Medical services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Medical specialties

In this section:

For more information regarding other medical services at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, please call (08) 8222 6000.

Endocrine Medicine Unit (EMU) / Diabetes service

The EMU provides a consultative and inpatient service. Many patients are catered for in outpatient settings. These clinics include multidisciplinary meetings where more difficult cases are discussed in collaboration with relevant physicians, surgeons and radiologists and pathologists. These meetings provide an opportunity for efficient cross-specialty consultation as well as continuing education with high relevance to patient care. In addition, general endocrine clinics are provided as well as additional specialty clinics in metabolic disorders including inborn errors of metabolism, and an active osteoporosis clinic service.

Diabetes services across the Central Adelaide Local Health Network provide care to patients with complex diabetes related conditions. Care is provided in inpatient, consultative and ambulatory settings. The service is multidisciplinary and includes specialist medical opinion and management, specialised diabetes education and, in conjunction with members of the departments of dietetics and podiatry, the provision of tertiary level dietetic and podiatric care to patients requiring these services.

The diabetes service is also involved in the provision of diabetes education at a community level through interaction with diabetes educators based in community health centres who are allied with the service.

The Diabetes Centre provides medical consultations in close association with allied health, specifically diabetes nurse educators and dieticians as well as a collaborative podiatry service. A service directed at improved glycaemic control, utilising weekly phone or internet contact is available and adds considerable efficiency to insulin management.  Additional major areas of endeavour include a bone densitometry service where bone densitometry is provided as part of the services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital providing scans for both research and clinical purposes.

The bulk of diabetes care is provided in the ambulatory care setting. The service runs outpatient medical specialist clinics, nurse-led diabetes education clinics, dietetic clinics, nurse-led fast-track clinics for urgent or emergency referrals, multi-disciplinary clinics such as the:

  • Cystic Fibrosis Clinic (in conjunction with the Department of Thoracic Medicine)
  • High-Risk Foot Clinic (in conjunction with the Podiatry, Orthotic and Vascular Surgery Department with input when required from orthopaedic surgery and infectious diseases medicine)
  • Insulin Adjustment Clinic.

The service receives urgent referrals from other departments in the hospital, including the pre-anaesthetic clinic for patients requiring diabetes stabilisation prior to surgery, from the Haematology and Medical Oncology unit for patients with destabilised or new onset diabetes from chemotherapy, cardiac and renal services. The unit also runs an insulin pump initiation and instruction service and continuous glucose monitoring meters to monitor patients with poorly controlled diabetes.

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Neurology and acute stroke service

This service offers comprehensive care to people in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings.

The Neurology Unit provides 24 hour inpatient management of neurological disorders.  It includes medical, nursing and allied health care. It also provides a consultative service to other hospital units.

The General Neurology Clinic provides outpatient management of neurological disorders. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Emergency Department and other hospital clinics. Patients are triaged according to urgency and comprehensive referral.

The Neuropsychology Clinics provide Neuropsychologist assessment of patient’s pre and post epilepsy surgery and in those with suspected neurodegenerative disorders. Referral is made by the specialist after neurological review.

The Stroke Unit Inpatient provides 24 hour inpatient management of patients with stroke.  It includes medical, nursing and allied health care.  Provision of a 24/7 thrombolysis service as well as provision of stroke consultations to other hospital units is provided as a daily service.

The Stroke Clinic provides outpatient management of patients with stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA). It also accommodates follow-up of patients discharged from hospital. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Emergency Department and other hospital clinics. Patients are triaged according to urgency.

The TIA Rapid Assessment Clinic provides outpatient management of patients with suspected TIA. Patients are seen within 48 hours of symptom onset. It is a nurse driven clinic with the support of stroke registrar and consultant. A full day assessment comprises of diagnostic imaging, vascular risk profiling and initiation of stroke secondary prevention therapy. Referrals are accepted from GP's, Specialists, Emergency Department and other hospital clinics.

Inpatient Continuous Video Electroencephalography (EEG) Monitoring is provided as part of the assessment for suitability for epilepsy surgery or diagnosis of epilepsy type. Referrals are assessed as an outpatient initially and are admitted if deemed suitable.

An EEG Service is provided to inpatients and outpatients for epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Specialists, Emergency Department, other hospital clinics and inpatients.

The Epilepsy Clinic provides outpatient management of patients with seizure disorders. It includes patients being considered for epilepsy surgery and follow-up of patients discharged from hospital. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Emergency Department and other hospital clinics. Patients are triaged according to urgency.

The First Seizure Clinic is run weekly by an Epilepsy Nurse Practitioner. It provides assessment of patients presenting with first seizure including rapid investigation and commencement of anti-epileptic drug therapy where appropriate. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Emergency Department and other hospital clinics. Referrals for drug and alcohol withdrawal seizures are not accepted.

The Electromyography (EMG) / Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) / Evoked Potential (EP) Clinic provides inpatients and outpatients with EMG, NCS and EP services. Referrals are accepted from GP’s, Specialists, Emergency Department, other hospital clinics and inpatients.

Clinical trials are the participation in external investigator (academic) or industry funded clinical research. Service provision includes ethics committee application submission, patient ascertainment, assessment, treatment and monitoring. Patient access to trials are via stroke or neurology inpatient admission or following neurology outpatient consultation.

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Respiratory medicine

The Respiratory Unit provides inpatient and outpatient care and management to adult patients predominantly from the western suburbs.

The Respiratory Unit has a multidisciplinary team comprising of medical staff (from consultant level to intern and medical student), nursing staff, allied health professionals, scientists, researchers, technicians, and administration staff.

It provides care to patients with long term respiratory disease/conditions and short term respiratory illness’s such as, but not limited to, the following:

  • asthma
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • bronchitis/bronchiectasis
  • haemothorax
  • pneumothorax
  • pneumonia
  • sleep apnoea (obstructive and complex)
  • respiratory failure
  • malignancies
  • pulmonary fibrosis (interstitial lung disease)
  • asbestos related diseases
  • disability in complex care – muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

Through the Respiratory Unit's pulmonary function and ventilatory failure investigation and treatment services, it also provides services to promptly diagnose and treat respiratory conditions.

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Rheumatology

Ambulatory clinics include but are not limited to Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic, Degenerative Arthritis and Regional Rheumatic Diseases Clinic and Infusion Service and Biologics Clinic. Referrals are accepted from GP's and other hospital clinics.  Patients are triaged according to urgency.

The Rheumatology Unit Inpatient provides inpatient management of rheumatological disorders.  It includes medical, nursing and allied health care. Rheumatology consultations to other hospital units is provided as a daily service.

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