Referrals to Outpatient Clinics

Paediatric Referrals

• Fax referrals to the Administration Hub: 08 8161 6246
• Phone: 08 8161 7399 for information regarding paediatric referrals received, waiting times, triage or to cancel appointment.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology Referrals

• Fax referrals to the Administration Hub: 08 8161 6246
• Patients are advised to call the Pregnancy SA Referral Line on 1300 368 820 to register her pregnancy and confirm participating hospital
• Phone: 08 8161 7592 for information regarding gynaecology and obstetric referrals received, waiting times, triage or to cancel appointment
• Obstetric Shared Care advice regarding WCH referrals, appointments, general advice – call the GP Obstetric Share Care team directly on: 08 8161 7493

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Referrals

• Referrals are made via the referral and triage service CAMHS Connect on 1300 222 647
• Or fax referrals directly to CAMHS: 08 8429 6184
• CAMHS locations

Referral Forms

Please use the WCH referral forms and templates located on the Referral Forms for WCH Outpatient Clinics page.

The Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be the first SA Health hospital to accept electronic referrals to outpatient clinics starting from Wednesday 13 September 2023, replacing fax and letter referrals.

• More information here

Some clinics are experiencing long wait times due to high demand. Please discuss with your patient and consider all referral options. The SA Health Outpatient Waiting Time Report provides a guide to waiting list times:

• Specialist Outpatient Waiting Time Report – SA Health.

Alternative Services can be found at:

• HealthPathways South Australia
• Private Paediatricians and Paediatric Surgeons can be found at Health Direct – Find a health service.

• Please refer patients to their local health network hospital where services are available (see below for comprehensive list).
• Paediatric and Maternity services are also available at Lyell McEwin Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and some rural hospitals.
• Gynaecology and colposcopy services are also available at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and some rural hospitals.

Most clinics are guided by the Local Area Maps outlined below:

• CALHN map
• NALHN map
  
• SALHN map
• Country LHN map
• Maternity services WCH catchment area map
• Child Development Unit catchment area map

• Flinders Medical Centre OPD clinic list

For patients residing in the NALHN region please refer to Lyell McEwin Hospital/ Modbury Hospital for:

Paediatric

• General Paediatric Medicine
  
• ENT (5 years and over)
  
• Child Development Unit (8 years and under)
• Orthopaedics

Women's

• General Gynaecology
  
• Obstetrics
• Colposcopy

Full list of NALHN Paediatric OPD clinics:

• NALHN Specialist and Outpatient clinics

• Referral Guidelines – Paediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Paediatric Allergy Clinic.
• Waiting times are currently long – please discuss with your patients and consider alternative pathways if available.

• GPs – please refer to WCHN South Terrace Campus
  • Phone: 08 8303 1530
  • Fax: 08 8303 1640
  • Web: Audiology – Women's and Children's Hospital
• Women’s and Children’s Hospital generally only accepts internal referrals.
• Country SA visiting clinics: Kangaroo Island, Mt Gambier, Murry Bridge, Riverland, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Whyalla
• Additional clinics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Point Pearce, Yalata
• The Children’s Audiology Service accepts referrals from doctors, CaFHS Hearing screening program, community audiology clinics, Aboriginal Hearing Screening programs, DCP, Newborn Hearing Screening program

The following WCH allied health clinics only accept internal referrals. Please refer patients to community-based services.

• Dietetics, Nutrition and Food Service – paediatric
• Occupational Therapy – paediatric
• Orthotics – paediatric
• Physiotherapy – paediatric and maternity
• Social Work – paediatric
• Speech Pathology – paediatric
• Rehabilitation – paediatric

• Many burns require emergency treatment and/or immediate consultation with the Burns Team on 08 8161 7000.
• Referral Guidelines – Paediatric Burns Clinical Priority Access

• Cardiology service information: Heart Conditions – Women's and Children's Hospital
• WCH has an outreach Cardiology clinic at FMC. For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Paediatric Cardiology Clinic directly.

• Child Development Unit Information: Child Development Unit – Women's and Children's Hospital
• All referrals must be completed using the CDU Referral Form (located on the Referral Forms for WCH Outpatient Clinics page)
• Catchment area criteria – please refer to the CDU catchment area map
  • Patients residing in Southern Adelaide – refer to the FMC Children's Assessment Team – phone 08 8204 4433
  • Patients residing in Northern Adelaide aged under 8 years – refer to the Gordon McKay Child Development Unit in Elizabeth – phone 08 7485 4109.
  • WCH CDU accepts referrals for all other eligible patients state-wide.
• Waiting times are long:
  • Autism Diagnostic Assessments have a waiting time of approximately 14–18 months.
  • Please discuss with your patients and consider alternative pathways if available.

• If you are wanting to make a notification about a child's safety, you need to call the Child Abuse Report Line (Department for Child Protection) on 13 14 78 or make a notification online.
• Child Protection Services provide specialist assessment and treatment services to children from birth to 18 years and their families where there is a suspicion of child abuse, psychological maltreatment and/or neglect
• For clinical advice call 08 8161 7346 – Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Do not fax referrals.
• Child Protection Services information: Child Protection Services – Women's and Children's Hospital
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please contact the Child Protection Service (CPS) at Flinders Medical Centre.

• Paediatric Chronic Pain Service information: Paediatric Chronic Pain Service – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Cleft and Craniofacial SA service information: Cleft and Craniofacial SA (C&CSA) – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Department of Paediatric Dentistry service information: Dentistry – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Dermatology
• Referral Guidelines – WCH Paediatric Acne Clinic
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Dermatology clinic.

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Paediatric Clinic.

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Ear Nose and Throat
• Please indicate if there is hearing loss to ensure the patients is seen by an appropriate clinician with the audiology report (see above for community referral options).
• Patients aged under 5 will be accepted state-wide.
• Patients aged over 5 years of age residing in:
  • southern Adelaide (SALHN) – please refer to the Flinders Medical Centre ENT clinic.
  • northern Adelaide (NALHN) – please refer to the Lyell McEwin Hospital ENT clinic.
• Waiting times are currently long for the WCH ENT clinic.

• Referral guidelines – Eating disorder/Suspected eating disorder
• Contact WCH for clinical advice or refer to the nearest emergency department where indicated.
• Patients with suspected or diagnosed eating disorders can be referred to general paediatrics.
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Paediatric Eating Disorder Clinic.

• The Hepatology Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) web page provides referral and triage information.
• Gastroenterology Unit service information: Stomach, Liver and Nutritional Problems – WCH Gastroenterology Unit.

Accepts referrals from General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Mental Health Professionals for any child or young person up to the age of 17 years with concerns regarding their gender identity.

Send referral to Gender Diversity Team at CAMHS Consultation Liaison Service:

• Fax: (08) 8161 7032
• Email: health.wchdpm@sa.gov.au

Gender Diversity Service information: Gender Diversity – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

There is a specific referral form available on the Referral Templates and Forms page.

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Department of General Medicine
• Waiting times for general paediatrics are currently long.
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).
• For patients residing in northern Adelaide (NALHN), please refer to Northern Adelaide LHN Specialist and Outpatient clinics.

• Referral Guidelines – Paediatric General Surgical
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to the FMC Paediatric General Surgery Clinic.

• The Gynaecology Unit provides paediatric and adolescent gynaecology services.
• Referral Guidelines – Gynaecology

• Referral Guidelines – Gynaecology
  
• WCH is unable to provide surgical procedures for high risk patients. The following must be included in the referral to be accepted:
  • Age < 70 years
  • Patient does not have complex health conditions
  • BMI < 45 and documented on referral.
• Refer high surgical risk patients to the colposcopy, fertility and general gynaecology clinics at RAH, QEH, FMC, or LMH.
• Gynaecology Unit service information: Gynaecology Unit – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• Women’s Assessment Service information: Women's Assessment Service – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Department of Clinical Haematology/Oncology service information: Blood Disorders and Cancer – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• For urgent referrals, please contact the Haematologist or Oncologist on call through the hospital switchboard: Ph. (08) 8161 7000.

• See Allergy and Immunology information and guidelines above: Referral Guidelines – Paediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• For Recurrent Infections or Suspected Immunodeficiency: Referral guidelines – Recurrent Infections or Suspected Immunodeficiency
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).

• The Specialist Immunisation Service (SIS) is a state-wide referral clinic to help children with complex immunisation needs that cannot be managed in the community – Specialist Immunisation Service (SIS) information: Specialist Immunisation Service (SIS) – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Referral Guidelines – WCH Infectious Diseases Department

• Service information: Infection Prevention and Control Unit – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• Please send referral to the admin hub.

• Service information: Metabolic Clinic – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• Appointments, or changes to appointments, for the Paediatric Metabolic Clinic can be made by phoning (08) 8161 7295 between 8:30am and 4:30pm.
• The clinic provides health care for children and adults who have medical issues caused by missing enzymes affecting their metabolism or who have problems detected by the Newborn Screening Test.

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) referrals are made via the referral and triage service CAMHS Connect on 1300 222 647.
• GPs can fax a referral on (08) 8429 6184.
• CAMHS information: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – Women’s and Children’s Health Network

• Provides specialist care to neonates delivered at WCH who require ongoing paediatric care.
• Service information:
  • Neonatology
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Special Care Baby Unit

• Referral Guidelines – Paediatric Renal Department
• Guidelines – Management and Follow-up of a Child with a Single Kidney
• Consumer Brochure – Single Kidney Passport
• Nephrology Department service information: Kidney Conditions – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• The Nephrology Department provide services for children and young people living in South Australia and parts of NT living with kidney disease, high blood pressure and kidney failure.

• Please check guidelines prior to referral. Many neurological conditions require referral to general paediatrics, and will not be accepted by the WCH Paediatric Neurology Clinic. The conditions that are suitable for neurology review are listed in the referral guidelines: Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology – Referral Guidelines.
• Waiting times for category 2 and 3 are currently long.
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).
• Patients requiring general paediatric referral can be referred to Lyell McEwin Hospital (northern Adelaide), FMC (southern Adelaide), WCH, rural general paediatric clinics or private community paediatricians.
  

• For emergency assistance, refer the patient to the closest Emergency Department for assessment.
• Non-urgent assessment and management, referrals can be faxed to WCH: Referral guidelines – Paediatric Neurosurgery
• Neurosurgery Department service information: Brain, Spine and Nerve Surgery – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• WCH Obstetric Service information: Obstetrics – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• Fax referral to WCH and ask your patient to call the Pregnancy SA Referral Line (1300 368 820) to register the pregnancy.
• The Obstetric catchment area does not align with LHN catchment areas (refer to catchment area information above).
• WCH is unable to provide surgical procedures for high risk patients. Please include the following on the referral:
  • Patient does not have complex health conditions
  • BMI< 45 and documented on referral.
• Discuss high surgical risk patients with WCH prior to referral, as they may require referral to FMC or LMH.
• Choices for Antenatal Care – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
  • GP Obstetric Share Care (OSC)
  • Obstetrician Antenatal Care
  • Midwives Clinic
  • Midwifery Group Practice
  • Aboriginal Family Birthing Program
  • Private Obstetric Care

• WCH aims to see women by 14 weeks, but this is sometimes delayed. Guidelines for antenatal care: SA Perinatal Practice Guidelines.
• GP Obstetric Share Care (OSC):
  • Patients must be eligible and also seen by 20 weeks at WCH
  • Clinicians can refer to an OSC GP listed on the GP Partners website: Search GPs by Postcode – GP Partners Australia

• Referral guidelines – WCH Ophthalmology Triage and Referral Guidelines for Referrers
• Referral guidelines – Chalazion or Stye
• Referral Guidelines – Blocked Tear Ducts (Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction)
• Please read the guidelines prior to referral and include vision and eye examination findings (age-appropriate) in the referral letter to assist with triage, and an optometrist report where available.
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Orthopaedic
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery service information: Bone and Joint Surgery – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).
• For patients residing in northern Adelaide (NALHN), please refer to Northern Adelaide LHN Specialist and Outpatient clinics.

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Plastic Surgery
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).

• Referral guidelines – Asthma or Wheezing (over 2 years old)
• The Breathing Space service information: The Breathing Space – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).
• For patients residing in northern Adelaide (NALHN), please refer to Northern Adelaide LHN Specialist and Outpatient clinics.

• Rheumatology Unit service information: Rheumatology – Women’s and Children’s Hospital

• Referral guidelines – Paediatric Orthopaedic

• Paediatric Urology Department service information: Urological Problems – Women’s and Children’s Hospital
• For patients residing in southern Adelaide (SALHN), please refer to Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).