Referral Centre

How to refer your patient

Referrals to Referral Centre can be generated via: encrypted pathway or client self-referral.  

A comprehensive referral requires: past medical history and medications list (if available), current functional ability, impact on activities of daily living, reason for referral and designated service requested.

The Department of Health & Human Services’ Service Coordination Tool Template (SCTT) is attached for use – see Resource link below. This template aims to facilitate and support service coordination.

What we do

Referral Centre provides consultancy and advice to health professionals regarding mandatory service/eligibility criteria and regional boundaries for Bendigo Health community services. It is also a resource for community members.

Referral Centre acts as an initial point of triage, screening for comprehensive information and clarity of service request. Referrals are prioritised, a cover sheet containing a snap shot of Bendigo Health involvement is added, an acknowledgement receipt is sent to the referrer and finally the completed referral is forwarded to the most appropriate service.

Ineligible referrals/documents are also filtered and forwarded to the correct destination.

Services that Referral Centre processes for:

• Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS) – Inpatient only
• Acute Allied Health Physiotherapy
• Acute Allied Health Dietetics
• Audiology
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Carer Support Services (CSS)
• Community Allied Health Team (CAHS)
• Community Care Services (CCS)
• Community Nursing Service (CNS)
• Community Palliative Care
• Community Speech Pathology
• Continence Clinic
• Diabetes Service
• Gericonnect
• Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP)
• Hospice
• Loddon Mallee Residential InReach Consultancy Service (LMRIRCS)
• Loddon Mallee Regional Specialist Palliative Care Consultancy Service (LMRPCCS)
• Outpatient Rehabilitation Service (OPRS)
• Post-Acute Care (PAC)
• Rehabilitation and Geriatric Medicine
• Regional Continence Service
• Renal Home Therapies Unit
• Swallowing Disorders Clinic
• Transition Care Program (TCP)