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Diabetic Retinopathy

Emergency department referrals

All urgent cases must be discussed with the on-call Ophthalmology 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

  • Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following:
    • Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR)
    • Assessment of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) in pregnancy
    • Vitreous haemorrhage
    • Severe NPDR
    • Centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 500 microns of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudate)

Category 2

Appointment within 90 days is desirable

  • Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following
    • Moderate NPDR
    • Non-centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 2 disc diameters (but not within 500 microns) of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudates.

Category 3

Appointment within 365 days is desirable

  • No category 3 criteria
    • NB: Routine referral for screening without evidence of diabetic retinopathy, will not be accepted

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 or local guidelines
  • RANZCO guidelines suggest rescreening in one year for patients with mild NPDR
  • Recommend annual diabetic retinopathy photo-screening (photo-screening should be read by an accredited practitioner)
  • Please consider clinical modifiers and note as applicable (Impact on employment/education/home/ADLs/ability to care for others/ personal frailty or safety or identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander)
  • Eye Conditions | RANZCO

Clinical Resources

Referral requirements

A referral may be rejected without the following information.

Essential referral information

  • Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (vision with most recent distance spectacles)
  • Date diagnosed/duration
  • Both a GP referral and a private ophthalmologist or optometrist report including VA, refraction and impact of symptoms is required

Out of scope

  • Asymptomatic or routine screening – continue to monitor by ophthalmic health practitioner e.g. optometrist

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • Previous eye treatment or surgery e.g. retinal laser, intravitreal injections, cataract surgery
  • Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) results
  • Type I or II
  • HbA1c (most recent within the last six months and previous three if available)
  • Fasting blood glucose results
  • Fasting lipids results
  • Blood pressure

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.)
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