Refer a patient
For GPs and referring specialists. St Vincent’s ENT accepts referrals across every subspecialty of otolaryngology: ear and hearing, nose and sinus, voice and swallowing, head, neck and thyroid, and pituitary and skull base surgery. Public referrals follow St Vincent’s Hospital’s established referral pathways; private referrals go directly to the surgeon of your choice.
Public clinics
Public referrals are made through St Vincent’s Hospital’s referral process. The current referral form and how to send it are on the St Vincent’s Hospital ENT page; general information for GPs is on the hospital’s GP page. Clinics are held in the Xavier Building, Level 3, St Vincent’s Hospital, 390 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst.
Referrals for allergic rhinitis, nasal obstruction, recurrent tonsillitis, salivary gland disorders, sensorineural hearing loss, thyroid mass and voice disorders are triaged under the NSW State-wide Referral Criteria; including all the required information avoids delays.
Suspected or confirmed cancer: mark the referral URGENT.
Patients on the public waiting list: see Waiting for surgery. The department’s multidisciplinary and subspecialty clinics are described on Clinics.
Private consultations
Each surgeon’s rooms, phone and website are on their page.
Urgent
Visual loss, diplopia, sudden severe headache, orbital swelling, stridor, sudden hearing loss or a suspected airway or head and neck emergency: send the patient to the St Vincent’s Emergency Department and phone the ENT registrar via the switchboard on (02) 8382 1111.
Suspected head and neck cancer
Mark the referral URGENT and send it through the hospital’s referral process. See Head and neck cancer.
What to include
- Patient name as on the Medicare card, date of birth and contact number
- Medicare and private health fund status; interpreter needs
- Referrer name, provider number, practice address and an email for correspondence
- Reason for referral, duration of symptoms and treatment tried so far
- Relevant imaging reports (CT sinuses, MRI, ultrasound) and where they were done
- Relevant pathology (FBC with eosinophils, thyroid function, pituitary hormone screen, biopsy)
- Current medications and significant comorbidities
- Any urgent features (see above)