Child Development Service
Community

Available through
Face to Face
Telehealth
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Paediatric

Urgent Advice

For urgent advice, please contact the Paediatric Registrar on-call through switchboard 1300 744 284 or our GP Only Enquiry Line 5687 0003.

Are you referring to the right service?

  • Children who likely have an underlying medical condition should be referred to Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) Paediatric Medicine Service. Examples include;
    • Definite loss of developmental skills or other cognitive function, suggestive of neurological disease. (IQ measurement is not required in order to accept this referral)
    • History suggestive of probable seizures
    • Significant developmental delay in an infant under 12 months of age (i.e., 12 month old functioning at less than the level of a 6 month old)
    • Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or underlying genetic syndrome i.e., marked lo tone or high tone, muscle weakness / floppy child, asymmetry, microcephaly or increasing head circumference
  • Children who require developmental monitoring/surveillance (in the absence of developmental delay) should be referred to GP or Child Health Nurse.
  • For CDS allied health services, children with developmental concerns who are not medically stable (e.g. child currently undergoing oncology treatment, child with uncontrolled seizures), should initially be referred to Paediatric Medicine.
  • Children with mild to moderate behavioural concerns, without evidence of associated developmental delay / learning difficulties should be referred to external parenting / psychology services.
  • If the child’s predominant concern is related to their mental health without evidence of associated developmental delay (i.e. exposure to adverse childhood events/trauma, attachment etc.), the child should be referred to the appropriate mental health service (e.g. Child and Youth Mental Health Service – CYMHS).
  • The child should not be registered on another public hospital or health service waiting list for the same reason for referral.

Conditions

Out of Scope Services

The following conditions are out of scope for this service:

  • Children who require developmental monitoring/surveillance (in the absence of developmental delay) should be referred to GP or Child Health Nurse.
  • Educational assessment of school age children
  • Services that should be initially provided by primary care or community based allied health care for children, including well infant care and advice, parenting and behaviour management for young children, developmental services for children with mild developmental delay
  • Health screening assessments including on entry to foster care
  • Acute paediatric concerns
  • Developmental Allied Health intervention services will not be provided for Children who are eligible for Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) / National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) For children who are non-Australian citizens but still meet clinical criteria for an underlying disability as defined by ECEI/NDIS, CDS Gold Coast is unable to provide long term allied health intervention services.
  • Allied health developmental intervention services are not provided for children who are school-age (prep to year 12)

Out of Catchment

Gold Coast Health is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries. Special consideration is made for patients requiring tertiary services or for services that are not provided by their local hospital and health service district. If your patient lives outside the Gold Coast Health catchment area and you wish to refer them to one of our services, please indicate relevant medical or social information that will assist with the processing of your referral.

Notes

Please note that where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service. Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.

  • A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating or becoming pregnant) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.
  • Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.
  • If your patient consents to telehealth, please indicate in the body of the referral.

Patient Must Bring

  • Medicare card
  • Any concession cards (e.g. Pension, Health Care, DVA, PBS Safety Net, ADF, etc.)
  • Current medication list
  • Reading glasses, hearing and mobility aids
Last updated 6 March 2024

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Child Community Health MO Account: GQ4215000TL HL EDI: qldcomch

Internal Referrals

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

(07) 5687 9141

Service Availability

Dr Francoise Butel
Medical Director Children's Community Health

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital
Southport Health Precinct
Palm Beach Community Health Centre
Helensvale Community Health Centre
Upper Coomera Child Health
Early Years Centre Coomera Springs
Norfolk Village State School Health & Education Hub

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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