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Renal Services

Conditions

Emergency referrals

  • Urgent cases can be discussed at any time with either the Consultant on call or the Kidney Registrar rostered to the kidney ward (inpatients) can be contacted by ringing the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital on (07) 3646 8111.
  • Faxing (07) 3646 8572 or emailing a referral is a good document trail to the verbal conversation.

For all other referrals

  • Referrals outside the Metro North HHS catchment area will not be accepted unless a tertiary clinical need that cannot be met in the patient’s own HHS is identified. Please refer to the local kidney service in the first instance in all cases.
  • Forward all referrals through the Centralised Patient Intake system. For new referrals, try to nominate a specialist and send a named referral. The list below may help with your selection.
  • Where possible try to comply with the required clerical and clinical information set out in these guidelines as failure to do this this may result in a request for more information causing delayed appointment/treatment for your patient.

Scope of service

Conditions usually referred to renal services involve kidney diseases causing, or at risk of causing, reduced kidney function and its complications. This can either be primary kidney disease e.g. previous pyelonephritis, nephritis, congenital kidney disease, trauma or drug related or secondary to systemic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, vasculitis, autoimmune diseases etc.

Main services provided

  • General nephrology – diagnostic, prognostic and management services
  • Kidney transplant – work up of recipients and donors, long term monitoring of established transplants
  • Kidney health – targeting the stabilisation and management  of chronic kidney disease
  • Vasculitis of the kidney
  • Renal Genetic Diseases – identification of mutations, genetic counselling, long term monitoring
  • Kidney Supportive Care – care of people at end of life with high symptom burden
  • Transition of dialysis – managing the transition onto dialysis
  • Independent home dialysis
  • Facility based dependent haemodialysis

Extra-hospital services

Redcliffe Hospital

  • General nephrology clinics
  • Dialysis services
  • Nurse practitioner led dialysis clinics

Nundah Community Health Centre

  • Specialist led chronic kidney disease multidisciplinary clinics
  • Nurse practitioner led chronic kidney disease clinics
  • Specialist led kidney supportive care multidisciplinary clinics

North Lakes Health Precinct

  • General nephrology clinics
  • Specialist led chronic kidney disease multidisciplinary clinics
  • Dialysis services
  • Genetic renal disease clinics
  • Nurse practitioner led chronic kidney disease clinic

Stafford Kidney Health Centre

  • General nephrology clinics
  • Transition to dialysis services
  • Peritoneal dialysis training unit
  • Home haemodialysis training unit
  • Home therapy support unit

Kidney services in primary care are being trialled through the Keeping Kidneys program.

Referral requirements

A referral may be rejected without the following information.

  • Impact on employment
  • Impact on education
  • Impact on home
  • Impact on activities of daily living
  • Impact on ability to care for others
  • Impact on personal frailty or safety
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

  • 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

  • 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
  • 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
  • Current medications and dosages
  • Drug allergies
  • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

  • Full name (including aliases)
  • Date of birth
  • Residential and postal address
  • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
  • Medicare number (where eligible)
  • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
  • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

  • Full name
  • Full address
  • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
  • Provider number
  • Date of referral
  • Signature

  • 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.)

Specialists list

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@brisbanenorthphn.org.au

Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.healthpathwayscommunity.org

Locations

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