• Home
• Outpatients
• Emergency
• Community services
• Find a doctor
• Pre-referral guidelines
• Clinical resources
• Professional education
• For parents
• Mailing list
• Primary Care Liaison
• Contact Kids Connect

Outpatients - referring, forms & parent info

Most clinics are on the ground floor of the RCH Main Building and are held between 9-5pm Monday to Friday.  All clinics need an up-to-date doctor's referral.  Triage staff will assign a child to the most appropriate clinic that has the shortest waiting time.

Please see the Clinical Services Directory online where you can look up services by keyword, clinic name or specialty.  Each clinic links to pre-referral guidelines, parent information factsheets and other online useful tools and resources where available.

Process for referring MBS Enhanced Primary Care Items for paediatrics Contacts Mental health Private referrals Pre-referral guidelines Referral forms (OPD, Medical Imaging, Pathology) Clinical Services Directory online Information for parents

Clinical Services Directory online

Process for referring to OPD

1: Check the Clinical Services Directory online

• You can choose to search RCH clinics or you may prefer that the RCH triages referrals to the most relevant clinic.
• The Clinical Services Directory links to pre-referral guidelines, online resources, parent information and referral forms.

2: Check pre-referral guidelines

• Pre-referral guidelines - suggestions for pre-referral management, contact information, links to referral forms, online resources and parent handouts.
  ENT, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, nephrology, mental health and child behaviour, allergy, dermatology, surgery.
• Check the OPD resources online, such as checklist for autism, sleep diary, headache diary, epilepsy resources and more.

3: Call

• RCH specialists welcome any clinical enquiries. 
• Tel (03) 9345 7060, #5 - ask for the relevant Registrar or Consultant on-call, or get direct contact details from the relevant Department or service.  

4: Type referral

• Referral form can be installed to most GP desktop software or saved as a Word document. 
• Typed forms are easier to read, especially after faxing. 
• Choosing a clinic is optional - triage staff will choose the most appropriate clinic with the shortest waiting list.  (See Tips for making your referral more effective)
• Referral form RCH OPD General (Word)
• Victorian Statewide Referral Form (Word)
• Tips for making your referral more effective (pdf)
• More referral templates

5: Better information = better triaging

• Referrals with insufficient information  for triaging will be faxed back to you requesting more information before booking an appointment.
• If relevant, please also fax tests done and results. This will facilitate faster and more appropriate triaging. 
  
  *Please also include parents mobile number (we SMS appointment reminders) and your Provider number (for billing).

6: Fax

• Post or fax your completed form to the Outpatient Department Booking Office - fax (03) 9345 5034.
• For urgent referrals please also call the Outpatient Department booking office on (03) 9345 7060, #2.
• An appointment will be posted to your patient as soon as it has been made.  This can be up to around four weeks. 

Contacts

• Specialist advice
  RCH switch (03) 9345 5522 - ask for the relevant registrar or consultant on-call
  Contact the relevant department or service directly or call the Emergency Department
  
• Urgent referral booking
  Tel (03) 9345 7060, #2
  
• OPD appointment bookings office
  Fax (03) 9345 5034
  
• Coordinating multiple appointments
  Contact Nurse Unit Manager OPD (03) 9345 5689 or OPD bookings (03) 9345 7060, #2
  
• Individual departments or services
  Click here for list of departments and services (NB these are not specifically outpatient clinics)
  
• Private referrals
  See surgical pre-referral guidelines for surgeons' private numbers
  See online listing of general paediatricians

Mental health

Tel 1800 445 511
Staffed 09-5pm M-F by professional mental health Intake workers.
RCH Mental Health Services 
Mental Health Services in Victoria are area based, see the DHS Mental Health Services website.

Private referrals

May families may prefer a private referral which will usually result in a shorter waiting time to consultation. 

• Online database of paediatricians in Victoria
  Paediatrician Listing (RCH Department of Medicine)
  The list includes community, general and specialty paediatricians and can be sorted by suburb.

• The yellow pages also lists paediatricians by postcode.
• The Australian Medical Association lists some paediatric specialists: AMA doctor search

More referral forms and templates

• Outpatients general RCH
  OPD General (Word)
• VSRF (Word) - Victorian Statewide Referral Form
  The Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF) is a straightforward, easy to use, electronic template for GP referrals. The purpose is to provide a standardised mechanism for referral from General Practice to state funded health providers. The RCH accepts referrals made on the Statewide Referral Form.
  Check availability of VSRF in your software and download template if required.
• Medical Imaging Medical Imaging (Read more about referring to Medical Imaging)
• Pathology PDF Referral form (also see pathology website for more info)
  

Install to practice software

• RTF template for GP software (Medical Director, Best Practice, ZedMed and GPComplete templates - valid 2007)
• Important:  Please follow instructions on NEVDGP website or this PDF

Information for parents

Parents should receive an appointment by mail within a week to several weeks.  Parents can call the OPD if they have not received a referral and need to call the OPD as soon as possible if they need to reschedule or cannot make their appointment.  This helps us to rebook a new appointment time as most clinics fill quickly.   This also helps us make that appointment available to another patient. 

• Parents tel (03) 9345 6180 for appointment rescheduling
• Patient registration  For parents to complete and take to first appointment (pdf)
• For Frequently Asked Questions- for patients new to outpatients visit the Department of Human Services (DHS) website. Offers translation in 19 languages.

Getting to the RCH

• The Royal Children's Hospital is located on the corner of Flemington Road and Gatehouse Street in Parkville.  Melway Map 2A, J5 or Map 43 E3.
• Hospital parking can be difficult and costs about $4 per hour up to a maximum of $19 for 4 hours or more. 
• The number 55 and 59 trams stop at the front entrance of the hospital. Public transport timetables can be accessed from the Yarra Trams website.

Getting around the RCH

• Many (but not all) OPD clinics are held on the Ground Floor of the main building. 
• Printable map for your patient of the RCH ground floor and Information Desk.

Some tips to make your visit easier

• Make sure your referral is up-to-date (less than one year from a GP, less than 3 months from a specialist).  If it is not, please bring an updated referral from your doctor.
• Allow plenty of time for parking.
• Bring toys and distractions.
• Try to leave siblings and other children at home.
• Look up the Kids Health Info website for any helpful factsheets.  If you can't find what you need, send an email.
• For more useful parent information, see the Outpatient Department web site.