DVA Doctor for Gold Coast Veterans
The Gold Coast has one of the fastest-growing veteran populations in the country — largely veterans who served elsewhere and retired to the coast. We work with them remotely for the records stages and in person when an examination is required.
At a glance
- Chart Review$600 + GST
- Diagnostic Assessments$600 + GST
- Permanent Impairment Assessment$1,500 + GST
- Commission on your payout0%
Working with veterans in the Gold Coast and northern NSW
Unlike Ipswich or Townsville, the Gold Coast is not a garrison city. Its veteran population is a retirement population: members who discharged from units across Australia and moved north. That has a specific consequence for claiming — the service record is often decades old, held by Defence rather than by a local GP, and the conditions being claimed have been managed by civilian practitioners who never saw the service file.
Unlike Ipswich or Townsville, the Gold Coast is not a garrison city. Its veteran population is a retirement population: members who discharged from units across Australia and moved north. That has a specific consequence for claiming — the service record is often decades old, held by Defence rather than by a local GP, and the conditions being claimed have been managed by civilian practitioners who never saw the service file.
That gap is exactly what a chart review closes. Every page of the service record and the civilian record is read together, so conditions documented in service and conditions treated since can be connected — which is what a delegate needs and what most claims are missing.
Northern New South Wales veterans around Tweed, Murwillumbah and Byron are in the same position, and are welcome to work with us on the same basis.
Units and establishments we see most from this region:
Veterans of all services and eras · records-based claims · telehealth and Ipswich clinic appointments
The same four stages, wherever you are.
Chart Review — $600 + GST
Every page of your service and civilian medical record read end to end, with every claimable condition identified, dated and referenced. Done entirely from your file.
Diagnostic Assessments — $600 + GST
For each documented condition: the diagnosis, the governing Statement of Principles, a referenced timeline, and every factor argued to MET or NOT MET.
Examination & investigation — $600 + GST
A consultation for the injuries never formally worked up, with imaging where it is needed. In person at Ipswich, or telehealth where appropriate.
Permanent Impairment — $1,500 + GST
Every accepted condition examined and rated against the correct GARP table, with a full written report accompanying the DVA forms.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to travel to Ipswich?
Not for most of it. Chart reviews, diagnostic assessments, diagnosis forms and appeal documents are produced from your medical record and require no attendance. Only a physical examination — principally a permanent impairment assessment — needs you in the room.
Do you have a clinic in Gold Coast?
No. The clinic is in Ipswich, Queensland, at Suites 5/6, 77 East Street. We work with Gold Coast veterans remotely for the records stages and in person when an examination is required, and we will always tell you honestly which applies to your matter.
How do I get my records to you?
We request your service medical records from Defence on your behalf and collect civilian records through a secure upload link. You do not need to chase them yourself.
Can psychiatric assessments be done by telehealth?
Frequently, yes. Telehealth is well established for psychiatric assessment and is accepted for these purposes where it is clinically appropriate.
What does it cost?
Every claims stage is $600 + GST, and a Permanent Impairment Assessment is $1,500 + GST. Fees are fixed, quoted in writing before work starts, and payable only once the stage is delivered. We never take a percentage of your compensation.
Dr Thomas Perkins
The expert in veterans’ medicolegal medicine — Expert DVA Doctor.
Dr Thomas Perkins is the founding doctor at the Veterans Health Centre in Ipswich, Queensland, and the leading expert in veterans’ medicolegal work in Australia. He has spent over 13 years working exclusively with current and former Australian Defence Force members — treating conditions, writing reports, and navigating the DVA system alongside them.
With 100,000+ DVA claims submitted and over 2,000 Permanent Impairment Assessments completed, Dr Perkins brings a depth of experience that simply cannot be replicated from a textbook. He understands the Statements of Principles, the GARP tables, the imaging that proves what a physical examination alone cannot — and the difference that a properly written report makes at every level, from initial liability through to the VRB.
Every chart review, every diagnostic assessment, and every impairment rating is personally overseen by Dr Perkins. If you’re looking for a doctor who knows veterans medicine inside and out, you’ve found the right clinic.
0429 146 039 reception@vhc.org.au
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