Clinical Prioritisation Criteria consultation
SA Health’s initial focus is to invest in reducing waiting times so accessing outpatient appointments is easier, more transparent, and more effective. Through collaboration with a number of clinicians across SA, the Outpatient Redesign Project aspires to create sustainability in improved access to services, transparency, governance and accountability.
One of the initiatives is to develop consistent and publicly available Clinical Prioritisation Criteria or CPC.
The CPC are clinical decision-making support tools that assist in ensuring patients referred are clinically categorised and accepted based on standardised statewide clinical referral criteria.
Aims
The CPC aims for:
- transparency of outpatient criteria between Local Health Networks (LHNs), primary care and the public
- health professionals to be enabled with accurate and consistent specialty referral criteria and diagnostics required to support patient focussed decision making
- patients to have accurate and consistent specialty referral criteria and categorisation to improve their health literacy and enable informed decision making
- equitable assessment of patients regardless of where they live
- specialist outpatient appointments are delivered in order of clinical urgency
- patients who are ready for care at their first specialist outpatient appointment
- referral and communication process improvements between referrers (e.g. primary care) and specialist outpatient services
- increased referral quality by LHNs being transparent in the information and diagnostics required to support timely access to the most appropriate care
Consultation on CPC clinical specialities
The CPC have been developed by a multidisciplinary team of specialist clinicians including doctors, GPs, nurses and allied health professionals.
Consultation is open on the following specialities:
- Gastroenterology — adult, review of existing conditions
- Medical Oncology (adult) – new
- Radiation Oncology (adult) – new
- Orthopaedics (paediatric) – new
Consultation closes 13 June 2025
Consultation is open for the adult Gastroenterology CPC (PDF 855KB) includes the following conditions:
- Abdominal pain
- Altered bowel habits (constipation and diarrhoea)
- Coeliac disease
- Colorectal cancer screening
- Dysphagia (swallowing issues)
- Facilitated Access Colonoscopy
- Facilitated Access Gastroscopy/Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Iron deficiency with or without anaemia
- Overt rectal bleeding
- Reflux disease, heartburn and indigestion
Consultation closes 13 June 2025
Consultation is open for the adult Medical Oncology CPC (PDF 366KB) includes the following conditions:
- Breast Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Cancer of Unknown Primary Origin
- Colorectal Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
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Lung Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
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Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Prostate Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Suspected Malignancy
Consultation closes 13 June 2025
Consultation is open for the adult adult Radiation Oncology CPC (PDF 366KB) includes the following conditions:
- Benign Conditions
- Breast Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Cancer of Unknown Primary Origin
- Colorectal Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Lung Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
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Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
- Prostate Cancer - Confirmed Malignancy
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Skin Cancer
- Suspected Malignancy
- Suspected or Confirmed Malignancy with Symptoms
Consultation closes 13 June 2025
Consultation is open for the paediatric Orthopaedics CPC (PDF 571KB) includes the following conditions:
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Ankle Sprain
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Back Pain
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Bowlegs (genu varum)
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Congenital Talipes Equino Varus – CTEV (Club Foot)
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Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH)
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Flat Feet
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Fractures
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Heel Pain
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In-toeing
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Knee Ligamentous and Meniscal Injuries
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Knock Knees (genu valgum)
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Osgood-Schlatter Disease
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Out-toeing
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Perthes Disease
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Scoliosis/Kyphosis
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Toe Deformities
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Toe Walking
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Tumour – Bone and Soft Tissue
How to provide feedback
Feedback on the above listed CPCs can be provided via email to Health.CPC@sa.gov.au. Refer to the individual specialities for closing dates.