Inspire Clinic is led by Dr Sean Ledger, Director and Principal Physiotherapist, and treats heart and lung conditions as its whole scope of practice. We take referrals through three pathways — medical, NDIS and aged care — and the requirements differ for each, so they are set out separately below. Referrals are welcome but not required: clients may also self-refer.
Who refers to us
All three pathways reach the same service and the same clinicians. What changes is the paperwork and who the report goes to.
Medical
General practitioners, respiratory and cardiology teams, surgical units and discharge planners, plus workers’ compensation insurers and rehabilitation coordinators. Funded privately, through a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP), DVA, WorkCover or private health insurance.
NDIS
Support coordinators, plan managers, allied health colleagues and participants themselves. Physiotherapy sits under Improved Daily Living as a therapeutic support. We see self-managed and plan-managed participants only — Inspire Clinic is not a registered NDIS provider, so agency-managed funding cannot be used.
Aged care
Support at Home providers, care partners and case managers, plus families arranging privately. We see clients in their own home or in clinic. We do not attend residential aged-care facilities, and we do not provide services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
What we accept
- ✓Respiratory conditions — asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease and chronic cough.
- ✓Cardiac conditions — after myocardial infarction, revascularisation or valve surgery, and in heart failure and arrhythmia.
- ✓Pre-surgical rehabilitation — conditioning, airway clearance and inspiratory muscle training in the weeks before thoracic, cardiac or major abdominal surgery.
- ✓Post-surgical rehabilitation (thorax / orthopaedic) — sternal precautions, rib fixation, lung resection and a staged return to activity.
- ✓Home oxygen review — resting and ambulatory assessment with walk testing, reported back to the prescribing team — the prescription stays with them. Please provide a written copy of the oxygen prescription with the referral.
- ✓Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and cough-assist review — mask fit, tolerance, adherence and technique, with findings sent to the prescriber.
- ✓Deconditioning and reduced exercise tolerance — objective exercise testing and a graded programme, including long COVID and post-intensive-care recovery.
- ✓Six minute walk test — single trial without oxygen, or a dual trial with and without oxygen for MASS evaluation. Reported back with distance walked, saturation and symptom response.
- ×Acute inpatient care — we are a community and home-visiting service
- ×Anything requiring medical management alone. Prescribing, imaging requests and diagnosis remain with GPs and specialists.
- ×Agency-managed NDIS plans — we are not a registered NDIS provider. Self-managed and plan-managed participants are welcome
- ×Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) services
We accept GPCCMP, DVA, NDIS (self-managed and plan-managed), Support at Home — in the client’s home or in clinic — workers’ compensation, private health insurance and self-funded clients.
We are not a registered NDIS provider, so agency-managed plans cannot be invoiced. We do not attend residential aged-care facilities, and we do not provide services under CHSP.
Full lung function testing
All lung function testing should be referred to CQ Respiratory and Sleep Clinic, in Rockhampton. We do not perform lung function testing on site at present.
- Full lung function — flow volume loops before and after bronchodilator, lung volumes and gas transfer
- Flow volume loops — before and after bronchodilator
- Bronchial provocation — mannitol challenge
- Respiratory muscle strength — MIPs/MEPs and postural spirometry
- Exhaled nitric oxide — FeNO
Respiratory function request form (PDF) →
Their form carries the current contact details, sites and medication withholding times.
Interpreting
If your client needs an interpreter, tell us when you refer — it is easier to arrange before the first appointment than to rearrange around it.
The clinic does not provide interpreting services directly. Where a client needs an interpreter, we will work with them to arrange one before the appointment.
Where interpreting is funded in the client's NDIS plan, it will be claimed against that funding. Where it is not funded, the interpreter's cost is payable by the client, and we will confirm that cost with them in writing beforehand.
Where communication support is required as a reasonable adjustment for a disability, the clinic will arrange and meet that cost.
We will not proceed with an appointment where we cannot communicate safely and accurately with the client.
How to refer
There is no referral form to chase and no template you must use. Send it whichever way suits you — a letter, a plan extract, a service order or an email will do.
Medical Objects
Send to Dr Sean Ledger (Principal Physiotherapist). The fastest route for medical referrers, and it lands straight in the clinical record.
reception@inspireclinic.au
Mark it Referral in the subject line. The usual route for NDIS and aged-care referrals.
Phone
0402 166 415
For anything urgent, or to talk a case through — including whether a plan or package can fund it.
What to include
The client’s name, date of birth and contact number, the reason for referral, and the best way to reach them. If they need an interpreter or have mobility or access needs, tell us and we will plan around it.
The diagnosis; relevant history, imaging or lung function if you have it; current medicines; and the funding pathway — whether a GPCCMP, DVA, WorkCover or private.
Please provide a written copy of the oxygen prescription. We need the prescribed flow rate, delivery device and the hours of use it covers, at rest and on exertion, before we assess or exercise the client. Tell us who prescribed it and who supplies the equipment, so the assessment goes back to the right team.
Plan start and end dates, whether the plan is self-managed or plan-managed, the plan manager’s contact details, and the goals physiotherapy is meant to serve. A copy of the plan extract or the previous therapy report saves a great deal of time.
The package level and provider, the case manager’s contact details, any service order or purchase-order number, and whether the client is to be seen at home or in the clinic.
What to expect after your client is reviewed
You keep the clinical relationship. Our role is to assess, treat, identify the problem, set a management plan, and provide you with a summary report.
- 1We contact your client — reception phones them to book, usually within one business day of the referral arriving. If we cannot reach them they are sent an SMS and/or an email asking them to contact the clinic.
- 2Initial assessment — a 45–60-minute appointment covering history, examination and objective measures as indicated, treatment, and a plan agreed with the client on the day.
- 3A letter back to you — a written summary after that first appointment: what we found, the objective measures with their numbers, the plan, and anything that needs your input. Sent by Medical Objects or your preferred communication method. For NDIS and aged-care referrals the report is written for the purpose you need it for — progress against plan goals, evidence for a review or reassessment, or a recommendation for equipment or support hours.
- 4Ongoing review — progress notes at review points and a discharge summary at the end of the episode, each with repeat measures so change is visible rather than asserted.
- 5Anything unexpected comes straight back — a finding outside our scope, a deterioration, or a client who stops attending — you hear about it at the time, not at discharge.
The initial summary, progress notes and the discharge summary are part of the service and are not charged for. Reports prepared for a separate purpose — an NDIS or aged-care funding application or plan review, an employer or insurer form — are quoted before we start. Prescribing, imaging requests and diagnosis remain with the client’s medical team; if a client needs something we cannot provide, we say so and refer back.