Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) outpatient services for Central Adelaide

The Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) unit provides inpatient and outpatient services for patients who suffer from ear, nose and throat disorders, salivary gland disorders, pharynx tonsil & adenoid problems and neck masses/inflammation.

Services are also provided to patients referred from rural and remote areas.

Children are usually managed by referral to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital or an Otorhinolaryngologist as required.

Contact details

Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH)

Fax: (08) 7074 6247
For all appointments: enquiries and new case appointments: (08) 1300 153 853
Review/change of appointments: (08) 1300 153 853

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH)

Fax: (08) 7074 6247
For all appointments: enquiries and new case appointments: (08) 8222 7010 / (08) 8222 7020
Review/change of appointments: (08) 8222 7010 / (08) 8222 7020

Appointment location

RAH

Outpatient Department, Level 3, Port Road, Adelaide SA 5000

TQEH

Outpatients Ground Floor Area 3, 28 Woodville Road, Woodville SA 5011

Services and clinics 

Services provided are:

  • outpatient clinic consultations for diagnosis and management
  • inpatient consultations
  • inpatient admission
  • minor procedures.

Ear, nose and throat outpatients

Although many ear nose and throat conditions require supervision from an Otorhinolaryngologist long term, wherever possible, the objective of an ear, nose and throat outpatient appointment is to provide an assessment of the patient, an opinion regarding the key clinical issues and advice to the patient and the referring practitioner over one to two visits followed by formal discharge from the clinic.

This particularly applies to lesser priority conditions which may have a longer waiting time for an appointment and for which specialised drug therapies and/or disease monitoring are not indicated.

RAH Staff and conditions seen

Monday

Clinic: Head and Neck ENT

Doctors:

  • Mr Suren Krishnan - Cancers of Head and Neck
  • Mr J C Hodge - Dysphagia/ Hoarseness
  • Mr Guy Rees - OSA
  • Mr Michael Switajewski - Salivary Gland Disorders
  • ORL Fellow - Pharynx, Tonsil

Tuesday

Doctors:

  • Mr Steve Floreani - Sinus/nasal, Otology/ Sinus Clinic
  • Ms Alethea Grobler – Ear, Alternate weeks
  • Mr Sharad Chawla - Dizziness/ Vertigo, Nurse Led
  • CSC Caroline Whiteford - Ear Microsuction, Microsuction Clinic

Wednesday

No clinics

Thursday

No clinics

Friday

Clinic: General ENT

Doctors: 

  • Mr Sam Arena - Sinus/ Nasal/ Ear/Throat
  • Ms Alethea Grobler - General

RAH bulk bill clinics

No bulk bill clinics are conducted at the RAH for ENT clinics.

TQEH Bulk bill clinics

Named referral required 

Monday

Doctor - Mr Alkis Psaltis

Conditions - Epiphora and Dacrocystitis

Clinic - Lacrimal

Tuesday

Conditions - Sinus, nasal

Doctors:

  • Mr Alkis Psaltis - Rhinology/Skull Base Clinic
  • Dr Harshita Pant – General clinic
  • ORL Fellow
  • Surgeon Scientist

Wednesday

Doctors: 

  • Mr Kien Ha - Functional and Cosmetic, Facial Plastics clinic
  • ORL Fellow – Blephroplasty, General clinic
  • Surgeon Scientist - Sinus, nasal

Thursday

No clinics

Friday

Conditions: 

Doctors: 

  • Professor Peter Wormald - Rhinology/Skull Base clinic
  • Mr Alkis Psaltis - Facial Plastics clinic
  • Mr Steve Floreani - Rhinology clinic
  • ORL Fellow - General clinic

Referral process

Immediate referral process

Where consultation is 'same day' urgent, the ear, nose and throat (ENT) registrar or the on call ENT registrar if after hours, should be contacted via the RAH switchboard (08) 7074 0000 or TQEH switchboard (08) 8222 6000 to discuss the Patient. If the condition is life-threatening, the patient should be sent to the nearest Emergency Department.

Less urgent referrals

Preferred method of referral is by fax or letter.

Fax number: (08) 7074 6247

All referrals including those urgently requiring consultation must be in writing and a named referral is preferred. Please fax written referral to (08) 7074 6247.

Non-urgent referrals will be allocated to the next available appointment. Non-urgent referrals may incur a wait. The waiting time for appointment will vary and be dependent on the demand for this service and the medical urgency of the patient’s condition.

Ear, nose and throat problems not considered high priority (see eligibility and referral criteria) may wait a longer time for an appointment. Please consider other options and do not refer to multiple providers regarding the same presenting complaint.

Should changes occur to a patient’s medical condition during the waiting time for an appointment, referrers should send updated clinical information and where appropriate, contact the ENT registrar via the RAH switchboard (08) 7074 0000, or TQEH switchboard on (08) 8222 6000.

Alternate care options / Health information for low priority conditions

Alternate care options / Health information for low priority conditions while waiting for an appointment or if no appointment is made

Not all patients with ear, nose and throat conditions can be offered appointments in the CALHN ear, nose and throat clinics.

In most cases, the key to appropriate management is a detailed history and examination. Options for obtaining further information regarding various ear, nose and throat conditions and to provide guidance for assessment,investigations and management are listed under ear, nose and throat clinical information sheets below. In some instances, links to factsheets have been included in the table which outlines clinical criteria for referral. 

Post discharge guidelines and information

If the patient or their general practitioner is concerned about a deterioration in the medical condition (see clinical information sheets and table of clinical features indicative of potentially serious pathology and ear, nose and throat assessment is required earlier than planned, a phone call to the ENT registrar on call at RAH (08) 7074 0000 or ENT registrar on call at the TQEH (08) 8222 6000, will allow this to be discussed.

Patients whose medical condition has stabilised or resolved and for whom no further appointment has been made will be formally discharged. If ear nose and throat assessment is required again, a new referral, preferably a named referral (see consultant list) should be faxed to the ear, nose and throat unit on (08) 7074 6247.

Priority levels

It is important to note these guidelines indicate what is clinically desirable, not what is always feasible in terms of delivery which is dependent on size and staffing of the hospital department. 

Immediate priority

Surgical emergencies and acute surgical conditions where admission is required.

Examples

  • Stridor
  • Severe epistaxis
  • Laryngeal obstruction and/or fracture
  • Complicated mastoiditis/ cholesteatoma or sinusitis
  • Pharyngeal/laryngeal foreign body
  • Abscess or haematoma, eg peritonsillar abscess, septal or auricular haematoma, paranasal sinus pyocoele.

Referral process

must be discussed with the ENT registrar or the on call ENT registrar if after hours, via RAH switchboard on (08) 7074 0000 or TQEH switchboard on (08) 8222 6000 If the condition is life-threatening, the patient should be sent to the nearest Emergency Department.

Urgent priority

Condition has the potential to require more complex or emergency care if assessment is delayed.

Condition has the potential to have significant impact of quality of life if care is delayed.

Examples

  • Acute facial nerve palsy
  • Sudden hearing loss
  • Severe vertigo
  • Documented sleep apnoea
  • Unexplained cervical lymphadenopathy
  • Oropharyngeal ulceration
  • Severe otitis externa
  • Uncomplicated nasal fracture
  • Dysphagia.

Referral process

referrals should be faxed to (08) 7074 6247. The referral will be assessed and triaged and referrer and patient informed.

Semi urgent priority

Condition is unlikely to require more complex care if assessment is delayed.

Condition has the potential to have some impact of quality of life is care is delayed.

Examples

  • Progressive unilateral nasal obstruction
  • Minor recurrent epistaxis
  • Cancerphobia
  • O.M.E. with effusion
  • Post traumatic pain
  • Persistent sore throat
  • Hoarseness without documented risk factors
  • Progressive asymmetric hearing loss.

Referral process

referrals should be faxed to (08) 7074 6247. Early assessment may be facilitated by addressing the referral to a Otorhinolaryngology consultant by name as this opens additional assessment opportunities.

Non urgent priority

Low priority

Examples

  • Snoring
  • Episodic vertigo
  • Recurrent tonsillitis
  • Symmetrical hearing loss
  • Rhinitis
  • Nasal obstruction
  • Painless otorrhoea

Conditions unlikely to receive an appointment include:

Do not usually need to see an Otorhinolaryngologist unless there are atypical features.

Referral process

Low priority for appointment.

Ear, nose and throat clinical information sheets

The following information sheets about presentations commonly seen in ear, nose and throat outpatients provide the minimum information required for assessing a referral under the headings of: eligibility, priority, differential diagnosis, clinical information and investigations required, pre-referral management strategies and discharge criteria.