Overview
Your appointment at the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic will involve a detailed discussion of your primary problem and recent history with your treating clinician. We can also provide an ultrasound assessment, if required.
The clinic commonly supports women:
- requiring assessment of bleeding or pain in early pregnancy
- planning for the management of a potential miscarriage
- support after having a miscarriage.
Getting here
Find us at:
163 Studley Road
Heidelberg Victoria 3084
For more information on getting here, visit Mercy Hospital for Women .
Location details
Emergency Department, Level 1
How can people get access?
Go to the Emergency Department reception desk to access the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic
Opening hours
Monday–Friday, 9am–12pm
Your appointment
What to do before
Do not attend this appointment if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Please contact the clinic by phone between 8am-4.30pm if you need to change your appointment.
What to bring
If available, please bring with you:
- results of previous ultrasound or blood tests
- referral letter from your general practitioner (GP) (if applicable).
What to expect on the day
Most appointments will take 15–30 minutes, which includes any telemedicine.
You must enter Mercy Hospital for Women via the Studley Road car park, where you will take the lifts to Level 1. You can also enter via the podium entry from Studley Road.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment and register at Level 1 Emergency Department Reception.
Restrictions apply to visitors or support people, in line with hospital guidance.
More information
Team Composition
Your care providers in the Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic may include:
- a nurse/midwife
- a doctor with specialist knowledge of early pregnancy problems
- a pastoral carer.
Discharge information
A discharge letter will be provided to your GP, including results and any plans for ongoing care.
Additional support
You may require further appointments in the clinic, which will be planned and made at the time of your assessment. Some of this support can be provided via telephone.
If no further clinic follow-up is required, you may be referred to your GP, or another outpatient clinic within the hospital.
Pastoral care services are available within the hospital to provide you with additional support.
Opportunities to be involved in research
Yes
Who to call if you have concerns afterwards
If you have questions or concerns after your appointment, please contact our EPAC midwife over the phone on 8458 4439 (Monday to Friday 8am-4.30pm).
The phone might not be attended outside of these hours. If your concern is not urgent, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call on our next working day.
Outside of these hours, please contact the Emergency Department directly for limited phone advice on 8458 4000.
If you have acute pain or heavy bleeding, you should attend our Emergency Department.
For health professionals
A specialised service offering non-acute assessment of complications in the first trimester, point-of-care ultrasound if required, counselling, and miscarriage management planning.
Procedural information
Some women may require multiple visits to our clinic before a diagnosis of viable or non-viable pregnancy can be made.
Referrals to this service are assessed against the Statewide Referral Criteria. Please utilise HealthPathways to assist in making the referral. Referrals which do not meet the Statewide Referral Criteria will be declined.
What/when you should refer to us
- stable women who require assessment of first trimester complications such as pain/bleeding
- women who require management planning for first trimester miscarriage.
Our clinic is receiving eReferrals via HealthLink SmartForms. Please see our Refer a patient page for more information.
What/when you should not refer to us
Women requiring urgent emergency care should not be referred to this service.
Additional contact details
Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic
Mercy Hospital for Women
Level 1, 163 Studley Road
Heidelberg, Vic, 3084
Phone: 03 8458 4439
Fax: 03 8458 4205 (NOTE: For all outpatient referrals, please be aware there may be a delay of several days before your referral is directed to EPAC. Please phone the EPAC midwife directly to discuss referrals prior to sending.)
Contacts
For Health Professionals
HealthPathways Melbourne
- Email address: info@healthpathwaysmelbourne.org.au
- 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
- 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 digitalhealth@emphn.org.auor 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 request@healthlink.net
- For issues with HealthLink SmartForms, or to have this solution enabled within your clinical software system, please contact HealthLink on 1800 125 036 or HelpdeskHL@healthlink.net.
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.
Additional resources
- Early pregnancy loss booklet - English File size: 165.7K — File type: PDF
- Early pregnancy loss booklet - Arabic File size: 263.4K — File type: PDF
- Early pregnancy loss booklet - Chinese File size: 512.2K — File type: PDF
- Early pregnancy loss booklet - Hindi File size: 483.1K — File type: PDF
- Early pregnancy loss booklet - Karen File size: 545.5K — File type: PDF
Mercy Hospital for Women
Based in Heidelberg, Victoria, Mercy Hospital for Women is a major public hospital and specialist referral centre with the medical, nursing, midwifery and allied health expertise to provide complex obstetric, neonatal and gynaecological care.
Providing feedback
We value feedback from the people we care for, including from your families, friends, carers, and our broader community. Find out how to register a concern, complaint or compliment, or make a suggestion for improvement at Mercy Health.