Southern Centre

Very unhappy with this doctor who is rude and arrogant who won't listen to you and then charges ridiculous fees.
I was suffering terribly with all over body itch and his conclusion was there is no cure, get rid of your 10 year old cat or live away from your own home, this was all I got even after asking if there was some way to get relief, he just repeated this same conclusion and ended the visit and then had the audacity to charge me $290 for absolutely nothing and I left there devastated and I will never return even if he was the last dermatologist on this planet!

Although a great dermatologist the practice owner has made a decision to no longer see ex defence personnel with DVA Gold and White Cards. Very disappointing as I’ve seen him with no issues prior to 2021.

Received incredible service here, with reception staff being friendly and extremely helpful.

Dr Walker treated me very patiently - I struggle with dementia and most doctors become curt very rapidly, but he did not. Dr Walker explained everything about my condition to both me and my husband and helped me identify, as well as treat, a persisting skin condition that bothered me for years. My skin is in better condition now than it has been in years, even my daughter and son noticed!

I am so very grateful to this clinic for the patience, kindness and quality of service that I received.

Amazing service. Great Dermatologist. After suffering for so many years with my skin and rashes, this doctor actually took the time to find out what was at the bottom of it all. Rather than just prescribing expensive creams or treatments. An extremely thorough approach, and now my skin is amazing. Wish I'd found this clinic earlier!

Most disappointed with the way I was treated like a number.
I was charged $150 for my initial consultation (which I was made to pay before I was allowed to see the doctor)
Then quoted a further $180 which then miraculously turned out to be $230, for the biopsy. Apparently he gave me a consultation at the same time, which he did not.
To then get my results would have cost me another $100 but luckily I got a call from the refering doctor who gave me my results over the phone.
I genuinely think charging people for results extremely greedy especially when they are vulnerable.
Please connect with your refering doctor and save yourself some time and
money.

It was my 92 year old mother that came here and I was extremely happy with the care and service the staff here provided her with! She can be a bit difficult sometimes, as she ages her senses sadly are decreasing, but the team here treated her with patience and nothing but kindness. The doctor has help her manage her psoriasis so well and she is finally happy with her skin! I am leaving this review on her behalf because she is not very good with technology but she said to me “I just wish I could tell the world how good Dr Walker is and to go and see him as soon as possible”. Only bit of feedback is that we had to drive a little way to go and see him, but TOTALLY worth it!

I felt Dr Walker came across as an arrogant, rude individual whose only concern was to get you in and out as quickly as possible, with minimum inconvenience. During my initial consultation he became agitated when I asked him if he could, at the completion of my procedure, fill out some paper required by Vets Affairs. What I wanted was this to be placed on my file to be completed when all the tests were in. He abruptly walked off, showed my wife and I the door and pointed to the receptionist. I wondered "what happened there! ". The consultation was ended. At that stage I should have followed my gut instinct and cancelled, but I suppose I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

On the day of my surgery, at its’ completion, he became agitated because he was running 30 mins late, even though I was the first appointment of the day, (bad time management maybe?). When his assistant mentioned this I made a point of saying, “it was hardly my fault”! I again asked about my vets affairs paper work, gave it to her, and she just threw it on the desk. I asked her not to lose it as I had gone to some lengths to get it. I could tell by this stage it was something they did not want to deal with.

Dr Walker phoned me at home and accused me of trying to get a free service, based on my vets affairs application, and my existing specific vets affairs card, (not skin cancer related), I was fully aware that only subsequent skin related procedures would be covered by Vets Affairs, and only if the application was successfully, (This was previously advised to me by Vets Affairs). He also stated that I would be very unlikely to qualify because of my degree of sun damage. (I find that hard to believe as I have two malignant cancers (BCCs), one behind my ear and one on my back). I explained to him that that was not his decision to make and he needed to present the findings of the pathology report in my application.

At this stage, I could tell that Dr Walker was in no mood to objectively discuss or listen to this issue. (Listening is not one of his strong points). Our discussion was becoming heated. I get the feeling that he is not one to be questioned! Unfortunately by now I had lost all confidence in Dr Walker and informed him his services would no longer be required. I had numerous stitches in my ear and back and was uncomfortable with him removing them!

I have since visited my regular GP who removed my stitches and has filled out my vets affairs paperwork. This was based on the pathology report, his observations and Dr Walker’s report. No problems, 5 mins all done!

I was upset by this whole experience, and cannot see how this situation got out control to such a degree. It was extremely badly managed by someone who is supposed to be a professional.

In all fairness I have given Dr Walker two stars because, the procedure he carried out, was without issue, pain or any problems and I was very happy with that aspect of my dealings with him. It is such a shame his personal interaction with me was not of a similar standard.

This post is by Luke Hale, husband of Helga. We share this email address.

I am of very fair complexion and my skin is covered with so many moles that one could not even contemplate counting them.

I am so thankful that two and a half years ago our family doctor referred me to Dr Walker for the regular examination of all the moles and other growths on my skin.

Following my recent checkup, I have had two Bcc’s excised from my face. The one on my forehead was a straightforward procedure.

The second Bcc, however, was in a more difficult position. It was growing on the left side of the bridge of the nose – and, for my liking, uncomfortably close to the inside corner of the left eye.

In removing the growth, a skin flap technique was used to cover the excised area. This was part of Dr Walker's great care to preserve the normal action of the eyelid. I am extremely thankful indeed that Dr Walker was successful in this regard.

Am very relieved because I feel that if the skin cancer had continued to grow unchecked, a point would have been reached where retaining the normal functioning of my left eyelid might no longer have been possible.

As always, I feel hugely grateful for Dr Walker’s training, experience, clinical judgment and surgical skill. Dr Walker’s thoroughness is exemplary.

I have some experience with being treated for skin cancer. The first time I had a melanoma removed was in 1997, in Brisbane. From then to now, in total I have been a patient of seven Dermatologists. Dr Walker stands out from the field.

Over this period I have had five melanomas removed including, quite some years back, a lentigo maligna melanoma that required an excision the size of a matchbox from the left cheek. With regard to dysplastic nevi, Bcc’s and Scc’s, I lost count early on.

Because of this earlier experience of six other clinics, I am very assured about being in the best of hands with Dr Walker and each of the wonderful, caring members of Dr Walker’s staff. Through their care, and in spite of the odds, I’m stayin’ alive! I can never thank each enough.

22 Oct 2019 Update:
What lovely people they are at Southern Dermatology.
Dr Walker has now excised another melanoma from my back. Thankfully, through Dr Walker's thoroughness this dangerous growth was identified very early.
The finding of a melanoma early is simply a gift of life. Thank you to all.

Seen 40 minutes late and charged almost $100 to watch Mr Walker mess up basic dilution equations which I should have had when the medication was prescribed in the first place. Lift your game doc.

After having seen so many doctors and even going to the hospital with my 18 month daughter, and getting no where. I was so grateful for the time that Dr Walker spent seeing us and the advice he gave. The best bit, was how quickly we got in to see him!

DO NOT LET THIS MAN TOUCH YOUR FACE!
If I could give minus stars I would!

I went in to have a nodular BCC that was half the size of a five cent piece taken off my left temple. I asked the lady at the front desk many times previous to the day of the procedure -and Dr Walker on the day when I was on the table -WHAT.he was actually doing to my face. No one would give me a straight answer.he merely told me it would depend on how elasticated my skin was -or something to that effect. The lady at the front desk said the same.

Next thing I knew he was shaving up the side of my head. I have long hair. I’m a female.you don’t do that without warning a female. I then could smell burning (couldn’t feel much because he numbed the side of my entire face) -he told me there were lots of blood vessels on this part of my face. That’s when I knew it was bad and that he had carved open the side of my head!

He did a skin flap.for a BCC that was nodular NOT growing flat out across my skin. So there was no need to take that much skin away! If he thought he needed to take that much he SHOULD have done a small biopsy first.you don’t just do a massive skin flap to the side of a young single females face. AND especially not without warning.

I ended up with 23 stitches.and a massive S-bend line of stitches that went from my temple right up the side of my head (where all my hair was shaved off). I looked like Frankenstein’s monster!
He also put my eyebrow back in the wrong place. I told him this when he gave me a mirror at the end and his reply was merely “. Oh well, it’s done now. ” ummm callous, uncaring and unprofessional much!? ! I would NEVER have let anyone but a plastic or cosmetic surgeon do a massive (and unnecessary) skin flap to my face -HAD I BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADVISED IF WHAT HE WAS DOING TO MY FACE.which I was not -and I believe was a massive breach of correct procedure.

Also.when I went in for the follow up and to have my stitches taken out.he didn’t even bother to come and see me.the lady/secretary at the front desk took my stitches out.that certainly can’t be following proper procedures required by AHPRA or whatever board he answers to!

It has now been almost 1 year. I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt and see if it healed well.

The scar is terrible, my hair has still barely grown back.and I think this has something to do with the fact that he pulled my hairline into the wrong spot. I now have hair growing on my temple -like it’s inside my hairline.which it no longer is.my hairline is all wrong and pulled into the side of my face in the wrong spot.and my eyebrow is a completely different shape which has shocked me by just how much this stands out because it throws off the whole symmetry of my face.

I am now booked in to see one of the best plastic surgeons to have this massacre on my face fixed.
And I have a good mind to report this so called ‘doctor’ to the board for the damage he has done to my face.a simple biopsy prior to cutting half my face open would have prevented what he did.
I know this because I have very fair skin and have had many previous skin cancers taken off all of me. INCLUDING my face. So I know the procedures and he did NOT follow them.not to mention not warning me -or walking me through what he was doing to me on the day.if he had of told me he was doing a skin flap I would have got up off the table and walked out!

I can’t believe I thought I was going in for a routine nodular BCC removal! I am so traumatised by this experience by this man and his callous approach to something so serious to a females face.especially these days with all the technology that can be used to prevent a barbaric hacking off and mangling someone’s face!