HealthPathways

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Useful Management Information

Expect the first hospital visit to be offered between 16-20 weeks unless there are issues requiring more urgent review.

  • GP will be responsible for the care until review by maternity service
    Discuss the Maternity model of care options available across Queensland, these are site specific.
  • Document woman’s preferred model of care – if known or provide information and time for woman to consider options
  • Advise earlier referral if woman requesting midwifery group practice model of care
  • Advise if woman requesting GP Shared Care Model
    • Advise if GP prepared to participate in the GP shared care model (GP’s wanting to participate in a shared care model will need to meet local training and CPD requirements).
  • Advise antenatal, lactation and parenting education preparation and support
  • Recommend routine vaccinations for pertussis and influenza
  • Physiotherapy – indications for referral, consider community referrals or local health pathways
    • Urinary/faecal incontinence
    • Pelvic organ prolapse
    • Significant pelvic joint pain
    • Significant back pain
    • Carpal tunnel syndrome/de Quervain’s Syndrome
    • Inpatient on prolonged bed rest referred by medical team
    • Varicosities
  • Dietitian – indications for referral -– consider community referrals or local health pathways
    • Gestational diabetes mellitus [no additional referral once referred to the diabetic clinic].
    • Hyperemesis gravidarum (in-patient only)
    • History of Bariatric surgery
    • Body mass index (BMI) <18
    • BMI ≥ 35 (pre-pregnancy BMI >30)
    • Excessive weight gain during pregnancy (10 kg or more at 20 weeks)
    • Young women aged < 17 years
    • Nutrient deficiencies
    • Multiple Pregnancy
    • History of eating disorders
    • History of previous or current alcohol and/or drug abuse
  • Social Work – indications for referral consider community referrals or local health pathways
  • Domestic and family violence
  • Child Protection involvement (current and relevant past history)
  • Substance abuse / drug & alcohol issue
  • Unwanted pregnancy (refer to Termination of Pregnancy CPC)
  • Consistent poor attendance for pregnancy care
  • Multiple social concerns (i.e. a combination of poor social supports, housing and financial issues, significant
  • relationship concerns)
  • New serious health diagnosis for mother or baby during pregnancy
  • Anticipated significant difficulties coping with the baby

Clinical resources:

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Antenatal care requiring review within 30 days
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Antenatal care requiring review within 90 days
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

  • Current pregnancy (*ensure early referral if risk factors identified, all referrals preferred by twelve weeks where possible)
    • Gravidity, Parity
    • LNMP (Last normal menstrual period),
    • EDB (Estimated Date of Birth)
    • Single or multiple pregnancy
    • Confirmation of pregnancy (positive urine or serum B-HCG)
    • BMI
    • BP
  • Past Obstetric history (if known) - for each previous pregnancy please provide details of outcome:
    • Date of birth, gestation, mode of birth, birth weight, place of birth
    • Any pregnancy complications e.g. GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus), fetal growth
    • restriction, pre-eclampsia, APH (antepartum haemorrhage)
    • Any birth complications e.g. PPH (Postpartum Haemorrhage), preterm birth, stillbirth, pre existing birth trauma
    • Previous neonatal admission to SCN/NICU and reason
    • Miscarriage
    • Ectopic pregnancy
    • Termination of pregnancy
  • Summary of relevant medical, surgical, and psychosocial history including details of any risk factors/co-morbidities (e.g. diabetes, obesity, bariatric surgery, asthma, cardiac, renal or liver disease, hypertension, anaemia, eating disorders, mental health concerns etc)
  • Current medications including psychotropic drugs such as Sodium Valproate, Lithium and other medication with recognised fetal implications
  • Indigenous status, Ethnicity and language spoken (identify if interpreter is required)
  • Drug, alcohol, and smoking history
  • Routine antenatal bloods: FBC, blood group and antibody screen, rubella antibody screen, hepatitis B serology, hepatitis C serology, HIV serology, syphilis serology, Mid-Stream Urine for MCS

Additional Referral Information

History and Examination

  • Method of conception (either spontaneous or assisted)
  • First trimester early OGTT (preferred) or HbA1c - if risk factors for gestational diabetes
    • BMI > 30 kg/m2 (pre-pregnancy or on entry to care)
    • Ethnicity (Asian, Indian subcontinent, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Islander, Maori, Middle Eastern, non-white African)
    • Previous GDM
    • Previous elevated Blood Glucose Level (BGL)
    • Maternal age ≥ 40y
    • 1st degree relative with DM or sister with GDM
    • Previous macrosomia (birth weight > 4500 g or > 90th percentile)
    • Previous perinatal loss
    • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
    • Medications (corticosteroids, antipsychotics)
    • Multiple pregnancy

Pathology and Test Results

  • Prenatal screening and diagnostic testing for fetal chromosome and genetic conditions e.g. combined first
  • trimester screen, NIPT, CVS, amniocentesis, genetic carrier screening
  • Ferritin
  • TSH – if > 30y or other thyroid risk factors (family history, autoimmune disease including coeliac disease, T1DM etc)
  • ELFT’s and Urine protein/creatinine ratio if indicated e.g. women with BMI >30, pre-existing hypertension, diabetes
  • Chlamydia investigation for women ≤30y or if risk factors
  • STI screen result as indicated
  • Cervical screening reports if >25y or indicated

Imaging and reports

  • Dating, Nuchal Translucency and Morphology Ultrasound scans

Other considerations

  • Refugee status
  • Social history including domestic violence, living situation, drug and alcohol use
  • Identification of Gillick competence and intellectual capacity (where appropriate)
  • Recognition of sexual orientation i.e. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB)
  • Woman's preferred model of care
    • GP Shared Care (Is the GP aligned?)
    • Midwifery care
      • Birth centre
      • Midwifery Group Practice (MGP)
      • Other
    • Obstetric Care
Last updated 15 November 2023

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Medical Objects Account: GQ4215000B3
Healthlink EDI: qldgcuha

Internal Referrals

Not Available

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Antenatal and Maternity
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 744 284

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Benjamin Bopp
Medical Director Obstetrics

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital
Tugun Satellite 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.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
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