medicare rebates are higher for these visits, but you may have a higher out-of-pocket cost for your initial visit.
Your doctor will book a longer visit each year to allow time for a full review of your child’s health. This may also be required to support PBS reimbursement of some medications, and/or to reorder and review necessary testing.
We will work to identify and obtain the appropriate Medicare rebate for each visit.
You will need to pay the full fee at the time of your visit and we will process your Medicare rebate. You should receive the rebate back to your nominated bank account. If you do not receive your rebate, please contact Medicare.
When your child turns 18 you may need to contact Medicare for your rebate and to update payment details.
Your doctor will set your fee and specify how they prefer payment. Lumina’s payment terminal supports Visa and Mastercard. Credit card fees may differ between cards.
We do not accept cash for security and sanitary reasons.
Unfortunately, most health funds do not cover private specialist visits. Call your private health insurer before visiting to check.
The government provides a website with more information about private health insurance: https://privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/what_is_covered/privatehealth.htm
The Australian Medical Association also has a brochure on the gap between Medicare rebates and doctor’s fees: https://feeslist.ama.com.au/file/download/fees-gaps-poster-2022.pdf
Please ask your referring doctor to forward any letters or test results that may assist with your first visit.
Your doctor may wish to undertake an EEG (electroencephalogram) to understand your child’s brain activity. There are additional fees for this, but also Medicare rebates to help with the cost.
Complex testing – such as genetic testing or MRI scans – may need to be referred to other clinics or laboratories and additional costs may apply. Please discuss this with your doctor.
There is a pathology clinic and a pharmacy in the same building as Lumina, but you may prefer to visit facilities closer to home.
Second opinions can play an important role in helping address your concerns about a diagnosis or course of treatment. We will always be happy to help you with seeking a second opinion.
Please be aware that a second opinion at any private clinic will require a new consult and you may incur the higher costs associated with a long initial visit.
As a mixed clinical practice, we will endeavour to provide you with quick access to other relevant specialties within Lumina. You have the right to seek referral to another clinic or practitioner for your needs.
At present, Lumina does not participate in clinical trials. Doctors providing services at Lumina may be aware of clinical trials that you can access or trials that you can access elsewhere, but this is not a core part of the service that we provide.
Medical practitioners providing services through Lumina are aware of and value the range of treatment methods that people can access to be well. It’s very important that you’re transparent with your doctor or healthcare provider about other treatments or practices to ensure the best treatment and outcomes for your child.
For ad hoc forms or letters completed outside of your regular consults, fees will usually apply. These fees are set by the medical provider and will reflect the time required to complete and share the document, including reviewing your notes, any research needed, and conferring with other parties that may be required to complete the form or letter.
In the first instance, please have an open and respectful conversation with your doctor or healthcare provider. They want the best for your child and may be balancing a range of needs and priorities to get the best outcome. They will prioritise the welfare of your child over other priorities.
Where you disagree with a course of action, make sure you’ve had a full discussion with your doctor to understand their decisions. Please respect that the doctor will make their decisions based on their training, experience, and the regulations and requirements about accessing treatment.
If you still feel you have not been heard, please ask your doctor about obtaining a second opinion, or to refer you to clinic management about your child’s care.
