Clinical Prioritisation Criteria
Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) are clinical decision support tools.
They help ensure referrals to public specialist outpatient services are triaged according to how urgent each case is.
The prioritisation criteria include the following:
- referrals have all the information they need for triage
- appointments are given in order of clinical urgency
- patients are ready for care at their first appointment
- improved referral and communication processes between referrers and specialist outpatient services.
Read more about Clinical Prioritisation Criteria on the Queensland Government website.
Darling Downs HealthPathways
The Darling Downs HealthPathways is a hospital referral guideline that includes the clinical prioritisation criteria. The pathways provide clinical assessment, management and referral advice for health providers.
GPs should use HealthPathways at the point of care. It can also be used by hospital specialists, nurses, allied health and other health professionals in the Darling Down region.
The pathways have been jointly developed by hospital clinicians and general practice teams.
How to access Darling Downs HealthPathways
If you’re a health professional and you’d like to have access to the Darling Downs HealthPathways, you can contact the coordinator by registering on the HealthPathways website.
If you’re a referring health provider, you can find referral criteria and contact information on the Healthpathways website.
Smart Referrals
We have general and specific referral requirements aligned with the statewide Clinical Prioritisation Criteria for specialist outpatient services and allied health outpatient services.
You can send referrals electronically using Smart Referrals, Medical Objects or by fax. Sending electronically is the preferred option.
Learn more and get further resources about Smart Referrals on the Queensland Health website.
Primary Health Network
We have a Local Primary Health Care Protocol [PDF 386 KB] between Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, West Moreton Hospital and Health Services and Darling Downs West Moreton Primary Health Network.
The protocol was developed to promote cooperation between health providers in the planning and delivery of services.
Read more on the Darling Downs West Moreton Primary Health Network website.
Referring a patient to Toowoomba Hospital Emergency Department
If you're a GP, you don’t need to call the emergency department unless you're seeking clinical advice.
Make sure your patient has their referral letter with them. You can fax any additional information to the emergency department if you need to.
If your patient is arriving by ambulance, make sure they have their referral letter and any clinical handover documents with them.