Western Health offers a comprehensive outpatient service to referring general practitioners in the west. All referrals are triaged by nursing, allied staff and medical staff generally with 72 hours of referral being received. All efforts are made to arrange appointments based on urgency.
It is vital that all relevant clinical and demographic information is supplied to ensure a seamless progression to appointment. NOTE: GPs MUST advise their patients in advance that they intend to refer them to an MBS (Bulk Bill) Clinic and the patient has given them consent to do so. MBS Clinic referrals MUST state the name of the doctor you wish your patient to see and your provider number. All patients referred to a MBS (Bulk Bill) Clinic must hold a Medicare Card (i.e. Australian resident)
Western Health Outpatients encourages the use of the Victorian State-wide Referral Form (VRSF) and VRSF plus, available for download below:
VSRF GP Referral (73KB)
VSRF plus maternity (74KB)
VSRF plus Urology (60KB)
VSRF plus Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee (64KB)
Details of how to import the VSRF templates into Medical Director can be downloaded from the General Practice Victoria website.
All referrals are to be faxed to the relevant Outpatient Clinic.
Referral Guidelines and Supporting Clinical Documentation
Western Health has developed referral guidelines to assist GPs to refer to the appropriate outpatient service. These are available to download below. Please review the guidelines before referring to Western Health Specialist/Outpatient Clinics.
| Clinic/Department | Description/Instructions |
|---|---|
| The Breast Clinic is staffed by breast surgeons and is for those patients without a diagnosis of breast cancer. These referral guidelines list common breast symptoms and provide recommendations for investigations and referral. They also include imaging guidelines which outline appropriate imaging for woman presenting with breast symptoms. Please review these guidelines before referring. | |
| Diabetes Referral Guidelines (45KB) | Most patients with diabetes can be well managed in the community, but in situations such as poor diabetic control, specialist care at hospital outpatient clinics may be required. Please review these guidelines before referring. |
| Drug & Alcohol Services (DAS West) |
A4 summary referral guide for DASWest Programs including; Program Description, Client Eligibility, Referral Requirements and Expectations. |
| Use this form to refer directly to endoscopy for colonoscopy or gastroscopy | |
| Early Pregnancy Assessment Service Referral Guidelines (36KB) | *New Clinic* the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) is available for pregnant women who have mild pain or bleeding but who are clinically stable. Please note EPAS is not suitable for clinically unstable patients, these patients should be referred directly to Sunshine Emergency Department. |
|
First Seizure Clinic Referral Guidelines (48KB)(MBS clinic) |
*New Clinic* aims to review patients who have had a first seizure within a few weeks of the event for neurological assessment by the team. Please review these guidelines before referring. |
| Head & Neck Clinic Supporting Clinical Information (65KB) | Complete this form and attach to referral for patients with suspected head & neck cancers |
| Complete this form to request a Lung Function Test | |
|
Metabolic Bone Disorder Clinic Referral Guidelines (45KB)(MBS Clinic) |
*New Clinic* suitable for patients at high risk of bone loss/disease. Please review these guidelines before referring. |
|
Movement Disorder Clinic Referral Guidelines (47KB)(MBS Clinic) |
*New Clinic* suitable for patients with any movement disorder. Please review these guidelines before referring. |
| Neurosurgery Referral Guidelines (46KB) | Please review these guidelines before referring. All referrals for back and neck related problems need to be submitted with a 'Back and Neck Supporting Clinical Information Form' (103KB). |