For Patients and Visitors
What is the Ear, Nose & Throat Service?
The Northern Health Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery unit provides a targeted service to the needs of the Northern Health community, with a strong emphasis on services to the children and adolescent population, as well as adults. We have strong relationships with both regional health services such as Kilmore Health, as well as quaternary referral services for more complex care, which enables us to provide both timely care, and a full range of ENT services.
How to refer to the service
A referral is required. Please visit your GP Clinic and have them fax/mail a referral to us.
What can I expect from the service?
Outpatient Referral Process
- You will be notified when your referral is received by outpatients.
- You will be contacted if further information is required.
- The referral is triaged by the doctors according to clinical urgency. This determines how long you will wait for an appointment.
- Patients with urgent conditions are seen as soon as possible.
- Patients with routine conditions are given appointments according to clinical need and clinic demand. Please note that waiting times are currently more than two years long for non- urgent patients.
- You will be seen by an ENT surgeon in our outpatient clinic, who will assess your problem, and arrange treatment for it. This may involve surgery (to be performed at a later date), medication, lifestyle changes, or referral to another group of doctors or health practitioners.
What do I bring/need for my appointment?
Please bring with you/have available the following items:
- Any blood tests you have had done
- A physical copy of any XRays you’ve had done. You can have these printed/loaded onto a CD at the Radiology service where you had them done. It is your responsibility to bring these with you – do not assume that if they are sent to your doctor, or sent to us on your behalf, that we will get them. Bring them with you to your appointment.
- Copies of any hearing tests you have had done – get these from your audiology service.
- A written list of any questions that you have.A list of all medications, allergies and previous health issues that you have had
Useful Links
Surgery:
Post Operative Voice Rehabilitation
Cautery of the Septum or Turbinates
Children’s Anaesthesia Information
Ear Drum Reconstruction Surgery
Throat and Neck:
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
Ear:
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Vestibular Neuronitis and Labyrinthitis ness
Nose:
Minimising Exposure to AllergensM
To contact us
Phone: 8405 8335
Contact us via the link Enquiries – Specialist Clinics
For Health Professionals:
Service Overview
The Northern Health Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery unit provides a targeted service to the needs of the Northern Health community, with a strong emphasis on services to the children and adolescent population, as well as adults. We have strong relationships with both regional health services such as Kilmore Health, as well as quaternary referral services for more complex care, which enables us to provide both timely care, and a full range of ENT services.
Staff
Consultant Surgical Staff
- Dr Paul Goodyear, Head of Unit.
- Dr Caroline Ryan
- Dr Emily Young
Other ENT Surgery Medical Staff
- Registrar
ENT Referral Criteria:
For conditions in ADULTS outlined below, please refer to the Victoria Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics: https://src.health.vic.gov.au/specialities for detailed referral criteria and required supporting information.
- Acute nasal fracture
- Bilateral or asymmetrical hearing loss
- Discharging ear
- Dysphagia (ENT)
- Hoarse voice (dysphonia)
- Neck mass or lumps
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Recurrent tonsillitis
- Rhinosinusitis
- Salivary gland disorder or mass
- Thyroid mass
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo (ENT)
For all other ENT conditions (including Paediatric referrals) please continue to refer as per clinical assessment and need.
For a comprehensive suite of clinical pathways, including detailed referral criteria and required supporting information, please refer to Healthpathways Melbourne – ENT
To ensure safe, timely access to Northern Health, in addition to specific speciality referral criteria guidelines, all referrals must contain the requested minimum referral information.
Conditions not seen by Northern Health ENT Service
- Tinnitus ( unless other clinical details with appropriate supporting documents attached)
- Vertigo/dizziness to Healthpathways or direct to Royal Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH Vestibular Clinic)
- Any ear symptoms referred without an audiogram
- Cosmetic Rhinoplasty
- Adults referred for snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea should be directed to Respiratory Medicine Service
ENT Surgical Treatments offered at Northern Health
Surgical Treatments
Children’s ENT surgery (‘paediatric ENT surgery’), including:
- Grommets/ear ventilation tubes
- Tonsil surgery
- Adenoid surgery
- Airway and voice assessment
Nasal/nose surgery, including
- Septoplasty
- Turbinate reduction
- Sinus surgery
- Rhinoplasty to relieve nasal blockage/obstruction
Throat surgery, including:
- Tonsillectomy and adenoid surgery
- Voice box (‘larynx’) surgery
- Mouth lumps and ulcers
Neck surgery, including
- Saliva gland surgery (parotid, submandibular glands)
- Thyroid surgery
- Lymph node surgery
- Neck lumps (biopsy and treatment)
Snoring and Sleep Apnoea treatment and surgery
Ear surgery, including:
- Grommets/ear ventilation tubes
- Ear drum hole repair (‘myringoplasty’)
- Mastoid surgery
Non-surgical Services
- ENT Cancer assessment and treatment
- Hay fever and other nasal allergies
- Blocked nose
- Snotty nose
- Sinus disease
- Swallowing problems
- Voice problems
- Throat symptoms
- Chronic cough
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Hearing problems
- Vocal fold checks prior to thyroid/parathyroid surgery
How to Refer:
GP referrals: Use HealthLink to send referrals, results and reports. For more information click here
Other health services (hospitals, allied health, specialists etc.): Fax your referral to 8405 8616.
Urgent referrals can be made direct to the on-call ENT Registrar via the Northern Hospital switchboard: 8405 8000
Minimum Referral Information
To ensure safe, timely access to Northern Health, all referrals must contain the minimum referral information.
*Please note: if a referral fails to meet the minimum referral information it will be declined with written notification to referring health professional and patient.
