Book your dietitian appointment in just a few minutes.

Choose your appointment, pick a location, and book straight into our calendar.

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Meet your Dietitian
Dr Margaret Cheung

Dr Margaret Cheung, APD, PhD

Margaret completed her PhD specialising in outcomes after bariatric surgery, and brings over 4 years of clinical experience supporting patients across a wide range of health concerns. She takes a practical, down-to-earth approach to her care, helping clients incorporate everyday healthy eating into their lifestyle.

Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin

What does a dietitian do, and why did my GP refer me?

A dietitian helps you make practical, evidence-based changes to your eating patterns to manage or improve a health condition, whether that's diabetes, high cholesterol, gut symptoms, weight management, or something else entirely. Rather than a generic diet plan, we look at your specific situation, lifestyle, and goals, and work with you to build an approach that actually fits your life.

Your GP typically refers you to a dietitian when nutrition plays a meaningful role in managing your condition, and Medicare rebates are often available for these referrals (a Chronic Disease Management Plan or similar), which is reflected in the appointment options below.

1Appointment
2Location
3Time & details
Step 1 of 3

Choose your appointment

We have a few appointment durations you can choose from.

Under a GP referral, bulk-billed Standard appointments come at no cost to you, while longer appointments still receive a Medicare rebate but involve a gap fee, allowing more time to explore hormonal, gut, or emotional contributors to your health in detail.

Many patients find it helpful to allow extra time for the first couple of appointments, for a more thorough look at what's going on. Whatever duration suits you, we'll always do our best to support your care.

Our appointment options

Need a hand? Call us on 3067 7280 or text 0433 912 208, and we'll help you sort it out.

FAQ

Why has my GP referred me to a dietitian?

There are lots of reasons a GP might suggest seeing a dietitian, for example:

  • Managing a chronic condition like diabetes or high cholesterol
  • Gut health
  • Weight-related concerns
  • General nutrition support

It doesn't have to be a big overhaul. Sometimes it's simply a check-in to review how things are going, with small, practical adjustments where they'd help.

If you're not entirely sure why you were referred, that's completely normal. We're happy to talk it through together at your first appointment.

Do I need a referral to see a dietitian?

You do not need a referral for a private appointment. If you'd like to claim Medicare or DVA benefits, you'll need a referral from your GP.

  • You can get a referral from any GP, it doesn't have to be your regular doctor
  • Your referral needs to be dated the same day as your appointment or earlier, Medicare won't accept one dated after your visit
  • You can only claim one rebate per appointment, either private health fund or Medicare, not both
  • If your referral isn't ready yet, you're welcome to book your appointment first. Just add a note to let us know your GP referral is on its way, so you can secure your preferred time

Here are our referral details in case your GP needs them:

  • BBDiet Dietitian Services
  • admin@bbdiet.com.au
  • 07 3067 7280
What age groups and conditions do you see?

We see all age groups, from children through to older adults, and support a broad range of conditions across four main areas.

Weight & metabolic health

  • Nutrition support for GLP-1 medications (e.g. Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro)
  • Weight management (loss or gain), malnutrition, and bariatric surgery (pre- and post-surgery)
  • Diabetes (pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, gestational and others), high cholesterol, and high blood pressure

Gut & digestive health

  • Gut health and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms
  • Food allergies and intolerances

Specialised & chronic conditions

  • Heart, liver, and kidney conditions
  • Women's health, including PCOS, endometriosis, and thyroid conditions
  • Eating disorders

Growth & everyday nutrition

  • Fussy eating and growth in children
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Vegan and vegetarian diets
  • General nutrition support
What's the difference between a dietitian, nutritionist, and naturopath?

These titles aren't interchangeable, even though they're often used that way:

  • Dietitian: university-qualified and clinically trained, recognised by Medicare, DVA, NDIS, and private health funds
  • Nutritionist: an unprotected title with varying qualifications, generally not Medicare-rebateable
  • Naturopath: practises complementary medicine, a different discipline to dietetics, not Medicare-rebateable

As Accredited Practising Dietitians, our advice is evidence-based and recognised by Medicare, DVA, NDIS, and most private health funds.

How do you protect my privacy?

Your health information is kept confidential and handled in line with Australian privacy law. We only use it to provide your care, process your Medicare or health fund claims, and communicate with your GP where relevant, we don't share it for any other purpose without your consent.

What does the appointment include?

Every appointment includes notes taken during your session, reports prepared for your GP where relevant, and preparation time beforehand reviewing your referral and any results you've shared with us.

In-depth (50 min)

  • If you have some budget, our most thorough option, whether your main goal is one specific thing or several
  • Time to properly explore your symptoms, lifestyle, and history, including hormonal health, gut health, and other underlying factors where relevant
  • Space to answer every question and support you in building a healthier, more empowered relationship with food, especially valuable for your first appointment with us

Enhanced (30 min)

  • Prioritises your main areas of concern, with brief exploration of other factors like lifestyle, stress, and gut or hormonal influences
  • Well-rounded, meaningful support to make lasting progress on your main concern
  • Room to ask questions and gain clarity on your nutrition strategy, so you leave with practical next steps

Standard (15 min)

  • A targeted, efficient consult well suited to a clear, single concern, whether that's a first appointment, a review once you've built some confidence with initial changes, or a quick check-in
  • Genuinely useful for ongoing support and accountability
  • Best suited to one clear focus area. If you're juggling a few concerns at once, Enhanced or In-depth will give you more room to cover them all

If you're managing multiple or complex concerns but a longer appointment isn't in budget right now, we'll always make the very best use of the time we have together. It's also worth having a chat with us, we can often spread your care across a few Standard sessions, or pair a Standard appointment with a discounted private top-up. We're always happy to talk through options and make care as accessible as possible.

Do you provide meal plans?

Our appointments focus on personalised advice tailored to you, instead of generic, pre-made meal plans. If you'd like a fully personalised meal plan, we're happy to arrange one for an additional fee, since it takes time to prepare outside your appointment. Just give us a call to discuss.

Will I need a physical exam or blood test?

Nothing invasive, we keep things simple:

  • The only physical checks we do are weight or waist circumference, and only where it's relevant to your goals
  • If you're joining via telehealth, we may ask you to measure these yourself at home
  • We don't order blood tests ourselves, but we're very happy to discuss any results you already have: what they mean for your health, and why we're looking at those particular readings. Depending on your condition, we may also suggest additional tests for your GP to consider
  • You can have your GP or clinic email your results to admin@bbdiet.com.au ahead of your appointment so we can review them together
How does telehealth work?

We use Zoom for video telehealth appointments.

  • For video appointments, we'll email your Zoom link the day before your appointment
  • For phone appointments, we'll simply call you at your scheduled time, no link needed
How do I prepare for my first appointment?

A few things that help us make the most of your time together:

  • Complete your New Patient Intake Form if you've received one by email
  • If you have a referral, recent blood tests, or other relevant medical info, send these ahead of time by emailing a copy to admin@bbdiet.com.au or uploading them in your intake form (our preferred options), or simply bring them along in person
  • Jot down any questions or concerns you'd like to cover, so nothing gets missed

There's no need to change your eating habits beforehand, just come as you normally would.

How does the Medicare Care Plan or DVA referral work?

If your GP has placed you on a Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM), Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC), or Eating Disorder Plan, you can claim a $63.40 Medicare rebate per session:

  • CDM/EPC: up to 5 sessions a year (shared across allied health providers)
  • Eating Disorder Plan: up to 20 sessions a year

Here's how it works:

  • Standard (15 min): fully bulk-billed under Medicare or DVA, so there's usually nothing to pay. If your 5 Medicare sessions for the year have already been used, the claim will be rejected and a $99.80 fee applies instead, as you'll need to be seen as a private patient. If you're unsure how many sessions you've used, just note it in your booking and we'll check for you.
  • Enhanced (30 min) and In-depth (50 min): we charge the full appointment fee after your visit and submit the Medicare claim for you, so your rebate comes off automatically.
    • Enhanced (30 min): $56.60 gap ($120 - $63.40 = $56.60)
    • In-depth (50 min): $175.60 gap ($239 - $63.40 = $175.60)
  • For Enhanced and In-depth, if a claim is ever rejected, for example your sessions have already been used elsewhere, there's no surprise bill afterwards, you've simply already paid at the time of your appointment

DVA (D904 referral): fully bulk-billed from the start, no charge to your card and no session limit.

What do I do if I've used up my Medicare sessions?

You're welcome to continue seeing your dietitian as a private patient. We're happy to offer discounted or packaged appointment options for ongoing care, just give us a call to discuss what suits you.

You can resume Medicare-subsidised sessions once the new calendar year begins.

Why do you charge a fee for longer appointments?

Medicare provides the same rebate regardless of how long your appointment runs, so a longer session naturally costs more for us to deliver than a shorter one.

The gap fee on our Enhanced and In-depth appointments reflects the extra time, depth, and personalised attention involved. It also helps us keep offering these longer options sustainably, alongside our bulk-billed Standard appointments for anyone who just needs a shorter, targeted check-in.

How do I receive my rebate after the appointment?

This applies to Enhanced and In-depth appointments, since Standard is bulk-billed with nothing to pay upfront.

Once payment is collected, your dietitian submits your claim to Medicare on your behalf. The rebate ($63.40) is usually transferred to your bank account within 1 to 2 business days, and no more than 7.

  • You'll just need to link a bank account to your Medicare number to receive your rebate automatically. If you'd rather use a different account, that's easy too, we'll give you the option to nominate one in your intake form.
  • We're unable to process rebates for children under 14. In this case, we'll provide a receipt with instructions for claiming via MyGov.
  • For private appointments, we'll provide a receipt for you to submit to your private health fund to claim your rebate.
How do I reschedule or cancel my appointment?

Our contact details are included in your booking confirmation email.

  • Just give us a call or drop us an email if you need to reschedule or cancel, we're happy to help
  • See our Late Cancellation / Non-Attendance Policy below for our notice requirements

Practice Policies

Card Capture Upon Booking

When you book online, we'll ask you to enter your card details through a secure, encrypted payment platform. Your card is not charged at this point, it is simply held on file.

We ask for this to:

  • Process payment for your appointment afterwards (see our Payment Policy)
  • Enforce our Late Cancellation / Non-Attendance Policy (see below)
  • Help ensure the ongoing viability of our practice
  • Respect our dietitian's time, and the time of other patients waiting for an appointment

Your card details are stored securely and only ever used in line with the policies above.

Late Cancellation / Non-Attendance Policy

We ask for at least 48 hours' notice to reschedule or cancel. To help with this, we'll send you an appointment reminder by SMS and email 2 days beforehand.

  • Cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice, or missed without notice: the full appointment fee is charged to the card held on file
  • Genuine emergency: just let us know, we're happy to waive the fee
Payment Policy

We accept bank transfer or credit card for payment of your appointment.

  • Bank transfer, at least 2 days before your appointment. We'll send an invoice with our bank details beforehand.
  • Credit card (2% surcharge), charged at the end of your appointment.

For private appointments, your rebate depends on your individual cover. You may check with your health fund using these item numbers: 500 (initial appointment) and 600 (review appointment). We'll provide a receipt for you to submit to your private health fund after the appointment.

Ready when you are.

Booking your first appointment online takes about 5 minutes and secures your spot straight away.

Book your appointment
or call 07 3067 7280 / text 0433 912 208