Hospital avoidance options for General Practitioners and medical professionals in Northern Adelaide.
The GPIU have compiled a collection of resources tailored to empower you in hospital avoidance and alternative solutions. These resources will expand your toolkit beyond conventional approaches, fostering a healthcare environment that prioritises preventive care and ensures patient well-being efficiently.
For children aged between 6 months and up to 18 years only
The Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service is a virtual assessment and referral option which allows children and young people with non-life-threatening conditions to be assessed virtually by a team of highly skilled emergency doctors and nurses, potentially reducing the need to visit the Emergency Department.
As a GP, you can have direct access to speak with Emergency doctors through the virtual service on behalf of your patients, providing clinical advice on non-life-threatening conditions and reassurance during what might otherwise be a stressful or uncertain time. Potentially reducing the need to visit the Emergency Department.
Parents and carers can also access the service directly, by visiting the Child and Adolescent Virtual Urgent Care Service website, no matter where they are.
The patient service is open 9:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days a week
The SA Virtual Care Service (SAVCS) is improving access to healthcare across the state and responding to the needs of frontline workers by bringing emergency care to patients, that would normally only be available in an ED.
Find out more about the SA Virtual Care Service and their Residential Aged Care Facility Services.
The service at Sefton Park offers on-site medical officers and nurse practitioners plus access to allied health services (including physiotherapy, podiatry, social work, and dieticians).
This service specialises in wrap-around care and can link into homeless services, with the outreach team operating from the same location. HASDS can visit the patient's home to assess for safety and ensure the provision of appropriate equipment.
There is access to mobile X-rays and ultrasound with nearby radiology services. The service is open from 9:00 am to 8.30 pm on weekdays and between 11:00 am to 7.30 pm on weekends/public holidays.
Please note that a phone call to 0435 475 190 MUST precede a referral to this service, as capacity is limited.
Internal and GP referrals only. This clinic is designed to see patients that require medical specialist level involvement for the management of acute issues that pose a risk to ED presentation or hospital admission within a short interval but not requiring immediate intervention.
Some examples include significant anaemia, abnormal investigations (eg. possible malignancy needing biopsy), acute illness not responding to initial appropriate intervention (eg. pneumonia not improving with oral therapy), acute thromboembolic disease, etc.
You can contact the service by phone (08) 8282 0490 or 0466 861 839 and by fax on (08) 8282 1235.
My Home Hospital is a public hospital-level service that delivers medical care to patients in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. The service is available at no charge to eligible public patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
MyHH has full clinical governance, with doctors (including consultants and specialist GPs) who assume responsibility for care of all patients upon admission. Once admitted, you as the usual GP won’t consult with the patient, like when one of your patients is admitted to a physical hospital. However, you can contact MyHH to speak to their clinicians; they are very keen to work with GPs and are very responsive to concerns.
The service provides acute hospital-level care for the following conditions:
To be eligible, patients must be over 13 years of age; have a Medicare card; live in service regions (all of metropolitan Adelaide, designated Mount Barker region or designated Gawler region); consent to receive their care under MyHH; and have a mobile phone or landline to receive and make calls. They must live in a safe and suitable environment (thus, not suitable for homeless clients).
To refer a patient, please call 1800 111 644 and you will speak to a MyHH doctor who will advise whether or not MyHH will accept the referral. If accepted, please fax or email through the completed referral form, health summary and relevant pathology / imaging results. Please keep the patient at the practice, until you have been advised the outcome of your referral.
For further information, including how to refer, please see the My Home Hospital page. The referral form is on the website and can be downloaded and integrated with your practice software. If you have questions, please call 1800 111 644 (available 24/7).
There are five PCC across metropolitan Adelaide. They are situated beside GP practices, although they are not part of them. They provide plaster/backslab application, suturing, burns management, IV antibiotics or fluids administration, and other procedural skills.
The PCCs may be a suitable option for patients who might need a prolonged procedure or if the patient needs access to some of the more expensive burns dressings or a more comprehensive range of splints and plastering options.
GPs and nurse practitioners run the PCCs and will manage the patient's care while providing a discharge summary to the referring GP. Then, they will return the longer-term patient care to their usual GP.
PCCs in the north:
Other PCCs
For more information, see the PCC page and General Practitioner to Priority Care Centre Pathway flowchart.
Patient self-referral and GP referral.
Mental health support offered face to face for patients who require support but do not need admission to hospital. Can on-refer the patients if needed.
Contact
Open: Mon - Fri: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
2 Peachey Rd, Edinburgh North, SA 5113
Phone: (08) 8209 0700 or (08) 8209 0711
This state-wide service treats people with mental health issues aged 16 years and over. This service helps those in crisis who need a safe environment to allow them time to self-regulate with the help of lived experience peers and mental health clinicians.
UMHCC is a walk-in/self-referral service, but if a GP is referring, they ask that you call (08) 8448 9100 in advance to check capacity or if you wish to discuss the referral.
This service does not provide psychiatric assessments.
If you are requesting an urgent referral to mental health services, please call Mental Health Triage on 13 14 65.
The service is open 24hrs a day 7 days a week for patient self-referral and GP referral. The service is for those age 16 and up.
The Intermediate Care Service (ICS) team works with people with chronic conditions and complex needs to help them improve their health and wellbeing, avoiding hospital admission where possible and support early discharge.
ICS is available for people who have one or more of the following chronic conditions:
Our service includes:
NALHN Allied Health Division
Phone: (08) 8182 9288
Fax: (08) 8182 9440
Elizabeth GP Plus
Phone: (08) 7485 4000
Fax: (08) 7485 4011
Gilles Plains GP Plus Super Clinic
Phone: (08) 7425 8990
Fax: (08) 7425 8981
The MRU provides "RDNS type services," including wound care, medication supervision, IV medication delivery, assistance with insulin administration, and end-of-life care. It can visit patients twice a day. The governance stays with the GP – so you are responsible for the medication orders, any concerns arising, and deteriorating conditions.
Referrals to the MRU are accepted by telephone or fax.
Referral forms are available for download on the Hospital Avoidance and Discharge Support Services page.
You can contact the MRU on:
Phone: 1300 110 600
Fax: 1300 546 104
Health.MetropolitanReferralUnit@sa.gov.au