Pain Management Unit referral information

A written referral to the Pain Management Unit is required from either a general practitioner or referring specialist.

The patient you are referring should be aware of the referral and wish to engage with the Pain Management Unit.

Additionally, if you are a specialist practitioner referring a patient, the patient’s GP should be informed of the referral.

See more about the PMU and our services, including what we do and do not offer as a unit. 


Referral information

Please consult the PMU outpatient service triage information and referral guidelines for specific information on how to refer to our service.

Referrals should include:

  • the patient’s presenting pain condition/s
  • what you require from us
  • the patient’s past medical history
  • any medications they are taking, and/or have taken in the past
  • valid email address of the patient or carer - so we can send an online screening questionnaire for them to complete, in advance of their first appointment, after their referral is accepted.

    Note: Using email for the questionnaire assists us in eliminating delays and accelerates the referral process to the PMU.

    If a valid email address is not available, please include an up-to-date postal address, so we can send a hard copy of the screening questionnaire and a pre-paid envelope, to the patient. 

Once the Pain Management Unit has received the referral, medical staff will prioritise the referral based on the information provided.

It is helpful to prepare your patient to expect a group-based introductory pain information session as their initial appointment. Find out more about group programs and pain information sessions on our patient information page.

This initial session is valuable as it provides pain education, strategies to help manage pain, an overview of what to expect from our service, an opportunity to ask questions and resources available to patients while waiting for individual appointments.

If you do not believe this session is appropriate for your patient or the referral is urgent, please discuss this with one of our pain specialists.

Should changes occur to a patient’s medical condition during the waiting time for an appointment, referrers should send updated clinical information or contact the Pain Management Unit on (08) 8222 7826.

GPs and specialist referrers are encouraged to phone the Pain Management Unit for advice when referring to our service.


Referral contact details

Fax: (08) 8124 4662
Email: CALHNPainUnit@sa.gov.au