General Plastic Surgery
Emergency department referrals
All urgent cases must be discussed with the on call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Registrar. Contact through Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (07) 3646 8111 to obtain appropriate prioritisation and treatment.
Urgent cases accepted via phone must be accompanied with a written referral and a copy faxed immediately to the Central Patient Intake Unit: 1300 364 952.
Does your patient wish to be referred?
Minimum referral criteria
Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1
Appointment within 30 days is desirable
- Facial palsy with a threat to vision from lack of corneal protection
- Acute facial palsy as a result of traumatic or surgical division of facial nerve
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days is desirable
- Ulcers with acute deterioration (e.g. sacral, ischial or lower limb)
- Dermatochalasis of the eyelid
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days is desirable
- Abdominal wall defects (BMI <32 however consideration for formal Apronectomy might require assessment of BMI) e.g. gross divarication or hygiene issues where medical treatment has failed to resolve skin conditions arising under redundant skin (photograph required)
- Chronic facial palsy without threat to vision
- Symptomatic ptosis not involving visual axis
- Blepharochalasia which obstructs the visual axis and > 55 years age
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria
Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis.
If you still need to refer your patient:
- Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
- Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service
Other important information for referring practitioners
Not an exhaustive list
- Refer to HealthPathways for assessment and management information if available
- Facial reanimation is generally a category 3 procedure, except when there is a threat to vision from lack of corneal protection. The tarsorraphy / gold weight procedure may then become a category 1.
- For eyelid laxity:
- Formal reduction in visual fields as measured by an optometrist
- Patients should have seen an optometrist within 12 months to exclude pressure problems, dry eye and other contraindications.
- Patients would not usually be seen before 55 years of age
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
- History of anticoagulant therapy
- Ptosis – BCVA (vision with most recent distance spectacles)
- Blepharochalasia – Ophthalmologist or optometrist report including measure and impact of symptoms
- Height, weight and BMI
- Smoking status
Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)
- Ptosis – Ophthalmologist or optometrist report including VA, refraction and impact of symptoms
- Photograph – with patient’s consent, where secure image transfer, identification and storage is possible
Out of catchment
Metro North Health is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries. Special consideration is made for patients requiring tertiary care or services that are not provided by their local Hospital and Health Service. If your patient lives outside the Metro North Health area and you wish to refer them to one of our services, inclusion of information regarding their particular medical and social factors will assist with the triaging of your referral.
- Impact on employment
- Impact on education
- Impact on home
- Impact on activities of daily living
- Impact on ability to care for others
- Impact on personal frailty or safety
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- To establish a diagnosis
- For treatment or intervention
- For advice and management
- For specialist to take over management
- Reassurance for GP/second opinion
- For a specified test/investigation the GP can’t order, or the patient can’t afford or access
- Reassurance for the patient/family
- For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
- Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary
- Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
- Physical findings
- Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
- Current medications and dosages
- Drug allergies
- Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use
- Full name (including aliases)
- Date of birth
- Residential and postal address
- Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
- Medicare number (where eligible)
- Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
- Preferred language and interpreter requirements
- Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- Full name
- Full address
- Contact details – telephone, fax, email
- Provider number
- Date of referral
- Signature
- Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
- Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
- Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)
Send referral
Hotline: 1300 364 938
Medical Objects ID: MQ40290004P
HealthLink EDI: qldmnhhs
Mail:
Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776 Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034
Health pathways
Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.
For login details email:
healthpathways@brisbanenorthphn.org.au
Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.healthpathwayscommunity.org