For Patients and Visitors
About specialist clinics
Northern Health Specialist Clinics provide outpatient specialist care to patients.
Services are provided by a range of healthcare professionals including medical, nursing and midwifery, and allied health staff. You may see these healthcare professionals together or separately depending on your needs.
Referrals and appointments
To access an outpatient specialist service, you will need a referral to be sent to Northern Health from your General Practitioner (GP) or other health care professional.
Your referral will be assessed by a clinician to determine the need and clinical priority for an appointment.
If the referral does not contain enough information to assess the condition, your GP will be contacted with a request for further information.
If your referral does not meet the criteria for needing a public hospital specialist clinic, your GP will be contacted to notifying them of this assessment.
The outpatient team will send you a letter to let you know that this has occurred.
If your referral is accepted, please understand that wait times for outpatient appointments can vary and sometimes the wait time can be longer than expected as we continue to have a high demand for some services. Information about your outpatient specialist clinic appointment will be sent to you by mobile phone SMS and/or letter. Most clinics also send an SMS reminder to your mobile phone in the week before your appointment. Sometimes the hospital will contact you by phone. This is usually when your appointment is booked within 24 hours of your appointment (or 10 days if you do not have a mobile phone).
Northern Health Specialist Outpatient Clinics provide appointments in person, by video and by telephone. Your clinician will determine the most appropriate appointment mode for your upcoming appointment.
For in person appointments
If the appointment location listed is an outpatient clinic, you need to attend the hospital specified in the letter for your appointment.
Please do not attend your outpatient appointment if you have any of the following symptoms:
- flu or COVID-19 like symptoms, such as fever, cough or a sore throat
- sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea
- generalised unexplained rash.
You should contact Specialist Clinics to either change from an in-person appointment to video or telephone appointment or reschedule your clinic appointment.
For telephone appointments
Your clinician will call you:
- between 8.30am and 12.30pm for a morning appointment, or
- between 1pm and 5pm for an afternoon appointment.
Please note, when you receive the call, the number may not be displayed and appear as ‘unknown number.’ If you miss our call/s, contact the number on your appointment letter/SMS to reschedule
If you would like to have your appointment virtually
Please:
- discuss with your GP or referring specialist and they can write in the referral your preference for a video or telephone appointment
- discuss with the Specialist clinician during your appointment about the next appointment
- talk to the clinic clerk
- please contact us via the link: Enquiries – Specialist Clinics
- alternatively, you can contact Specialist Clinics by phone on (03) 8405 8335
If your condition gets worse before your appointment
Please see your General Practitioner (GP) if your condition gets worse before your specialist appointment or in between appointments. They may send a new referral to Specialist Outpatient Clinics which will be looked at by a Northern Health clinician to see if an earlier appointment is needed.
Interpreter Service
If you require an interpreter for your appointment, please ask your GP to clearly note this on your referral. For more information about interpreter services – click here.
What should I bring?
On the day of your appointment, please bring:
- your outpatient letter/s
- any relevant X-ray films, scans, ultrasounds, laboratory or any other test results or reports
- list of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- adverse drug alert card (if you have one)
- any aids you may require (glasses, hearing aids, walking stick or frame etc)
- Medicare card or veterans’ card
- Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
- TAC or WorkCover claim number (if relevant)
- any additional requests listed on your letter
- a list of any questions you want to ask the specialist.
For paediatric patients, the primary caregiver (parent or legal guardian only) must attend the appointment.
Transport
Click here for transport options to get your appointment.
For specific timetable information for bus or train please click here.
How to manage your appointment
If you are unable to attend or need to change an appointment, please contact us as soon as possible via the link
Enquiries – Specialist Clinics
Alternatively, you can contact Specialist Clinics by phone on (03) 8405 8335
If you do not provide 24 hours’ notice you will be recorded as failing to attend the appointment and you may be discharged. If you fail to attend two consecutive appointments without adequate reason or notice you may be discharged and no further appointments will be offered.
Update your contact details
Let us know if any of your contact details have changed (address, telephone number) to make sure you receive our communications by:
- advising clinic staff when you are here
- contact us via the link Enquiries – Specialist Clinics
- Alternatively, you can contact Specialist Clinics by phone on (03) 8405 8335
Specialist Outpatients Clinic Locations:
Northern Hospital Epping – 185 Cooper Street, Epping,
Broadmeadows Hospital – 35 Johnstone Street, Broadmeadows
Craigieburn –274 Craigieburn Road West, Craigieburn
Bundoora – 1231 Plenty Road, Bundoora
Kilmore District Hospital – 1 Anderson Rd, Kilmore
Specialist Care Centre – 230 Cooper Street, Epping
For Health Professionals
Referrals to Outpatient Specialist Clinics – click here
