Outpatient specialist clinics

Urgent referrals

For urgent referrals, please contact the relevant specialty on-call clinician through Flinders Medical Centre switchboard on (08) 8204 5511 to discuss early review.

Routine referrals

Quick links

• Summary of the clinics: SALHN Outpatient specialist clinic list and contact details (PDF 76KB)
• SALHN Clinic Directory: SALHN Outpatient Clinics
  - see also Key clinic contacts and Other mental health clinics through referral
• SALHN Outpatient Referral and Management Guidelines
• Specialist Outpatient Waiting Time Report

Routine process

Routine referrals to Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) Outpatient specialist clinics should be made by faxing the referral to the relevant clinic using the standard template (or the clinic specific template if available).

On receipt, routine referrals are triaged to determine their urgency level, which may take up to a few weeks. This triaging process varies between departments and is greatly facilitated by referrals being aligned with the SALHN outpatient referral guidelines if available. Referral guidelines have been developed by some specialities and outline triage categories as well as essential clinical information to allow for safe clinical triaging in a safe and consistent manner. The referring doctor may be asked to provide additional clinical information to assist with the triaging process if essential clinical information needs to be clarified.

Contact is usually made back via letter to the referring doctor and the patient after the referral has been triaged. A letter is usually posted to the patient 3 weeks before the appointment date to confirm appointment details.

Status of referrals

The status of each referral can be checked by calling the relevant clinic or by contacting the Outpatient Support Service Liaison Nurse. A report outlining waiting times per specialty is available in the Specialist Outpatient Waiting Times Report which provides an indication of usual wait times (scroll down for latest report).

Clinical guidance

Additional clinical guidance with suggested GP management and referral pathways can be found at HealthPathways SA or through additional clinical support options. This may assist while the referral is being triaged and/or the patient is waiting to be seen. Further information can be found on the Outpatient Referral Process page.

Key clinic contacts

• Lymphoedema Clinic - new clinic within the FMC Physiotherapy Department
  Phone: (08) 8204 5498, Lymphoedema Clinic referral form (DOC 897KB)
• Statewide Eating Disorder Service: referring instructions, including Brief Guide to the Medical Monitoring of Patients with an Eating Disorder (PDF 64KB) and SEDS Referral Form (PDF 652KB)
  
• Paediatric clinics:
  • Additional paediatric clinics
    • Paediatric Diabetes, Eating Disorders, Feeding Assessment, Rapid response asthma, Respiratory and Sleep clinics – Ph: (08) 8204 4910 - Fax: 8204 4911
    • Children’s Assessment Team (CAT) - developmental assessment service for children living in the Southern Adelaide Metropolitan Region with complex developmental concerns in three or more areas Child Assessment Team - CAT Referral Form (DOCX 3.71MB) (includes inclusion / exclusion criteria and map of catchment area), Ph: (08) 8204 4433, Fax: 8204 3945, email: HealthFMCCAT@sa.gov.au
    • Paediatric Child Protection concerns - Please contact the Child Protection on-call duty worker through FMC Switchboard 24/7 on (08) 8204 5511
  • Paediatric Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Rehabilitation clinics are not currently available. Options are to refer to the General Paediatric clinic or to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital outpatient department for sub-specialty advice (please see WCHN Referral criteria for specialist Outpatient Services)

Other mental health clinics accessible through referral

Booked Assessment Clinic

The Booked Assessment Clinic (BAC) is a ‘one-off’ non-urgent mental health assessment service for people with a defined or suspected mental health disorder (16 to 65 years) residing in the southern suburbs.

• Phone: (08) 7425 8505
• Locations: Margaret Tobin Centre, Marion GP Plus, FMC 4G Ward
• Booked Assessment Clinic Information for GPs and Health Professionals (PDF 73KB)
• Booked Assessment Clinic Referral Form (RTF 92KB)

FMC Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders

The Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders Unit (CARD) offers public services for people who require assessment for anxiety disorders.

• Phone: (08) 8204 4779
• Fax: (08) 8204 5984
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm
• Location: Flat G4, G Block, The Flats, Flinders Medical Centre
• Flinders Psychological Services Brochure (PDF 97KB)
• CARD Information for GPs and Health Professionals (PDF 77KB)
• CARD Referral Form (RTF 148KB)

SALHN outpatient specialist clinics by location

• Flinders Medical Centre
• Noarlunga Hospital
• The Jamie Larcombe Centre - Veterans mental health precinct
• Aldinga GP Plus Health Care Centre
• Marion GP Plus Health Care Centre
• Noarlunga GP Plus Super Clinic