Paediatric Referrals

GV Health accepts paediatric referrals for:

Specialist Consulting Suites

• General Medicine
• Behaviour and Development
• Allergy Clinic

Cardiology and Surgical Referrals

• Cardiology Outreach Clinic
• Surgical Paediatric Outreach Clinic

Providing comprehensive details will help ensure patients are assessed and prioritised appropriately. Please provide as much clinical information as possible to ensure the correct clinic is allocated.

A valid referral requires:

Patient Demographic Information:

• Full name
• Name of parent, guardian or carer
• Address
• Mobile phone number
• Date of birth
• Medicare number
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) status
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) status

Clinical Information:

• Reason for referral
• Physical examination findings
• Management to date
• Investigation results
• Relevant medical history
• Allergies
• Current medications
• Child Protection Services (CPS) status
• Out of Home Care (OOHC) status
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) status

Behavioural and Developmental Clinic referrals should also include:

• Comprehensive developmental history
• Details of Maternal and Child Health Nurse review (0-5 years)
• Audiology and vision testing results
• Allied Health reports (Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Pshychology etc)
• Details of any reports or assessments done so far

Sleep Clinic referrals should also include:

• Symptoms and history: Detailed notes on snoring, witnesses apnea (pauses in breathing), gasping, choking, mouth breathing or unusual sleeping positions
• Sleep diary: A documented record of the child’s sleep patterns, including bedtime, waking times, night wakings and daytime nap routings
• Daytime behaviour: Information on excessive daytime sleepiness, hyperactive behaviour, poor concentration or morning headaches
• Medical background: Information on existing allergies, tonsil issues or developmental conditions
• Details of any previous sleep studies or relevant respiratory tests
• Completed Royal Children’s Hospital quality of life questionnaire

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) referrals should also include:

• Comprehensive developmental history
• School report outlining concerns
• Completed Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire
• Details of any reports or assessments done so far

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) referrals should also include:

• Comprehensive developmental history
• School report outlining concerns
  Details of any reports or assessments done so far
• Details of current or previous stimulant medications
• Referrals won’t be accepted for children <4 years of age for ADHD diagnosis

Allergy Clinic referrals should also include:

• Type and description of allergic reaction(s)
• Known or suspected allergens
• Details of any reports or assessments done so far
• Relevant family or personal history

Common reasons for referrals being rejected:

• Not enough demographic information
• Not enough clinical information
• Patient does not meet the age criteria: Child is too young or too old for an appointment at a clinic
• Patient is out of area: There are appropriate services closer to the child’s home
• No relevant clinical service: The service the child needs is not provided by HV Health
• Isolated speech delay: Children with isolated speech delays should be referred to community speech pathology or private speech pathology using chronic disease management plan