Spinal Cord Injury
Adult

Spinal Cord Injury Liaison Service (SCILS)

On this page

Emergency Referrals

Useful Management Information

Refer to HealthPathways for assessment and management recommendations.

The Queensland Spinal Injuries Unit at the PAH services all of Queensland. It provides a unique service being the only Spinal Injuries Unit in Australia that provides acute care, primary rehabilitation, transitional rehabilitation, outpatient services and outreach services from the one facility. See the Queensland Spinal Cord Injuries Service (QSCIS) for more information on these services, management guides and other resources.
Referring practitioners can complete the Spinal Injuries Unit Non-Acute Outpatient Referral form for referral to Spinal Injuries Unit OPD. However, provided a referral includes all ‘essential referral information’ it is not mandatory to complete this form to access the service

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)	Frequent hospitalisations with secondary complications of spinal cord injury Multiple attendances at emergency departments within the same month Frequent falls Problems with ITB pump Recurrent autonomic dysreflexia
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)	Recurrent urinary tract infections Bowel management issues Increasing spasticity Poorly controlled neuropathic pain Pressure injury
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)	Sex and fertility related issues Interstate transfers wishing to access QSCIS services General review Equipment related issues
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

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

Level of spinal cord injury
Date of spinal cord injury
Relevant medical history: Include any past or ongoing medical conditions
Bladder management (spontaneous, IDC, SPC, CISC, other)
Bowel management (relevant aperients)
Current social situation: Detail the patient’s living arrangements, functional status, any support services in place (e.g., family, carers, funded support services), carer stress or burden if present and any barriers to clinic attendance.

Additional Referral Information

Allied health services: Note any current or recent allied health involvement and services provided.

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Medical Objects Account: GQ42150009Z

HealthLink EDI: Qldgchsd

Internal Referrals

Spinal Cord Injury Liaison Service (SCILS) qhRefer

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Rehabilitation Outpatients

Gold Coast University Hospital

1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 744 284

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Dr Kelly Dungey

Facilities