Referral to emergency

If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

  • suspected acute bone or joint infection: do not commence antibiotics until reviewed by specialist medical officer, contact the on-call registrar to discuss clinical concerns
  • suspected acute Charcot foot characterised by:
    • clinical signs of unilateral inflammation (redness, heat, swelling) present in the diabetic neuropathic foot
    • palpable pedal pulses
    • pain may be present despite diabetic neuropathy
    • no evidence of trauma/injury/ulcer to support infection

If concerns of Charcot foot exist please contact the High-risk Foot coordinator to discuss see ‘Contacts for clinical advice’

For urgent referrals and/or clinical advice, please telephone the relevant metropolitan Local Health Network.

Central Adelaide Local Health Network

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network

  • High-risk Foot Coordinator  (9.00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday) 0412 504 937
  • After hours medical enquiries should be directed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital (08) 7074 0000

Southern Adelaide Local Health Network

Category 1 — appointment clinically indicated within 30 days

  • red hot swollen foot in known diabetic; with suspicion of acute Charcot neuroarthropathy without ulceration with pedal pulses

Category 2 — appointment clinically indicated within 90 days

  • nil

Category 3 — appointment clinically indicated within 365 days

  • clawed toes/hammer toes
  • bunions
  • flat feet
  • functional impairment with or without pain unresponsive to maximal medical management

Essential referral information

Completion required before first appointment to ensure patients are ready for care. Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.

  • complete past medical history
  • current medication list
  • body mass index (BMI)
  • smoking/vaping status - if active, strongly consider referral for smoking/vaping cessation
  • alcohol and other drugs history including type, amount and frequency
  • previous surgery
  • management history including:
    • injury/trauma if relevant
    • onset and duration
    • pain
    • associated features, e.g. swelling, instability
    • functional impairment
    • immobiliser/splint/cast
  • functional range of motion (ROM)
  • X-ray results anterior posterior and lateral ankle/foot including weight bearing/standing views include radiological details/accession number
  • relevant reports and investigations
  • details of other practitioners involved in management

Clinical management advice

Examine both feet for evidence of the following risk factors:

  • neuropathy
  • ulceration
  • callus
  • infection and/or inflammation
  • deformity
  • gangrene
  • Charcot neuroarthropathy
  • presence/absence pulses: dorsalis pedis/posterior tibial/popliteal.

All patients with non-palpable pulses should be referred utilising the Vascular ‘High-risk Foot - Adult' CPC.

Consideration of risks versus benefits of surgical intervention may include:

  • age
  • frailty
  • additional comorbidities
  • patient expectations of outcome
  • patient suitable for surgery, engagement in self-management
  • body mass index (BMI) and weight loss
  • smoking/vaping status - if active, strongly consider referral for smoking/vaping cessation.

Optimisation of chronic medical conditions should occur as part of initial assessment and conservative management as this may impact on suitability for surgical intervention.

Patients with BMI ≥ 35 should be referred for weight loss management with or without bariatric opinion. Patients with BMI ≤ 40 may be considered for review with documented evidence of participation in attempts to lose weight.

Clinical resources

Consumer resources

Reason for request

  • to establish a diagnosis
  • for treatment or intervention
  • for advice and management
  • for specialist to take over management
  • for a specified test/investigation the General Practitioner cannot order
  • for other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • transfer of care from another tertiary service
  • clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary.

Patient demographic details

  • full name, including aliases
  • date of birth
  • residential and postal address
  • telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
  • Medicare number, where eligible
  • name of the parent or caregiver, if appropriate
  • preferred language and interpreter requirements
  • identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

Clinical modifiers

  • impact on employment
  • impact on education
  • impact on home
  • impact on activities of daily living
  • impact on ability to care for others
  • impact on personal frailty or safety
  • identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

Other relevant information

  • Willingness to have surgery, where surgery is a likely intervention.
  • Choice to be treated as a public or private patient.
  • Compensable status, e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.
  • Relevant social history, including identifying if you feel your patient is from a vulnerable population, under guardianship/out-of-home care arrangements and/or requires a third party to receive correspondence on their behalf.
  • Triage of a specialist outpatient referral is based on clinical decision making to allocate an appropriate urgency categorisation.
  • Where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service. Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated public allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.
  • A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating or pregnancy) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.
  • All new referrals will be triaged by a consultant and appointment times scheduled according to clinical urgency.