Introduction
This guideline
relates to referrals for the audiology department at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). For more information please see Audiology
The Audiology
Department provides diagnostic services to paediatric patients with any hearing
or behavioural/speech related hearing concerns and accepts both internal and
community based referrals.
The department specialises
in newborns, patients with a disability or developmental delay, multi-disciplinary
needs and patients requiring a second opinion assessment.
When to refer
- Patients <18 years of age
- Patients with any of the following symptoms:
- Any hearing concerns
- Parental concerns
- Referred screening (VIHSP, school screening)
- High risk factors e.g. special care nursery
>5 days
- Medical presentation
- Meningitis
- Skull factor
- Sudden hearing loss
- Ototoxic medication exposure
- Antibiotics e.g., aminoglycosides
- Chemotherapy medications e.g., cisplatin, loop
diuretics
- Speech, language and learning concerns
- Behavioural concerns
- Pre/post-operative
- Pre/post treatments
- Family history of hearing loss
Do not refer (these will not be accepted)
- •Auditory processing disorders (assessment and
management)
- •Vestibular/balance disorders (assessment and
management)
- •Rehabilitative audiology (fitting of hearing
devices, hearing aids and management of cochlear implants)
Wait times for appointments
Specialist Clinics wait times
Alternative
public paediatric services available in Victoria
- Monash Health
- Western Health
- Barwon Health
Both
regional and rural services can be found via Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP)
Referral criteria/required information
History and assessment including
onset, treatment options, previous audiology assessments and known disabilities
- Detailed reason for referral
- Investigations completed (e.g., previous
external audiology results)
How to refer
Specialist Clinics referral
Please complete the above and submit via:
- Facsimile
(03) 9345 5034 or
- Emailscreferrals@rch.org.au
- Urgent
referral or clinical query call the Audiology Department (03) 9345 5522
Resources and links
Acknowledgements
The developmental of this guideline was coordinated by the Department of Audiology (Christine
Poulis). Guideline reviewed in November 2025.