Useful Management Information

  • Consider requesting an eye examination with a private ophthalmologist or optometrist to confirm the presence of cataracts and to optimise vision with glasses where possible
  • Control co-morbidities
  • Please consider clinical modifiers and note as applicable (impact on employment/education/home/ADLs/ability to care for others/personal frailty or safety or identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)

Patient resources

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Documented cataract with documented significant impact on activities of daily living (ADL) and BCVA worse than 6/36 in each eye
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Documented cataract with significant impact on ADL and:
    • BCVA worse than 6/36 in one eye or
    • BCVA worse than 6/12 in each eye
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Documented cataract with significant impact on ADL and BCVA worse than 6/12 in either eye
  • 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

  • Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) (vision with most recent distance spectacles) with refraction in the last 12 months
  • Whether first or second eye (is this the first ever cataract or the second?)
  • Symptoms and duration of problem

Additional Referral Information

  • Private ophthalmologist or optometrist report including VA, refraction and impact of symptoms (highly desirable)
  • Professional drivers with specific VA requirements for employment
Last updated 13 November 2023

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Ophthalmology (E-Blueslips)
Ophthalmology Paediatrics (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Fraser Imrie
Medical Director Ophthalmology

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.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
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