Do I need a referral to see one of the pediatricians? 

Yes. A referral from a physician, nurse practitioner or midwife is required to see any consultant pediatrician in British Columbia.

How long will I wait for an appointment?

This varies depending on the reason for the visit. All referrals are reviewed by the physicians and booked based on urgency. If the urgency of your problem has changed since the time of the referral, speak with your referring doctor to update our office.

Will I be notified that the referral was received? 

No, we will contact the referring practitioner to inform them that the referral has been received. Please follow up with the referring practitioner regarding the status of the referral.

How will I be notified of my appointment?

Willows Pediatrics will contact you by phone to book the initial appointment. You will receive a request to fill out some “eForms” on the Ocean site. Reminders will come by email. – PLEASE BE SURE TO ADD US TO YOUR CONTACTS/SAFE SENDERS LIST.

What should I bring to the appointment?

Any letters or reports from the school that may be pertinent. All medications and inhalers your child is taking.

Can I call to speak to my pediatrician after the appointment?

Generally, all discussions around a child’s care occur as appointments.  This can include phone appointments.  The pediatricians have full schedules, and though there is sometimes availability for followup phone calls, it would be impossible to schedule the number of “callbacks” that are requested. If there are questions after your appointment, please call and ask for a follow up appointment to be booked.  If you are added to the cancellation list, this may allow the pediatrician to fit in a call if there is a short notice cancellation.

Can I email my pediatrician?

No.  We do not provide medical advice or consultation with patients over email. We will use email to communicate results, and also sometimes previously discussed plans/changes.

What happens if I can’t make my appointment?

Your appointment time has been reserved for you well in advance. To help us minimize wait times, let us know if you cannot attend so the spot can be filled. If you notify us more than 48 hours prior to your appointment, your appointment will be rebooked, but it is likely that the next available consultation appointment will be in 3 months or more. 

If you do not show up for your consult (first) appointment or cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice; your referral will be cancelled and you will need to be re-referred and re-triaged.

If you do not show up for your follow-up, it will be up to the pediatrician if you are rebooked or not.

What if I am late for my appointment?

If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to be rebook as it will impact all other appointments following yours. This is at the discretion of the pediatrician.

I don’t think I need the appointment anymore, what should I do?

If you have already seen another pediatrician for the same problem within the last year, inform our office and your appointment will be cancelled. We are unable to provide “second opinions” except when this is explicitly discussed with the referring physician. If the issue for which you have been referred has resolved, speak to the referring physician, and if they are in agreement, the appointment should be cancelled.

I have new issues to speak with the pediatrician about, what do I do?

A re-referral is requested for a new issue.

Do I need an appointment for a prescription renewal?

Prescription renewals should be requested during your scheduled appointment. The paediatricians endeavour to ensure that patients who are stable on medications have adequate refills. However, follow up appointments are typically required at least every 6 months, and sometimes every 3 months, to assess the medication, its effect, and side effects, and refills may be planned to coincide with these appointments. 

If your prescription is running out prior to your scheduled appointment, ask your pharmacy to request a prescription renewal. They will fax the information directly to the office. As the pediatricians have responsibilities outside the office, they often do not access the EMR on a given day or week. Expect that a faxed request will take 2 weeks, sometimes more, to be filled. Your pharmacy can provide an emergency supply in the interim.

Do I now see the pediatrician for all issues?

No. You should continue to see your primary care provider or use walk-in clinics or the nearest emergency room as you would have previously. If you have a non-urgent issue relating to the reason you saw the pediatrician, follow-up may be an option but this should be discussed with the pediatrician during your appointment.

Can the medical office assistant provide me with results or advice?

No. This is outside the scope of their training and should not be requested or expected.

I would like my pediatrician to fill out a disability tax credit, is that possible?

Please contact the disability alliance ( https://disabilityalliancebc.org/direct-service/help-with-the-rdsp-and-dtc/ ) to have their help in completing the questions on the disability tax credit form. Once complete, forward to us.

Some of the pediatricians request that you make an appointment to complete the DTC, as that guarantees the time is set aside for that purpose. 

There is a cost of $100 associated with this uninsured service.

I need a form/letter completed.

Please address any letter/form requests at a scheduled appointment. There is typically a cost associated with these uninsured services, dependent on complexity.

Co-parenting policy.

It is our expectation that parents communicate with each other regarding appointment dates, times, and outcomes. We are unable to provide duplicate appointments or phone calls to separated parents. If parents prefer not to be present in person together one or both could attend virtually if deemed appropriate by the pediatrician.