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New criteria to reduce wait times for eligible patients requiring plastic surgery or with joint or lower back pain

    Home News New criteria to reduce wait times for eligible patients requiring plastic surgery or with joint or lower back pain

    New criteria to reduce wait times for eligible patients requiring plastic surgery or with joint or lower back pain

    By mpcn | News | Comments are Closed | 11 March, 2024 | 0

    New statewide referral criteria for plastic surgery and joint pain come into effect from 1 March 2024 in all Victorian public hospitals.   

    When a referring GP successfully uses the new criteria for plastic surgery or joint pain to refer a patient to a public hospital, patients can be placed directly onto the specialist clinics wait list. The referral information encourages multi-disciplinary assessments to support non-surgical care and, when required appropriate direction to surgical treatment through the statewide referral criteria. This is why more information is needed in referrals – to support better access for patients.  

    The Victorian Department of Health has developed and published statewide referral criteria for 14 conditions across the joint pain and plastic surgery speciality suites.  

    Joint pain (focussing on hip and knee conditions, shoulder conditions, progressive low back pain) 

    • Osteoarthritis of the hip 
    • Osteoarthritis of the knee 
    • Osteoarthritis of the shoulder 
    • Other hip conditions 
    • Other knee conditions 
    • Other non-traumatic shoulder conditions 
    • Progressive lower back pain 
    • Shoulder trauma 


    Plastic surgery (focussing on hand and skin lesions) 

    • Carpal tunnel and other nerve compression syndromes 
    • Dupuytren’s contracture 
    • Hand fractures and infections 
    • Melanoma 
    • Skin lesions and other skin cancers 
    • Stenosing tenosynovitis including trigger finger 

    These two new suites join the 13 suites of statewide referral criteria already in existence across Victoria.   

    GPs and other primary care providers can visit HealthPathways or care pathways or src.health.vic.gov.au to find these and the other statewide referral criteria. 

    Statewide referral criteria provide referring clinicians clear and consistent guidance about which patients can be seen in public specialist clinics across Victoria and what investigations are necessary to support accurate prioritisation of referrals. 

    GPs and other primary care providers are encouraged to check their local HealthPathways or care pathways website when making referrals – this will be the quickest way to understand their local public hospital’s requirements. It is also a helpful way to trouble shoot management of these conditions when a referral to specialist clinics is not indicated.  

    GPs can visit HealthPathways or care pathways website or visit src.health.vic.gov.au to view the criteria.  

    Statewide referral criteria apply to public hospitals and health services only. They do not apply to private hospitals. Breast Surgery is the next suite of criteria scheduled for release on 1 June 2024, additional specialities set to be released throughout 2024. 

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    • About us
      • About the Alliance
      • Community engagement
      • Collaboration
      • Leadership
      • PHN Publications
      • Thought Leadership
    • Our Work
      • Best practice, prevention, management and support
        • Accelerated uptake of Hepatitis C medicines
        • Carer Awareness in General Practice
        • Community led cancer screening
        • Lymphoedema Primary Care Capacity Building
        • Optimal Care Pathways
          • Optimal Care Pathways – Oesophagogastric Cancer OCP
          • Optimal Care Pathways – Prostate Cancer
        • Place-based Suicide Prevention
        • Urgent Care Clinics
        • Statewide Paediatric HealthPathways Project
        • Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning (VHHITAL)
          • VHHITAL – Education and events copy pack
      • Connecting health with other sectors
        • Doctors in Secondary Schools
          • Apply to Doctors in Secondary Schools: one day out of your everyday
        • Enhancing Mental Health Support in Secondary Schools
      • Health system integration and reform translation
        • Alcohol and other Drug Integration
        • Care Pathways and Referral
          • COVID-19 care pathways
        • Enhancing Carers Supports Within Primary Health Care
        • Mental Health Integration
        • My Health Record Expansion
        • PIP QI Incentive partnership
        • SafeScript
        • State Emergency and Support Recovery
        • Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria
        • The National Disability Insurance Scheme in Victoria and Tasmania
        • Voluntary Assisted Dying
    • News and Education
      • Education and Calendars
      • News
      • Online Learning
    • SafeScript Training
    • Contact
      • Contact us
      • Our PHNs
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