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Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition

Services and clinics

  • The Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the RCH provides outpatient public clinics and private clinics for children and adolescents.

    Specialist clinics

    • General Paediatric Gastroenterology
    • Hepatology and Liver Transplant
    • Gastrointestinal and liver disease in Cystic Fibrosis
    • Clinical Nutrition
    • Gastrostomy Care Clinic (PEG CLINIC)
    • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
    • Outreach Liver Transplant and Gastroenterology Clinic in Hobart

    Referral for specialist clinic appointment

    A referral letter from a General Practitioner (GP) or a paediatrician addressed to a gastroenterologist at RCH is required before making a public or private appointment. The referral needs to include:

    Patient demographic information:

    • Full name of patient
    • Patient date of birth
    • Name of parent, guardian or carer
    • Address
    • Phone number
    • Medicare number
    • Indigenous status
    • Interpreter requirements

    Clinical information:

    • Reason for referral – presenting problem, GP diagnosis referral purpose
    • Physical examination results
    • Management to date
    • Investigation results
    • Relevant medical history
    • Allergies
    • Medications

      Public clinics

    The referral letter for public appointments needs to be faxed to the outpatient department on (+61) 3 9345 5034.

    Once the referral is received, all referrals are triaged for clinical urgency. Depending on how urgently the appointment is needed, an appointment will be made for the next available time.

    What to bring to your appointment

    • Referral letter
    • Medicare card, and if required, private health insurance details
    • Any relevant investigations

    Contacting the specialist clinics:

    For all enquires for public outpatient Specialist Clinics, please call (+61) 3 9345 6180. 

    The Specialist Clinics Call Centre is open from 8.15am - 4.15pm, Monday - Friday (excluding public holidays).

    Where you will see the doctor: 

    Specialist Clinics (desks A1 to A6) are located at the Royal Children’s Hospital in the East Building on the Ground floor, directly off “Main Street”. 

    The PEG clinic is held at the Royal Children's Hospital in the West Building in the Day Medical Unit on the second floor.  The PEG clinic is held in the 'Motility Studies Room'. 

    Video consultation

    If you live in rural / regional Victoria or beyond, you may want to consider a telehealth video-consultation for your next appointment. This means a consultation can be provided over the internet. See   telehealth for more information.

    Fees

    Medicare bulk billing for public outpatient appointments


    PEG clinic 

    PEG Clinic is on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 AM - 12PM 

    For bookings  

    SC.pod2@rch.org.au - "MRN for booking " as subject, or call A5 if urgent 57019 or 53875 or 53876 

    External: All families must use the Contact Center to make an appointment 03 93456180 

    For clinical advice

    • Internal/staff only call ext:55673  or email  peg.nurse@rch.org.au 
      calls/pages/emails/ will usually not be answered during the clinic hours and you may not receive a response to calls/voicemail for up to a few days. Please follow the link to see " How to contact the PEG clinic July 2023" .
    • Epic In basket: Gastro PEG Pool – preference to contact via email peg.nurse@rch.org.au 

    For families

    • To book/ change/cancel appointments: contact RCH call Centre +61 3 93456180
    • Have the patient's MRN number ready
    • Ask for a PEG clinic appointment
    • If you do not have an active referral, you may not be able to book (See below)
    • For clinical advice, you must make an appointment, so that time can be allocated to answer the query.
      You may book a Telehealth appointment. And a follow up in person appointment may be required.


    For referrals 

    RCH - Internal referrals 

    •  Order referral to “Outpatient Gastroenterology” 
    • Under "To Depart" type in “Gastro PEG” 
    • Please pick up the correct referral duration 
    • Fellows 12 month referrals 
    • Registrars/Residents: 12 month referrals 
    • Consultant specialists : 3 months 

    After initial internal referral post PEG insertion, please ask that families see a GP for an indefinite referral. 

    External referrals: 

    • A valid referral is required to book an appointment in the PEG clinic. See your GP and request a referral to the RCH PEG clinic -  12 months or indefinite (if clearly stated on the referral).
    • GP can email referrals to screferrals@rch.org.au, or patient to bring a replacement referral to the clinic appointment. 


     Updated 12/7/2023 SA