Patient questions.

A referral gives Dr Hawken the reason for your visit and relevant medical information. You generally need a valid referral to claim Medicare benefits for specialist care, even if you have private health insurance. Your GP is the usual starting point.

Yes—start with a referral for this private pathway. Insurance or paying for your own procedure does not replace the clinical information in a referral or the referral requirements for relevant Medicare benefits. If you already have a referral, the admin team can check it.

A GP referral usually lasts 12 months from your first specialist appointment under that referral, unless the GP specifies another period. Specialist-to-specialist referrals are generally valid for three months, with different rules during a hospital admission.

The admin team can check your referral before booking. A new or unrelated condition may need a new referral, even if an earlier one is ongoing.

Often, yes. If the reason for the procedure is clear and direct access is suitable, Dr Hawken can review your referral and arrange the procedure without a separate appointment first. This can be particularly useful when you are due for follow-up after previous findings. If you would prefer a consultation, simply ask.

Yes. Tell the admin team that you would like a consultation. You can discuss your symptoms, previous findings, options and concerns with Dr Hawken before deciding what to do next.

Yes. We generally encourage continuing with your previous specialist where practical, because they know your history. We also understand that retirement, a move or a change in preference may lead you to seek another specialist. Dr Hawken can review your referral and previous findings to plan your ongoing care.

Both Brisbane Waters Private Hospital and Gosford Private Endoscopy Centre use electronic endoscopy reporting systems. Previous reports held in those systems can often be accessed for your care. Tell us where and when your earlier procedure was performed, and provide copies of any reports you already have.

Yes. Ask your GP to refer you to Dr Hawken and let the admin team know that you are transferring your follow-up. Your previous procedure findings and any pathology results help establish when another procedure is needed and whether direct access is suitable.

Previous endoscopy reports held in the electronic reporting systems at Brisbane Waters Private Hospital and Gosford Private Endoscopy Centre can often be accessed for your care. Tell us the hospital and approximate date of your procedure.

Reports from elsewhere, older records and pathology results may need to be requested separately. If you or your GP already have copies, these are helpful; access to every previous report is not automatic.

Medicare does not require a referral to name a particular specialist. If your existing referral is for the relevant care, the admin team can check whether it remains valid for your booking with Dr Hawken. A new clinical problem may need an updated referral.

Ask your GP to fax or email a PDF referral to Dr Hawken. The fax number and a button to show the referral email are in Start with a referral on the homepage. GPs can also use HealthLink and select Glenn Hawken.

The referral is reviewed, then our admin team contacts you by phone to discuss suitable dates and times. There is no need to phone before sending your referral. The referral email is for referrals and referring practices.

Your referral is reviewed, and our admin team will contact you by phone to discuss suitable procedure or appointment dates and times. You do not need to phone first to arrange this.

Once booked, you receive instructions with the hospital, admission time, preparation details and the admin contact for any booking changes.

For a new private appointment, start with a GP referral by fax or email, or ask your GP to use HealthLink. You do not need to get through by phone before sending it. The referral contacts are on the homepage.

Our admin team will contact you by phone after your referral is reviewed to discuss suitable dates and times. The phone line can be busy, so sending the referral first is the simplest way to get started.

If you are already booked, use the admin contact details on your booking instructions for changes. For preparation advice the night before your procedure, contact the private hospital where you are booked.

A public hospital Staff Specialist appointment is a significant professional credential. NSW Health requires formal selection, referee and credential checks, and confirmation of the clinical work the specialist is approved to undertake. The appointment process involves the hospital’s Medical and Dental Appointments Advisory Committee.

Hospital practice sits within formal systems for clinical oversight. National guidance expects reviews of credentials to consider ongoing participation in peer review, clinical audit and performance appraisal. Leadership and teaching roles add responsibilities for the service and the development of other doctors.

Dr Hawken is Head of Gastroenterology at Gosford and Wyong public hospitals, a former Director of Physician Training, and a gastroenterology advanced trainee supervisor for the past 15 years. His 20 years on the Central Coast combine a busy public hospital appointment with a large-volume endoscopy practice.

When choosing a specialist, consider these roles alongside relevant qualifications, experience with your condition or procedure, clear communication, availability and costs. For endoscopy, recognised procedural training and ongoing quality review are particularly relevant.

Call the admin team using the contact details on the instructions you received after booking. Let them know as early as possible so they can discuss another suitable time. If you cannot find those details, call the admin team on 02 4320 3457.

If your admission time changes, check whether your preparation instructions also need to change.

When your private insurance covers the procedure, Dr Hawken and his anaesthetist both no-gap bill: your out-of-pocket cost for their procedure services is $0. There is also no direct-access booking fee.

Your policy's hospital excess may still apply, and you purchase the bowel preparation separately.

No. There is no booking fee for direct-access colonoscopy. When your private insurance covers the procedure, Dr Hawken and the anaesthetist also no-gap bill for their procedure services.

For a covered procedure, Dr Hawken's gap, the anaesthetist's gap and the direct-access booking fee are all $0. Private hospital costs are covered in almost all situations where your policy and the hospital agreement cover the admission.

Any hospital excess depends on your policy and whether it applies to this admission. You also buy the bowel preparation from a chemist, at around $29 for Plenvu; pharmacy prices vary.

Ask the admin team for the planned procedure item numbers, then check with your insurer that your policy covers the procedure at your booked hospital. Ask whether an excess applies and whether you have already satisfied it. The hospital can also confirm your admission cover.

The indicative items are 30473 for panendoscopy (gastroscopy), 32222 for colonoscopy and 32229 for associated polyp removal if needed. The applicable colonoscopy item can differ for surveillance or screening.

Confirm your planned items with the admin team before checking your cover with your insurer.

It depends on your policy. Some policies charge an excess only once per calendar year, so an earlier payment may cover it. Ask your insurer whether an excess applies to this particular admission. The practice does not set or control your policy excess.

Yes. You can choose to self-fund private care. Some people prefer to budget for occasional procedures instead of paying insurance premiums. The team can discuss the options and arrange a quote for your planned procedure and hospital.

You may also be suitable for a direct private procedure after Dr Hawken reviews your referral, without a separate consultation first. This can be useful for a clearly indicated follow-up procedure. If you prefer public care, your GP can refer you through the public pathway.

As at 30 October 2026, the indicative out-of-pocket cost is approximately $100 each for Dr Hawken and the anaesthetist, plus approximately $800–$1,200 for the private hospital. Bowel preparation is purchased separately.

Hospital costs depend on whether you have gastroscopy, colonoscopy or both, and which hospital you attend. Ask for a quote for your circumstances.

Yes. Tell the admin team that you are self-funding. They can discuss your planned procedure and hospital and arrange a quote. If you are unsure whether you need one or both procedures, this can be considered when your referral is reviewed.

Buy the Plenvu bowel preparation kit from your chemist after checking your assigned instructions. The website's guide price is around $29, but prices and availability vary. The Chemist Warehouse link below provides one purchasing option.

If you have been advised to take additional Movicol, this is separate from the Plenvu kit.

Private procedures are performed at Brisbane Waters Private Hospital in Woy Woy and Gosford Private Endoscopy Centre in North Gosford. Your booking confirmation will tell you which location to attend.

Brisbane Waters Private Hospital is at 21 Vidler Avenue, Woy Woy NSW 2256. Check your booking instructions for where to report on arrival. The hospital locations page has a map and directions link.

Gosford Private Endoscopy Centre is on the lower ground floor of North Gosford Medical Centre, 66 Etna Street, North Gosford NSW 2250. Access is via Etna Street. Use the endoscopy location on your booking instructions, rather than assuming you should enter through the main hospital entrance.

Yes—tell the admin team your preference when they telephone to discuss dates and times. They can explain the available options at each hospital and help find a suitable booking.

Check the confirmation and preparation instructions sent after your booking. If the location is unclear, call the admin team using the contact details on those instructions before you travel.

Check the information from your booked hospital or telephone it before your visit if you need help with mobility, access or drop-off. Gosford Private Endoscopy Centre publishes information about paid on-site parking, nearby street parking and its five-minute set-down zone.

Use the hospital links below for current arrangements; arrange collection after sedation in advance.

A colonoscopy uses a flexible camera to examine the lining of the large bowel. It can identify polyps, inflammation and other changes. The GESA leaflet explains what the examination involves.

Gastroscopy examines the oesophagus, stomach and first part of the small bowel using a flexible camera passed through the mouth. In this website's procedure information, panendoscopy refers to gastroscopy. It examines a different part of the digestive tract from colonoscopy.

Both can be arranged during one visit when they are needed and suitable. Dr Hawken will review your referral, and the team will confirm the planned procedures, preparation and hospital arrangements. Follow the instructions issued for your combined booking.

Follow-up can be needed even when you feel well. Your previous findings help determine whether and when another procedure is appropriate. Ask your GP for a review and referral; when the need is clear, direct access can avoid a separate specialist appointment.

Arrange a GP review to discuss the result and appropriate investigation. A positive screening result does not by itself diagnose cancer. If your GP refers you for colonoscopy, let the admin team know the reason for referral.

Polyps may be removed and tissue samples taken when appropriate. What is done depends on the findings and the procedure discussed with you. Tissue samples are examined by a laboratory.

Endoscopy is usually performed with sedation to keep you comfortable. The anaesthetist will discuss the appropriate approach with you and monitor you during the procedure. Tell the team about previous anaesthetic problems or anything that particularly worries you.

Possible complications include bleeding, a tear in the digestive tract and reactions to sedation. Risk varies with the procedure and your health. No examination detects every abnormality. Read the relevant GESA leaflet and discuss your individual concerns with Dr Hawken.

A clean bowel lets Dr Hawken see the lining clearly. Stool can hide changes and make the examination less useful. Poor preparation can mean the procedure needs to be repeated. Taking the full preparation and required fluids gives the examination the best chance of being complete.

Read your instructions as soon as you receive them, buy your preparation and arrange someone to take you home. The low-fibre diet starts 2–3 days before colonoscopy. If additional Movicol is appropriate for you, the supplied instructions start it seven days before.

Check medicine questions and any previous preparation difficulties with the team early, rather than waiting until the day before.

Follow the sheet sent for your booking. There are separate instructions for early admissions and later admissions, with different dose and fasting times. Use your confirmed admission time, not the expected procedure time.

If your admission time changes or you are unsure which sheet applies, contact the admin team. The early sheet is usually for admissions before 8:30 am; the later sheet is usually for 8:30 am onwards.

Use the admission time on your booking confirmation. It is the time you are asked to arrive, which may be earlier than the actual procedure. The timings on Dr Hawken's preparation sheets are based on that admission time.

For patients assigned the early-admission sheet: take Dose 1 at 5:00 pm and Dose 2 at 10:00 pm on the day before colonoscopy. No morning Plenvu is required under this schedule. Have nothing to eat or drink, including water, from 5:00 am on the procedure day.

For each dose, take 500 mL of Plenvu plus at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid over about 60 minutes. Follow the diet instructions and allow time for bowel movements before travelling. Use this schedule only if it is the one issued for your booking.

For patients assigned the later-admission split-dose sheet: take Dose 1 at 8:00 pm the evening before. Start Dose 2 three-and-a-half hours before your confirmed admission time on the procedure day. That is the start time, not the finishing time.

For each dose, take 500 mL of Plenvu plus at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid over about 60 minutes. Stop all food and drinks, including water, two hours before admission. The sheet has worked examples; use this schedule only if it is the one issued for you.

With split preparation, the morning dose clears material that collects overnight. This helps Dr Hawken see the bowel lining and small changes more clearly, reducing the chance of an incomplete examination because of poor preparation.

The early alarm can be inconvenient, but the timing has a purpose. If you have been assigned the evening-only early-admission sheet, follow that schedule instead.

Most active Plenvu preparation is concentrated into the evening before and, for split-dose patients, the morning of the procedure. The low-fibre diet starts 2–3 days earlier.

A week of additional Movicol is only relevant to the extra preparation described for constipation or previous poor preparation. It does not mean everyone needs a week of bowel-cleansing treatment.

Contact the admin team using the number on your booking instructions. A changed admission time may require a different preparation sheet, particularly if the booking moves across 8:30 am.

Discuss travel difficulties beforehand. Do not move doses or continue drinking beyond your nil-by-mouth time without advice from the team.

Nil by mouth means nothing to eat or drink, including water. Follow the time printed on the sheet assigned to your booking: the early-admission sheet says 5:00 am on procedure day; the later split-dose sheet says two hours before admission.

These are different schedules. If you have gastroscopy alone, a combined procedure or individual anaesthetic instructions, follow the instructions issued for that booking. Ask beforehand about any medicines you need to take near the fasting period.

Start the low-fibre diet 2–3 days beforehand, following the food list in your preparation sheet. The day before, have a light breakfast and lunch, finishing lunch by 2:00 pm. After lunch, have clear fluids only until the stop-drinking time in your assigned instructions.

Foods allowed during the low-fibre days are not necessarily allowed during the clear-fluid-only period. Use the diet page below for examples.

For the 2–3 days before colonoscopy, choose the simple low-fibre foods in your sheet and avoid skins, seeds, nuts and wholegrains. This reduces the material left in the bowel before the preparation.

The day before the procedure, finish your light lunch by 2:00 pm, then switch to clear fluids only. Stop those at your assigned nil-by-mouth time.

During the low-fibre part of preparation, the sheet lists white bread or toast, crumpets, plain crackers, white rice and pasta as suitable choices. Avoid wholegrain or seeded bread and brown rice.

These are solid foods: stop them after your light lunch, finished by 2:00 pm the day before colonoscopy.

The low-fibre food list includes plain cornflakes and Rice Bubbles. Avoid oats, porridge, muesli and wholegrain cereals during this stage.

Once you reach the clear-fluid-only period after lunch the day before, cereal and milk are no longer allowed.

Yes, during the low-fibre stage. Your sheet lists eggs and plain, lean chicken or fish without skin. Keep meals simple and avoid seeds or high-fibre accompaniments.

These foods must stop when you switch to clear fluids after your light lunch, finished by 2:00 pm the day before.

Plain yoghurt and cheese without fruit or seeds are listed for the low-fibre stage. Milk is not a clear fluid.

After your light lunch the day before, have clear fluids only: no milk, yoghurt or cheese, including milk added to tea or coffee. At your nil-by-mouth time, stop all drinks as well.

Your low-fibre sheet lists plain, well-cooked peeled potato as a suitable choice. Avoid raw salad, corn, leafy greens and vegetable skins. Follow the sheet rather than assuming all cooked vegetables are suitable.

No solid vegetables are allowed once the clear-fluid-only period begins after lunch the day before.

Yes. These are on the foods-to-avoid list for the low-fibre preparation period. The sheet also lists dried fruit, popcorn, chickpeas and baked beans. Choose the simple alternatives in the food guide.

Have a light breakfast and lunch using the low-fibre foods in your sheet. Finish lunch by 2:00 pm. After lunch, have clear fluids only—no dinner or other solid food.

Continue permitted clear fluids as instructed, then stop all intake at the nil-by-mouth time for your assigned schedule.

Your sheet includes water, milk-free tea or coffee, herbal tea, clear soup with all solids strained out, diluted cordial, clear juice without pulp and soft drinks. Avoid alcohol, milk, red or purple drinks and anything containing pulp or solid pieces.

Clear fluids are allowed only until your assigned nil-by-mouth time. After that, even water must stop.

Black tea, herbal tea and black coffee without milk are included in the permitted clear fluids. Do not add milk during the clear-fluid-only period.

Stop tea and coffee, along with all other drinks, at the nil-by-mouth time in your assigned instructions.

Yes, if they meet the clear-fluid instructions: soup or stock must have no solids, juice must be clear and without pulp, and cordial or soft drinks must not be red or purple. Avoid creamy or milk-containing drinks and soups.

All drinks stop at your assigned nil-by-mouth time.

These are excluded by your Plenvu instructions. Pulp leaves material in the bowel, and coloured drinks can interfere with the appearance of the bowel contents. Alcohol is not a suitable preparation fluid.

Choose the permitted clear fluids in your sheet, and stop all drinks at your printed nil-by-mouth time.

Tell the team exactly what you ate or drank and when. If it happened after the nil-by-mouth time, contact the hospital before the procedure so they can assess whether the timing needs to change.

Do not hide it, take extra preparation to compensate or cancel the booking yourself without speaking to the team. The advice depends on what happened and your procedure time.

Plenvu is a bowel preparation that empties the bowel, causing repeated watery bowel movements. The kit has two doses. Both the preparation and the additional clear fluids are important for effective cleansing.

Stay close to a toilet and follow the schedule sent for your booking.

Empty the Dose 1 sachet into a measuring container. Add water that is not chilled to make the solution up to 500 mL, then stir until the powder dissolves; this may take up to eight minutes.

Take it at the time in your assigned schedule, with at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid. The mixing diagrams are in your patient sheet.

Yes—Dose 2 uses both sachets A and B. Empty both into the measuring container, add water that is not chilled to make the solution up to 500 mL, and stir until dissolved; this may take up to eight minutes.

This is one dose made from two sachets. Take it at the time in your assigned schedule, with at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid.

For each dose, take 500 mL of Plenvu plus at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid, over about 60 minutes. You can alternate between the Plenvu and clear fluid.

Continue permitted fluids as directed before your nil-by-mouth time. If you have a prescribed fluid restriction, obtain individual instructions before starting.

Sip slowly over about 60 minutes, alternating the 500 mL Plenvu dose with at least 500 mL of additional clear fluid. Avoid rushing through the dose.

Finish the required fluids within the timing on your assigned sheet. If you cannot manage them before your fasting cut-off, contact the team for advice.

Mix with water that is not chilled. Once dissolved, the solution can be covered and refrigerated at 2–8°C; do not keep it for more than 24 hours. The manufacturer tips in your sheet allow both doses to be made up in advance.

Using a straw or sports bottle may help you sip it slowly. Keep the two doses identifiable and take each at its assigned time.

The timing varies. Expect repeated watery bowel movements, sometimes urgently, and remain near a toilet while preparing. Allow enough time for bowel movements to settle before travelling.

If your travel arrangements make the schedule difficult, discuss them with the team in advance. If the preparation is not working, seek advice rather than taking an extra dose yourself.

Bowel movements should become watery and clearer as preparation progresses. Your sheet includes an illustration of bowel contents becoming clearer. Appearance alone is not a reason to skip a prescribed dose.

If you still have brown bowel contents or solid material towards the end, or are unsure you have completed the preparation properly, contact the team or your booked hospital for advice.

Yes—complete both doses and the additional fluids as instructed, even if things look clear after the first dose. The two-dose course is intended to clean the bowel adequately.

If you cannot finish because of vomiting or another problem, contact the team for advice rather than deciding to omit it.

Yes. Dr Hawken is happy for you to use another established bowel preparation, including Moviprep, Prepkit-C or Prepkit Orange, provided it is suitable for you and achieves adequate bowel cleansing. You may prefer a product you have used successfully before.

Follow the complete instructions for the preparation you choose. Products differ in their sachets, mixing, fluid requirements and schedules; do not apply the Plenvu doses or timetable to another product.

Let the booking team know which preparation you plan to use so they can confirm the correct dose times and when to stop drinking for your admission and procedure. If the instructions do not clearly match your booking, contact the team before starting.

Dr Hawken's additional preparation sheet is for people with constipation or previous poor bowel preparation. Movicol in the week beforehand aims to make bowel movements a little more frequent so the Plenvu can work more effectively, without causing diarrhoea.

If you are unsure whether this applies to you, discuss it with the team early. The additional instructions are on page 8 of your preparation sheet.

Not everyone needs the additional Movicol preparation. The section in Dr Hawken's sheet is aimed at constipation or a previous poor preparation. Follow any individual instructions you have been given and ask if you are unsure whether the additional section applies to you.

When Dr Hawken's additional Movicol preparation applies to you, the sheet starts it seven days before the colonoscopy. Read the complete section on page 8, including the dose, intended response and when to stop and contact the team.

Starting this extra preparation does not replace the later low-fibre diet or Plenvu doses.

For constipation or previous poor preparation, Dr Hawken's additional sheet starts Movicol seven days beforehand at one sachet twice daily. It allows a gradual increase if needed, up to a maximum of eight sachets per day, to achieve a little more frequent bowel movement without diarrhoea. The maximum is not a target dose.

Continue the normal Plenvu preparation as instructed. Stop and contact the team for severe abdominal pain, vomiting or marked diarrhoea. Use the complete additional preparation instructions, and obtain individual advice if you are unsure they apply to you or already take laxatives.

The aim is to open your bowels a little more often during the preceding week, without causing diarrhoea. This is intended to make the later Plenvu preparation more effective.

Follow the gradual-adjustment instructions in the complete sheet. Do not keep increasing it if you develop marked diarrhoea, pain or vomiting; stop and contact the team.

Movicol is additional preparation for the relevant patients; it does not replace Plenvu. Continue the normal Plenvu doses, additional clear fluids, diet and fasting instructions on the sheet assigned to your booking, unless the team has given you a different individual plan.

The additional sheet says to stop and contact the team for severe abdominal pain, vomiting or marked diarrhoea. Do not keep increasing the dose through these symptoms.

If it does not seem to help, contact the team for advice rather than exceeding the instructions or adding another laxative. Severe or worsening symptoms need prompt medical assessment.

Tell the team before the preparation week. Explain what you already take and what happened with the previous preparation. This allows an individual plan to be made rather than simply adding the standard extra regimen on top of your usual laxatives.

If available, your previous procedure report can help explain the preparation quality and why the examination was limited.

Give the team an up-to-date medicine list and ask for instructions before preparation starts. Some medicines need special timing or adjustment. Do not use this FAQ to decide whether to stop or restart a prescription medicine.

Tell the team which medicine you take and why. Ask for an individual plan before the procedure; do not stop or alter it yourself.

Contact the team early for a diabetes plan covering diet, preparation, glucose monitoring and your medicines, including insulin if used. Give the exact names of your tablets and injections. Do not guess dose changes from a general preparation sheet.

Tell the team the medicine name, dose and when you last took it. Ask for the preparation and anaesthetic advice that applies to your booking. Do not stop or change it based on a general online answer.

Yes—include these on the list you give the team, even if bought without a prescription. Ask whether and when anything needs changing before preparation. Do not assume that the instructions for one supplement apply to another.

Bowel preparation, vomiting and diarrhoea can affect oral medicines. Ask your pharmacist or treating team about the timing of your particular medicine and any additional contraceptive precautions. Follow the leaflet for your own contraceptive pill.

Tell the team before starting preparation so the product and fluid instructions can be reviewed for you. A history of bowel blockage or a prescribed fluid limit needs individual advice. Do not override your fluid restriction using a general FAQ answer.

Let the team know before starting preparation or attending for sedation. Ask for advice specific to your circumstances and planned procedure.

The supplied tips recommend slow sipping and alternating Plenvu with the additional clear fluid. If you have significant or repeated vomiting, cannot keep fluids down or develop signs of dehydration, contact the team or your booked hospital promptly.

Do not repeat a dose, add another medicine or extend drinking beyond your fasting cut-off without advice. Severe abdominal pain, collapse or breathing difficulty needs urgent medical attention.

Contact the team or your booked hospital for advice. Tell them your admission time, which preparation sheet you have, what you have taken and when.

Do not double a dose or drink past your nil-by-mouth time to catch up. The team can advise whether the preparation or booking needs to change.

Contact the team or your booked hospital if the preparation is not working or remains incomplete near the end. Explain which doses and extra fluids you have taken.

Do not take extra bowel preparation yourself. If you also have severe abdominal pain, swelling or vomiting, seek prompt medical assessment.

Your preparation sheet suggests a barrier cream, such as Vaseline, around the anus to reduce irritation. Gentle cleaning and alcohol-free wet wipes may feel more comfortable than repeated wiping with dry toilet paper.

Ask for advice if pain or bleeding is more than mild irritation.

Seek urgent medical advice for severe or worsening pain, marked dizziness, persistent vomiting or other concerning symptoms. Do not wait for a routine booking call if you feel seriously unwell.

For collapse, difficulty breathing, severe chest pain or another medical emergency, call 000. For preparation advice the night before, contact the private hospital where you are booked.

For preparation questions, use the admin team's contact details on your booking instructions, or call 02 4320 3457. If you need preparation advice the night before your procedure, contact the private hospital where you are booked.

Brisbane Waters Private Hospital: 02 4341 9522. Gosford Private Hospital switchboard: 02 4324 7111. Explain that you are booked for endoscopy and need preparation advice. Use any specific contact number supplied with your booking first.

For a medical emergency, call 000.

Use the hospital's booking instructions as your checklist. Have your Medicare and health-fund details, an up-to-date medicine list and any reports the team has asked you to bring. Tell them about allergies and changes in your health.

Allow time for admission, the procedure and recovery; the admission time is not the procedure start time. Ask the hospital about the expected visit length and how your collecting adult will be contacted.

Arrange an adult to take you home and stay with you after sedation. The Australian Society of Anaesthetists advises adult supervision for 24 hours after a day procedure involving sedation or general anaesthesia.

Follow your hospital's discharge instructions. If you cannot arrange support, discuss it before the procedure date.

Follow the restrictions given by your anaesthetist and hospital. After sedation, plan to avoid driving, machinery and alcohol for the period they specify; arrange your day around recovery rather than work or important decisions.

GESA also advises against signing legal documents after sedation. Confirm when it is appropriate to resume your usual activities before discharge.

The recovery team will tell you when to start drinking and eating. Follow any specific advice after gastroscopy, throat spray or treatment performed during the procedure.

Mild bloating or throat discomfort can occur. Bleeding needs to be interpreted in light of what was done; follow your discharge advice.

Contact the hospital or a doctor promptly for severe or worsening pain, persistent bleeding, black stools, fever or difficulty swallowing. For collapse, breathing difficulty or a medical emergency, call 000.

Every patient receives a procedure report after the procedure, and a copy goes to the GP. Pathology results from any tissue samples are separate and are copied to the GP for follow-up.

Arrange to discuss the pathology results with your GP. Follow any additional instructions Dr Hawken gives you after the procedure; if you are unsure how a result will be followed up, ask the team.

Yes. A procedure report is given to every patient after the procedure, and a copy is sent to the GP. Pathology results are also copied to the GP for follow-up. Check that the team has your current GP details.

The follow-up recommendation depends on your findings and any pathology results. For this private pathway, when a further colonoscopy is due, the team contacts you beforehand to discuss the need for a new referral and coordinate a suitable time if your GP agrees.

Keep your contact and GP details up to date. If you think you are due or are unsure of your follow-up plan, contact the admin team. For public appointments or follow-up, contact the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987.

You can discuss public care or a self-funded private procedure with your GP. Private health insurance is not required to self-fund: the costs are explained in the self-funding section, and an individual quote can be arranged.

A direct private procedure may be suitable after Dr Hawken reviews your referral, particularly for follow-up of previous findings where the need for a procedure is clear. A separate consultation is not always necessary; you can still request one.

For a self-funded private procedure, send a GP referral and let the admin team know you plan to self-fund when they contact you. For public appointments with Dr Hawken, contact the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987. If you are already on a public waiting list and later arrange private treatment, let the public team know once your plans are confirmed so your care can be coordinated.

Yes. Dr Hawken has a busy public gastroenterology practice as part of his Hospital Staff Specialist appointment at Gosford and Wyong hospitals. He can see public patients through the Specialist Centre.

Start with a GP referral. For public appointment enquiries and referral arrangements, contact the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987. This is the public appointment contact. For private care, use the referral contacts on the homepage and the private admin team will contact you.

Public clinic appointments are also in high demand, so there may be a wait for an appointment. The centre can advise about your referral and appointment arrangements, including Medicare eligibility and acceptance of referrals from outside the Local Health District.

In most instances, an appointment and assessment are needed before a procedure is arranged through Dr Hawken's public pathway. The public team reviews the reason for the procedure, your symptoms and your health, then determines the appropriate next step and priority.

The Specialist Centre can explain the pathway that applies to your referral. The direct-access private pathway on this website is a separate option, including for self-funding patients, and remains subject to clinical review.

Not necessarily. Public patients who need endoscopy are placed on the local pooled NSW Health endoscopy waiting list. Procedures are shared across the public endoscopy service, and another specialist may perform your procedure even if you saw Dr Hawken in clinic.

A public consultation with Dr Hawken does not reserve a procedure on his own list. The public team coordinates the booking according to clinical priority and the available procedure lists.

There is no single waiting time for everyone. Public endoscopy services are under considerable demand, and waits can be longer than ideal. Timing depends on the clinical priority assigned to your referral, your symptoms and investigation results, and available appointments and procedure capacity. Waiting for a clinic appointment and waiting for the procedure are separate stages.

Cancer Council guidance supports assessing urgency using symptoms, age and relevant test results. The public team uses clinical assessment and local prioritisation processes; the list is not simply first come, first served.

Ask the Specialist Centre or the public booking team about your own referral, category and expected timing. If symptoms change while you wait, tell your GP so your clinical priority can be reviewed.

A clinician assigns the priority after reviewing your referral and clinical information. NSW colonoscopy guidance describes Category 1 as clinically indicated within 30 days, Category 2 within 90 days, and Category 3 within 365 days. These are clinical targets, not a guarantee of the date you will be booked or advice that it is safe for you personally to wait that long.

Symptoms, test results and other risk factors affect urgency. Planned surveillance after previous findings also needs to follow the recommended follow-up interval. Being overdue for that follow-up does not automatically increase your public waiting-list category; the usual category and waiting-time target may still apply.

Tell your GP and the public team when your follow-up was due. If your symptoms change or you are concerned about the wait, your clinical assessment may need updating.

Contact your GP promptly rather than waiting for the procedure date. New or worsening symptoms, such as bleeding, unexplained weight loss or a persistent change in bowel habit, may need further assessment. Your GP can send updated clinical information to the public team so the urgency of your referral can be reconsidered.

For appointment or referral enquiries, call the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987, or use the public booking contact on your hospital letter. Keep your contact details up to date. Seek urgent medical care if you are seriously unwell; for an emergency, call 000.

Not automatically. The general waiting-list categories do not themselves show how far past your recommended follow-up date you already are. In practice, someone referred on time and someone who is very overdue may be assigned the same category and face the usual waiting time for that category.

Your recommended follow-up date and the public waiting-list target are different. Being overdue should be brought to the attention of your GP and the public team, with your previous procedure and pathology reports where available. They can review your current clinical needs and whether the priority should change; do not assume that being overdue alone has moved you up the list.

A self-funded private procedure is another option to discuss if you prefer. Direct access may be suitable after review of your referral and previous findings; the self-funding page explains the costs.

Acceptance can depend on where you live and the Local Health District's service arrangements. An out-of-area referral may be declined or redirected to a service closer to your home; a referral naming Dr Hawken does not guarantee acceptance into the local public service.

NSW guidance calls for out-of-area referrals to be considered individually, including your clinical needs and suitable care available locally. If a referral is declined, reasonable alternative care options should be provided to you and your referrer.

Your GP can explain any clinical reason for referral outside your own district. Contact the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987 to check the arrangements before relying on this public pathway.

Medicare eligibility is normally required for the routine public endoscopy waiting-list pathway described here. If you are not eligible, this usual public pathway is generally not available to you.

The hospital must confirm any entitlement under reciprocal healthcare arrangements or a specific exemption. These rules have exceptions, so ask the Specialist Centre on 02 4320 2987 to check your circumstances rather than assuming that having no Medicare card settles your eligibility.

You can enquire about a self-funded private procedure on 02 4320 3457. Ask for an individual quote: do not assume the published self-funding estimates apply without Medicare benefits. Eligibility and payment checks should not delay seeking urgent medical care.