Health Professionals

Referrals

GP Referrals

Please fax a GP referral to (03) 4215 1546.

All urgent cases or where a verbal handover is required should also be discussed with our consultant on 0468 661 127.

Barwon Health Referrals

In hours: Phone our consultant on 0468 661 127.

Out of hours or less urgent referrals: Email a referral to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (using internal Barwon Health email) including three patient identifiers (including the URN, name and date of birth) as well as a patient contact number, emergency contact number, and a brief summary of the clinical scenario/request.

Examples of suitable patients in community

• Exacerbation of chronic disease such as heart failure, acute on chronic renal impairment, poorly controlled hypertension for secondary workup and stabilisation, postural hypotension etc.
• Patients appropriate for a direct admission to HITH and would otherwise have been sent to ED (e.g. simple cellulitis, simple lower limb DVT, simple pyelonephritis without fevers etc).
• Situations where hospital may be required but the patient is well enough to wait for a direct admission to ward. Please ensure such cases are discussed with our consultant.
• Patients with multiple complex needs and comorbidities requiring a comprehensive general medical overview and management.
• Undifferentiated presentations requiring general physician workup.
• Patients with abnormal blood tests or investigations who are not otherwise unwell or in need of ED.
• Patients seen in clinic who would typically otherwise be referred to ED due to lack of suitable safety net or access to rapid outpatient follow-up.
• We also accept referrals for eating disorder patients to determine if admission is required.

Examples of suitable patients in ED or on wards

• RAPU type presentations who are well enough to go home with access to early follow-up as a safety net.
• Patients representing with similar issues or needing an outpatient tune-up to prevent representation.
• Complex re-presenters, we can attempt outpatient review and formulate ideas to try to reduce presentations.
• Patients without an ongoing emergency syndrome who may be successfully diverted from ED by arranging early physician assessment.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with genuine emergency syndromes

This would include patients with unstable observations, appearing acutely unwell, new oxygen requirement etc, in addition to chest pain or other presentations requiring urgent investigations/management

In general, patients who need to be seen immediately or within hours are more appropriate for AV, ED or the Barwon Health Acute Referral Service (BARS) depending on the scenario. Those who can be seen later that day or the next week-day would likely be suitable for Gen Med Early Access.

Clearly-defined subspecialty issues

Such patients would be best discussed with the relevant specialty unit (generally through switchboard on (03) 4215 0000). However if the GP feels this approach is not getting the necessary result, or if the specialty unit would like our assistance, we would be happy to receive a phone call to see if we may be able to assist

• Patients requiring procedures e.g. ascitic tap. Please refer to relevant specialty +/- medical day stay or interventional radiology.
• Paediatrics.
• Pregnant patients: please refer to O&G and ask they refer to us if required. However suitable patients with hyperemesis gravidarum can be directly referred to HITH.
• Residential Aged Care residents would generally be best referred to the residential in-reach program or Barwon Acute Referral Service (BARS).
• Advanced cognitive impairment and/or BPSD - consider relevant Geriatric Medicine programs.