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Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria

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Home Our Work Health system integration and reform translation Statewide Specialist Clinic Referral Criteria

Victorian Department of Health and Human Services partnership.

The Victorian and Tasmanian PHN Alliance (VTPHNA) has been commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to support an integrated approach to the adoption of statewide referral criteria (SRC) for acute adult specialist clinics.

Health services often have different referral guidelines to access specialist clinics leading to confusion regarding requirements and suitability of access. DHHS is developing statewide referral criteria to provide clear and consistent statewide guidance about which patients are appropriate for referral to public specialist clinics and what information and diagnostics are required to support accurate prioritisation of referrals.

DHHS has completed development of statewide referral criteria (SRC) for select core conditions within the following six specialties:

  • ENT
  • Gastroenterology
  • Gynaecology
  • Neurology
  • Urology
  • Vascular

Key dates

From 1 November 2019, all Victorian public hospitals will be expected to assess new adult referrals for select presenting conditions against the statewide referral criteria for ENT, vascular and urology.

An additional three specialties, neurology, gynaecology and gastroenterology will be implemented into Victorian public hospitals from 1 February 2020.

Where to find statewide referral criteria

Referring clinicians will find the statewide referral criteria on all Victorian HealthPathways websites (or equivalent*) or through the official DHHS website.

More pathways in 2020

DHHS is committed to the ongoing development of statewide referral criteria for additional specialties. DHHS are currently in the progress of developing statewide referral criteria for endocrinology, cardiology, rheumatology, ophthalmology and obstetrics, which will be available to primary care from mid-2020.

The statewide referral criteria forms part of the broader specialist clinic reform program led by DHHS.

The role of PHNs

All six Victorian PHNs will support the implementation of statewide specialist clinic referral criteria in primary care. Statewide project management and coordination is provided by VTPHNA to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach. The objectives of this project are:

  1. Improve GP confidence and capacity to manage high volume and/or low complexity conditions in the community.
  2. Support and participate in the development of consistent statewide referral criteria for public specialist clinics
  3. Facilitate general practice and other primary health clinicians to adopt and comply with the statewide referral criteria, where applicable.
  4. Improve the quality of referrals from GPs/primary health to acute public specialist clinics.
  5. Support GPs and other referring clinicians to navigate their local health system and accurately refer to appropriate health services through the provision of referral pathways.

Key PHN activities include:

  • The development and publication of clinical and referral content for the nominated specialities, including the statewide referral criteria, on all Victorian HealthPathways websites or the South Eastern Melbourne online care pathway platform.
  • Development of a statewide communication and engagement plan that is implemented locally, to promote and raise awareness of the statewide specialist clinic referral criteria among primary health practitioners.
  • Support the development of a statewide specialist clinic referral directory and wait list registry.

PHN mechanisms

  • Provider engagement and training
  • Clinical support
  • Localised care pathways

*or the SEMPHN online care pathways website for GPs in the South Eastern Melbourne PHN catchment.

Access your local HealthPathways

HealthPathways Murray

Locations covered:

Central Victoria
Gannawarra
Loddon
Campaspe
Greater Bendigo,
Mt Alexander
Macedon (part)

Goulburn Valley
Moira
Greater Shepparton
Strathbogie
Mitchell
Murrindindi

North East
Albury
Alpine
Benalla
Indigo
Mansfield
Towong
Wangaratta
Wodonga

North West
Buloke
Mildura
Swan Hill

HealthPathways Gippsland

Locations covered:

Bass Coast
Baw Baw
East Gippsland
Latrobe
South Gippsland
Wellington

HealthPathways Melbourne

Locations covered:

HealthPathways Melbourne is a partnership between Eastern Melbourne PHN and North Western Melbourne PHN.

Eastern
Banyule
Boroondara
Knox
Manningham
Maroondah
Mitchell (part)
Monash
Murrindindi (part)
Nillumbik
Whitehorse
Whittlesea
Yarra Ranges (part)

North Western
Brimbank
Darebin
Hobsons Bay
Hume
Macedon Ranges (part)
Maribyrnong
Melbourne
Melton
Moonee Valley
Moorabool
Moreland
Wyndham
Yarra

HealthPathways Western Victoria

Locations covered:

Ballarat Goldfields
Central Goldfields
Ballarat
Hepburn
Moorabool
Pyrenees

Geelong Otway
Queenscliffe
Greater Geelong
Golden Plains
Surf Coast
Colac Otway

Great South Coast
Corangamite
Glenelg
Moyne
Southern Grampians
Warrnambool

Wimmera Grampians
Ararat
Hindmarsh
Horsham
Northern Grampians
West Wimmera
Yarriambiack

South Eastern Melbourne Pathways

Locations covered:

Bayside
Cardinia
Casey
Frankston
Glen Eira Greater
Dandenong
Kingston
Mornington
Peninsula
Port Philip
Stonnington

Program contacts

Statewide Project Manager
Sarah O’Leary
Ph. (03) 9347 1188

Eastern Melbourne PHN
Cherylynn Garner
Ph: 03 9046 0300

Gippsland PHN
Alyce Cuman
Ph. 03 5175 5444

Murray PHN
Christine Fishley
Ph: 03 4408 5618

North Western Melbourne PHN
Dawn Finlay
Ph: 03 9347 1188

South Eastern Melbourne PHN
Campbell Rule
Ph: 1300 331 981

Western Victoria PHN
Cara Miller
Ph. 03 5564 5888

Copyright 2019 Victorian and Tasmanian PHN Alliance
  • About us
    • About the Alliance
    • 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
      • Statewide Paediatric HealthPathways Project
      • Victorian HIV and Hepatitis Integrated Training and Learning
    • Connecting health with other sectors
      • Doctors in Secondary Schools
      • 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
      • Population Health Planning
      • 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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