Diabetes Mellitus
Emergency referrals
Phone on call Diabetic and Endocrinology Registrar via:
- Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital switch - (07) 3646 8111
- The Prince Charles Hospital switch - (07) 3139 4000
- Redcliffe Hospital switch – (07) 3883 7777
- Caboolture Hospital switch – (07) 5433 8888
and send patient to the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) at their nearest hospital.
Does your patient wish to be referred?
Minimum referral criteria
Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1
Appointment within 30 days is desirable
- Pregnancy in patient with existing diabetes. For optimum care, patient should be seen within 1 week.
- Newly diagnosed GDM. For optimum care, patient should be seen within 1 week.
- Poorly controlled diabetes with recent deterioration despite escalation of therapy (HbA1c >86mmol/mol or 10%)
- Major hypoglycaemia episode (assistance has been required by a third party) or multiple episodes of hypoglycaemia
- Existing type 1 diabetes with newly diagnosed coeliac disease
- Existing diabetes with recent unintentional weight loss (> 5% of body weight over a month period)
- Diabetes requiring optimisation in the presence of severe vascular complications, for example stage 3 CKD, proliferative retinopathy, gastroparesis
- Diabetes with disordered eating
- Diabetic foot ulcer – refer to high-risk foot criteria
- Post DKA admission. For optimum care, face to face or telephone review should be seen within 1 week.
Category 2
Appointment within 90 days is desirable
*The following category 2 cases can be referred to local/regional general physician if endocrinologist access is not locally available.
- Diabetes requiring optimisation in the presence of uncontrolled risk factors for chronic vascular disease (CVD)*
- Unsatisfactorily controlled diabetes with recent deterioration despite escalation of therapy (HbA1c 64-86mmol/mol or 8-10%)*
- High-risk (but currently not ulcerated) foot in client with diabetes*
- Pre-pregnancy planning
- Private or commercial driver’s licence who require a new or renewal of conditional licence
- Stable type 1 diabetes
- For consideration or commencement of continuous glucose monitoring or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pump
Category 3
Appointment within 365 days is desirable
- Self-management education or difficulties in managing diabetes in the absence of adequate community resources
If your patient does not meet the minimum referral criteria
Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis.
If you still need to refer your patient:
- 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
Other important information for referring practitioners
Not an exhaustive list
- Refer to local Healthpathways or local guidelines
- For chronic disease management consider GPMO/TCA management plan
- Stable existing type 2 diabetes
- Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and not acutely unwell
- Dietary advice for weight reduction, high cholesterol, hypertension or CVD in client with diabetes
- Impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose
- Achieving optimal glycaemic control from diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has been shown to improve overall survival and reduce complications
- Depression screening tool Phq-2
- Consider external options for patients including:
Referral requirements
A referral may be rejected without the following information.
Send referral
Hotline: 1300 364 938
Fax: 1300 364 952
Electronic: eReferral system
Mail: Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776 Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034
Health pathways
Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.
For login details email:
healthpathways
Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.