Neurologists & Neurosurgeons

Neurologist vs. neurosurgeon

A neurologist is a physician who diagnoses and manages nervous system conditions using medication, and orders and interprets the tests used to investigate them — MRI, CT, EEG and nerve conduction studies among others. A neurosurgeon operates where surgery is needed — for example, some cases of severe spinal disc disease, brain tumours or specific epilepsy treatments. A neurologist’s assessment often comes first and determines whether a surgical referral is warranted at all.

Referral and Medicare

A GP referral lasts 12 months by default and is often written for longer where a condition, such as epilepsy or migraine, needs ongoing specialist management. Neurological investigations (MRI in particular) can carry a significant out-of-pocket cost, since Medicare rebates for MRI depend on specific eligibility criteria tied to the reason for the scan and sometimes the referring practitioner’s specialty — ask directly whether a particular scan will attract a rebate before booking it.

Public vs. private neurology

Public hospital neurology clinics exist in most major centres and are free via referral, though waiting times for non-urgent presentations can be long. Acute presentations — sudden severe headache, stroke symptoms, new seizures — are managed through hospital emergency departments rather than an outpatient referral, and should never wait for a routine specialist booking.

What to bring

Bring a written symptom diary if the condition is episodic (migraine, seizures, dizziness) — frequency, duration, triggers and what helps are often more useful to a neurologist than a description recalled on the day. Bring any previous scans (the actual images, not just the report) and a full medication list including anything tried and stopped.

Questions worth asking

• What is this test intended to show, and will it be Medicare-rebated?
• What is the out-of-pocket cost for the consultation and any tests?
• Is this something that needs ongoing specialist review, or a one-off assessment?
• What symptoms would mean I should seek urgent care rather than wait for a follow-up?
• Will you communicate directly with my GP about the plan?