What we do

The Functional Neurology Clinic is a specialist neuropsychiatric assessment service run on a Thursday afternoon at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital at Austin Health, under the guidance of Professor Richard Kanaan, a Consultant Psychiatrist specialising in Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

This is a public clinic with a waiting time of approximately 12 to 14 months. Once a referral has been accepted, patients are added to the wait list. Patients will receive a call from Professor Kanaan’s office once an appointment becomes available, usually 4 to 6 weeks before the appointment date. Patients will receive a confirmation text or letter and will also receive a phone call one week before the appointment to confirm attendance.

What to expect

• The clinic offers diagnosis and management of FND, either within the clinic or by referral to local practitioners.
• An assessment at the Functional Neurology Clinic may be a “one-off” or may involve a series of visits to see the psychiatrist (or registrar).
• Patients must attend their first appointment in person but thereafter the clinic operates as a combined telehealth video and face to face clinic.
• The initial assessment will be with the Registrar and Professor Kanaan and will be around three hours.
• A letter will be sent to your GP within two weeks following each consultation.

What to bring

When you come to hospital for your appointment, you need to bring:

• Medicare card
• Health care card/concession card (if applicable)
• TAC or Workcover claim number (if relevant)
• Private health insurance details (if applicable/if you want to use it)
• Adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
• X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds or any other test results or reports
• List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes) including herbal supplements and vitamins
• Glasses, hearing aid, walking frame (if applicable)

Referrals

For patients

You will need a referral from your GP or neurologist to access this service.

For health professionals

The patient must have had a neurological assessment.

Exclusion criteria:

• The clinic only sees patients aged 18 and above.
• The patient cannot have pain or fatigue as the primary complaint.

All referrals should include the minimum referral information as detailed below:

• copies of all neurological assessments and investigations
• psychiatry/psychology letters
• relevant hospital discharge summaries.

Please note that if a referral fails to meet the minimum referral information it will be declined with notification by letter to the referrer and patient.

Fax referrals to: 03 9496 2097

Wait time

The current wait time for this service is between 12 to 14 months from receipt of referral.

Contact us

Functional Neurology Clinic

Referral enquiries

Phone: 03 9496 3351

Fax: 03 9496 2097

Open hours: Thursday afternoons (excluding public holidays)

Clinic location

Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital
300 Waterdale Road
Ivanhoe VIC

View location map

Find out about transport and parking at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.

Postal address

Austin Health
PO BOX 5555
VIC 3084

Manager

Professor Richard Kanaan, Chair of Psychiatry