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This page contains information for general practitioners (GPs) on how to refer patients aged 16 years and over to the High Risk Podiatry Service at Mater Hospital Brisbane.
This service provides care to adult patients with diabetes who have been diagnosed as being at "High Risk" of developing foot complications such as:
Mater Hospital Brisbane offers a multidisciplinary High Risk Foot service which is comprised of medical specialists from Diabetes, Vascular Surgery and Orthopaedics, along with specialised wound nurses and podiatrists. Patients are reviewed by the team to develop appropriate, individualised care plans.
If referral for care is indicated, please list all of the General Referral Information and reason for request, and essential information as indicated below.
To refer, please fill out the Mater Adult Referral Form, available to download and embed into most major Practice Management software applications.
Referrals can be sent by:
If any of the following are present or suspected, phone 000 to arrange immediate transfer to the emergency department or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.
Due to high demand we do not accept referrals for general foot and nail care patients who have been diagnosed as being "low risk" of developing diabetic foot complications which are considered appropriate for community or private podiatry services.
Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categoriation ensures safety and equity of access.
Category 1 – urgent
Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 30 days
Category 2 - Priority
Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 90 days
Category 3 - Routine
Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 365 days
Refer directly to emergency
Foot ulcer with infection and systemically unwell or febrile, invasive infection or rapidly spreading cellulitis (defined by peripheral redness around the wound >2cm), acute ischaemia, wet gangrene, acute or suspected Charcot - A
Urgent cases
Foot ulcer or pressure injury with mild to moderate infection <2cm around wound. - B
Necrosis/dry gangrene (with or without ulceration) - B
Non-infected foot ulcer - B
Key
A – client to present to emergency department immediately
B – client to present to diabetes specialist service within 24 hours. If no specialist service is available, present to an emergency department
Diabetic with high-risk foot*
*High-risk foot has 2 or more of the following:
or a history of:
Peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy or foot deformity in the absence of adequate community resources
Dr Helen Barrett
Diabetes and Endocrine
Podiatrist Orthopaedics Vascular Surgery
Mater Health offers patients the opportunity to attend bulk billed clinics. To provide your patients with the opportunity to attend a bulk billed clinic, please provide a named referral to one of the specialists listed above.
If you wish to discuss a referral, including clinical criteria, or update the status of a current patient please contact our priority GP phone line on 07 3163 2200.
View up to date data on how long patients are waiting for their first appointment by specialty.
The Mater Referral Guidelines align with the standqardised best prqactice toos for referral to publicly funded specialist outpatient services development in Queensland through the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria project.
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