FAQs

Yes, the Dermatologists who work at Ballarat Skin Cancer Centre have subspecialized in skin cancer diagnosis and management, they do not deal with any general dermatology issues.
For all appointments, it is required that you have a current referral. If you do not have a current and valid referral, you will not receive any rebate from Medicare.

To make an appointment, please call the practice on (03) 5303 0188 between the hours of
8:30 am – 5 pm Monday – Friday.

For all appointments it is required that you have a current referral (NB. referrals expire after 12 months from referral date). If you do not have a referral you will not be able to claim any money back from Medicare.

Our Reception staff will assist with appointment availability and approximate fees.
If you require an urgent appointment, it is best to ask your referring doctor to contact the practice directly.

If you require surgical appointments, our reception staff will call you once we have discussed with your doctor a suitable date and time for your surgery.

We are located at 5-9 Wood Street, Soldiers Hill on the corner of Howitt Street and Wood Street. Directly opposite Selkirk Brick Factory located on Howitt Street.

Parking facilities are available at the front of the building and on Wood Street.
Costs will depend on what services are being provided to you by the doctor and/or Ballarat Surgicentre. An estimate of costs is provided by our staff when an appointment is booked.
As we are a private practice bulk billing is generally not available

You will need to ensure that you have your Medicare card and any private health Insurance details when attending an appointment. If you are a new patient you are required to bring in a referral to receive your medicare rebate. For existing patients, if your referral has expired you will need to bring in a new referral.

Our Doctors can in some cases operate on the same day as your consultation. This will depend on factors including the Doctors discretion, theatre availability and complexity of the procedure required.
Bookings for Surgery may be done on the day of consultation where the doctor will request reception staff to book a surgical appointment. Sometimes patients will need to wait for biopsy results before being booked in, if this is the case, reception staff will call you once you have had your results provided to you by our clinical team to book an appointment.

Many patients assume that surgery will not be required if the lesion appears to have disappeared after the biopsy. However, this is NOT the case. Skin cancers can be deceptively large – far more extensive under the skin than they appear to be from the surface. These cancers may have “roots” in the skin, or along blood vessels, nerves, or cartilage. Although the lesion appears to be gone, the roots of the skin cancer may still be present under the skin and if left untreated may cause structural damage beneath the surface. 

It is important to talk with one of our Dermatologists before cancelling your appointment, as they will be able to better inform you as to whether the surgery is still necessary.

Your doctor will inform you as to the urgency of your surgery.
With any surgical procedure, there is always a scar. Mohs Micrographic surgery which is currently done only by Dermatologists trained in this technique, is specifically designed to ensure that the least amount of healthy tissue is removed whilst ensuring that the cancerous cells are completely removed. This results in ensuring the smallest possible defect for repair. Our Dermatologists have been trained to repair skin cancer wounds and where possible, will try to displace scars in areas where they will be least obvious.
How long your surgery will take is dependent on what type of surgery you are having. Patients booked for standard surgery will usually be here for 30 to 45 minutes and those booked for Mohs Surgery may take anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours.
The healing process will differ depending on the site of the excision and the type of repair that is done. At discharge you will be given information regarding your own circumstances.
The receptionist will discuss any out of pocket costs with you. All patients are required to settle accounts in full on admission at reception.

No, we are a skin cancer diagnosis and management centre.

Once you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer there is an increased likelihood that you will develop more. For this reason, it is important to ensure that regular skin monitoring and review occurs. Regular checks may be done by your referring doctor or by your Dermatologist at our Practice. These options will be discussed with you at the time of your consultation.
We do not provide any cosmetic treatments such as Botox and soft tissue filler.

Consumer Resources

For further information, feel free to contact our consumer liaison representative on (03) 5303 0188