General Surgery

Referral process

Please select the HealthLink SmartForm eReferral for Surgical Clinic, or alternaticely address the paper downloadable referral form to Dr. Iain Skinner and fax to the Outpatient Department on 03 8754 6710.

Step 1

​Essential referral content will be checked. You will be contacted if further information is required.

If requesting an urgent review please include relevant detail and results.

Acknowledgement of referral receipt will occur within eight working days.

Step 2

The referral will be triaged by a specialist according to clinical urgency.

This determines how long the patient will have to wait for an appointment.

Step 3

Patients with urgent conditions are scheduled to be seen within 30 days.

Patients with non-urgent conditions are given the next available appointment according to clinical need.

Both the referrer and patient are notified.

Immediate assessment criteria

Immediate assessment or admission criteria (not an exhaustive list)

Step 1: Check criteria for immediate assessment or admission.

• acute abdomen requiring immediate surgical intervention
• unexplained/severe PR bleeding and/or anaemia
• acute abnormalities in investigation findings requiring urgent surgical intervention
• acute onset of abdominal pain not controlled by analgesia
• any changes to aneurysm (abdominal or aortic) please refer to Alfred Hospital
• acute cholecystitis, cholelithiasis
• any condition requiring urgent surgical interventions
• threatened cervical airway obstruction
• diverticulitis with systemic sepsis
• large bowel obstruction and acute small bowel obstruction
• obstructive Jaundice
• diagnosed GI tract malignancy
• confirmed or suspected colorectal cancers
• malena
• acute pancreatitis
• complicated hernias
• acute, severe biliary pain
• cachexia
• breast malignancy/lumps
• acute DVT.

Step 2: Contact the Emergency Department Admitting Officer via the switchboard: 03 8754 3000.

Step 3: Refer the patient to the Emergency Department. All urgent cases needs to be sent via MIA.

The clinical information provided in your referral will determine the triage category. The triage category will affect the timeframe in which the patient is offered an appointment.

If the condition is required immediate assessment or admission a referral to the Emergency Department (ED) should be attended to. Please refer the patient to the ED for clinical review.

Urgent (seen within 30 days of referral receipt)

The patient has a condition that has the potential to deteriorate quickly with significant consequences for health and quality of life if not managed promptly. Examples include:

• Positive FOBT – Refer to the Rapid Access Colonoscopy Clinic
• diagnosed malignancies
• liver lesion on imaging
• new onset dysphagia
• recent significant unexplained weight loss
• gallstone with symptoms of cholangitis, acute cholecystitis or biliary pancreatitis
• obstructive jaundice
• intra-abdominal mass for investigation
• goitre
• thyrotoxicosis
• thyroid nodules for investigation
• adrenal mass for investigation
• breast lumps
• previous positive screening for repeat Endoscopy
• carpel tunnel with  severe nerve involvement.

Non-urgent (seen within 365 days of referral receipt as clinically indicated)

The patient’s condition is unlikely to deteriorate quickly or have significant consequences for the person’s health and quality of life if specialist assessment is delayed beyond one month. Examples include:

• following cholecystitis
• recurrent biliary colic
• persistent reflux poorly controlled with medications
• colonoscopy for CA screening
• conditions requiring gastroscopy/endoscopy
• chronic perineal fistulas
• haemorrhoids
• anaemia for investigation
• varicose veins
• uncomplicated hernias
• benign skin lesions
• carpal tunnel with uncomplicated or no nerve involvement
• triger finger
• most lumps and ganglions.

Contacts

In case of emergency, call 000

For Health Professionals

HealthPathways Melbourne HealthPathways Melbourne is a free, web-based portal with relevant and evidence-based information on the assessment and management of common clinical conditions including referral guidance. Please email HealthPathways to confirm your username and password. HealthPathways Melbourne

Email: [email protected] Go: melbourne.healthpathways.org.au/LoginFiles/Logon.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f

Expand for more details

HealthPathways Melbourne

• Email address: [email protected]
• Website: HealthPathways Melbourne
• About:

  HealthPathways Melbourne provides clinicians with a single website to access clinical and referral pathways, and resources. Pathways are created by local GPs, working in partnership with specialists, nurses, allied health and other health professionals.

  Mercy Health recommends clinicians to access HealthPathways Melbourne for guidance in assessing, managing and referring for patient conditions (login required).

  Referrals to outpatient clinics at Mercy Health will be triaged against clinical information and investigations based on these guidelines.

  Referrals that do not meet the required clinical information and investigations will not be accepted.

  HealthPathways Melbourne is available for free to health professionals working in the North Western Melbourne and Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network catchments.

  Email HealthPathways to request access or if you need to confirm your username and password.

Healthlink SmartForm eReferrals This Mercy Health clinic is receiving eReferrals via HealthLink SmartForms from GP's. For more information on how to refer a patient please see our Refer a patient page. au.healthlink.net/support

Go: au.healthlink.net/support

Expand for more details

Healthlink SmartForm eReferrals

• Website: au.healthlink.net/support
• About:

  HealthLink is a secure digital platform for sending referrals directly from your GP practice software (Best Practice, Genie, Medical Director and MedTech Evolution).

  Practices without conformant software can register for a free HealthLink Portal licence by completing the online registration form and noting in the comments/message field that you would like to use the SmartForms, then selecting the two checkboxes – (1) Receive Electronic Correspondence (free of charge) and (3) Send Electronic Smart Forms (My Aged Care, Transport for NSW, Monash Health etc).

  Once HealthLink receives your completed registration application, this will be processed and the portal details will be forwarded to you.

   

  eReferral Support Contact Information

  • For GPs in the Eastern Melbourne Primary Healthcare Network region wanting to enable eReferrals (HealthLink Smartforms), please contact [email protected]or if urgent (03) 9046 0300.
  • For GPs in the North Western Melbourne Primary Healthcare Network region wanting to enable eReferrals (HealthLink Smartforms), please contact HealthLink via phone: 1800 125 036 or email [email protected]
  • For issues with HealthLink SmartForms, or to have this solution enabled within your clinical software system, please contact HealthLink on 1800 125 036 or [email protected].

Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics - Victoria The Department of Health and Human Services has developed statewide referral criteria to assist GPs and clinicians referring patients to specialist clinics. These referral criteria have been developed to improve access to specialist clinics in public hospitals by improving the quality and appropriateness of referrals. Statewide Referral Criteria

Go: src.health.vic.gov.au

Expand for more details

Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics - Victoria

• Website: Statewide Referral Criteria
• About:

  The Department of Health and Human Services has developed statewide referral criteria to assist GPs and clinicians referring patients to specialist clinics. These referral criteria have been developed to improve access to specialist clinics in public hospitals by improving the quality and appropriateness of referrals.