Useful Management Information

  • Most general paediatricians will not perform frenulotomies for tongue tie in infants
    • Check with your local hospital general paediatric service
    • Usually infants with tongue tie will need to be referred to paediatric surgery
  • Scrotal swellings and herniae should be referred to paediatric surgery
  • Possible developmental dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) should be referred to Orthopaedics
  • In some health services children with plagiocephaly may be directed to Child Health or allied health services
  • If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm, you need to contact Child Safety Services

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Skin haemangioma of concern on head or neck or large haemangioma in any location
  • Small or large head or rapidly growing head circumference in infant < 6 months
  • Significant or rapidly progressing plagiocephaly or other cranial asymmetry
  • Neck mass or lump
  • Eye abnormality (colobomas, abnormal fixation or pupil appearance)
  • Any abdominal organomegaly
  • Growth asymmetry (hemihypertrophy or limb inequality)
  • Most physical findings of concern in an infant < 1 year that are not otherwise listed as a category 2
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Finding likely to be of cosmetic significance only
  • Umbilical hernia
  • Intermittent PV blood spotting in an infant
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • No category 3 criteria

If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria

  • Assessment and management information may be found on a range of conditions at HealthPathways
  • If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested:
    • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Essential Referral Information

  • Describe the physical finding of concern
  • Age when the finding was first noted by any observer
  • If concern about head size is the reason for referral then head circumference, weight and height should be provided.

Additional Referral Information

Highly desirable information – may change triage category

  • Detailed description of physical finding.
  • Change in the finding over time (e.g. serial head circumferences)
  • Family history of related problems
  • Presence of any congenital abnormalities or birthmarks

Desirable information- will assist at consultation

  • Other past medical history
  • Birth and pregnancy history
  • Immunisation history
  • Developmental history
  • Medication history
  • Significant psychosocial risk factors (especially parents mental health, family violence, housing and financial stress, department of child safety involvement)
  • Height/weight/head circumference and growth charts with prior measurements if available
  • Other physical examination findings inclusive of CNS, birth marks or dysmorphology
  • Any relevant laboratory results or medical imaging reports
Last updated 25 October 2021

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Paediatric Medicine (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Paediatric Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 744 284

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Susan Moloney
Medical Director Paediatric Medicine (General Paediatrics)

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Child Safety

If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm, contact Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Services . Please consider if mandatory reporting applies.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
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