From my experience, it's better to see a specialist as a private
patient ( if you can afford the $65 IIRC). This ensures
continual care by the same specialist/consultant at
hand, unlike a polyclinic or SAF referral which upon
admission as a subsidised patient creates a situation where
subsequent medical appointments have different specialists dealing
with your case.
If you go as a private patient to any government/govt-linked
autonomous hospital, your fees for the subsequent visits are paid
for by the SAF as long as you show your 11B.
You can get the appointment through your MO's referral or you can
go there yourself.
Lastly, if you're well off, I'd recommend you head to a private
hospital or ask around for reputable orthopaedic consultants.