Vascular Rehabilitation (Program)
Outpatient

Available through
Face to Face
Telehealth
Telephone
Adult

Useful Management Information

  • The Vascular Rehabilitation Service is an exercise program that aims to improve the quality of life, walking distance and pain experienced by clients living with Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • The service offers a supportive, group exercise environment led by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Podiatrist with an Allied Health Assistant
    • Home exercise support through initial assessment, phone F/U, telehealth or AHA home visits also available
  • A diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on symptomology and scans are required
  • Referral classes:
    • Symptom Management – intermittent claudication
    • Surgical Avoidance
    • Post intervention rehabilitation – post angioplasty/stenting, Lower limb vascular bypass

Note:

  • Supervised Exercise Training (SET) should not be considered as a replacement for clients requiring Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA) / Endovascular re-vascularisation (ER)
  • Clients receiving PTA / ER should be referred for SET
  • Clients with intermittent claudication clients should be offered SET as first line conservative therapy.
  • Indications and strategic choices of ER/SET will vary depending on the clinical severity of the PAD and anatomical distribution of disease
  • Vascular disease present in lower limbs from common iliac artery to arteries below the knee are accepted.

Are you referring to the right service?

  • The Vascular Medical Team are the only eligible referrers to vascular Rehab
  • Client requires vascular ultrasound, medical history and symptom history within referral to vascular specialist
    • Vascular specialist will then review the client for conservative management within vascular rehab service or vascular intervention

Eligibility

  • Referrals at the discretion of Vascular specialist for clients
    < Grade – 2 with a diagnosis of Peripheral vascular disease.

Minimum Referral 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

Out of Scope Services

The following conditions are out of scope for this service:

  • Grade 2 PAD severity or above severe limb-threatening PAD
    Claudication Pain at rest
  • Active wound or Infection


Essential Referral Information

  • Copy of vascular Investigations: Vascular duplex ultrasound, CT angiogram, Angiogram
  • All relevant Medical History
  • Pathology: Lipid profile, HbA1c if person has Diabetes, other relevant path
  • Symptom history

Additional Referral Information

  • Mental Health care plan, if applicable

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
  • Current medication list
  • Relevant X-rays, scans and reports
  • Reading glasses
  • Wear dentures
  • Mobility supports or wheelchair
Last updated 18 January 2024

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Not Available

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

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

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Service Availability

Facilities

Helensvale Community Health Centre
Robina Health Precinct

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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