Key messages

  • Each of Victoria’s specialist paediatric orthopaedic services has a referral form and information for outpatients.
  • Outpatient appointments are prioritised in order of clinical urgency.
  • Waiting times vary, but can sometimes be more than six months.

There are specialist paediatric orthopaedic services, providing outpatient services and clinics at:

  • Barwon Health
  • Monash Children’s
  • The Royal Children’s Hospital
  • Western Health.

There is a description of the services available as each service, along with details on referrals.

Barwon Health

  • Introduction

    Barwon Health is Victoria’s largest regional health service. It provides high-quality, safe, people-focused care to more than 450,000 people in Geelong and south-western Victoria.

    Barwon Health serves a geographically dispersed population through two major sites with 1,016 beds and more than 21 sites stretching from Geelong to Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne.

    Health services available through Barwon Health cover the full spectrum from emergency and acute to mental health, primary care, community services, aged care and subacute/rehabilitation.

  • Paediatric orthopaedic services

    Barwon Health provides a range of specialist services for children with conditions such as complicated fractures, talipes, developmental dysplasia of the hip, slipped epiphyses, Perthes disease and spasticity not requiring single-event multi-level surgery.

    The paediatric orthopaedic coordinator at Barwon Health is responsible for coordinating paediatric orthopaedic outpatient appointments.

    The paediatric orthopaedic coordinator provides a point of contact for all health professionals and parents. This position also involves promoting and coordinating paediatric orthopaedic education in the region.

  • Outpatient services at Barwon Health

    Referral form

    The Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF) is the preferred referral tool.

    Barwon Health has referral templates for:

    • DDH (clicky hip) and clubfoot
    • orthopaedic outpatients.

    These templates can be downloaded from Barwon Health GP Referral Templates

    Fax or post all referrals to

    Outpatients Department

    Geelong Hospital

    PO Box 281

    Geelong Vic 3220

    Fax: (03) 4215 1383

    Appointment enquiries

    Tel: (03) 4215 1396

    GP hotline: (03) 4215 1398 (GPs only)

    Paediatric orthopaedic coordinator: 0409 334 744

    Urgent referrals: Please contact the orthopaedic on-call registrar on 0434 564 520.

    Referral guidelines

    See the paediatric orthopaedic referral guidelines in the downloads section of this page for further information about when to refer and what information is required.

    Clinic location

    Outpatients, Geelong Hospital

    Bellerine Street

    Geelong Vic 3220

  • Outpatient clinics at Barwon Health

    Name of clinic

    Clinic description

    Clinic times

    Foot clinic

    Assessment and treatment of congenital talipes equinovarus and other foot deformities.

    Wednesday afternoon

    DDH Clinic

    Screening surveillance and treatment of hip dysplasia.

    Monday morning (located at BMI McKellar Centre)

    Wednesday afternoon

    Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    Assessment and management of complex orthopaedic conditions or those that may require surgery.

    Fortnightly on Thursday mornings

    Paediatric Orthopaedic Physiotherapist-led Clinic

    This clinic is for patients who may not require surgical intervention Patients are reviewed by a paediatric orthopaedic physiotherapist for postural and developmental variances under supervision by an orthopaedic surgeon.

    Thursday morning

Monash Children's

  • Introduction

    Monash Children’s at Southern Health is Victoria’s second-largest and Australia’s third-largest children’s hospital.

    Monash Children’s provides quality patient care for the children and families of the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and beyond.

    Monash Children’s offers a single integrated newborn, child and adolescent service that links three major Southern Health hospitals located at:

    • Monash Medical Centre Clayton
    • Dandenong Hospital
    • Casey Hospital.
  • Paediatric orthopaedic services at Monash Children's

    Monash Children’s at Clayton has seven outpatient clinics per week caring for patients with fractures, congenital anomalies (for example, developmental dysplasia of the hip or clubfoot), through to the tertiary specialist paediatric orthopaedic services.

    Monash Children’s has a complex care clinic that cares for children with cerebral palsy in collaboration with the paediatric rehabilitation services.

    The paediatric orthopaedic services at Monash Children’s involves the services of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists and orthotists.

    The paediatric orthopaedic case manager at Monash Children’s facilitates patient care from referral to completion of treatment and provides a point of contact for all health professionals and parents.

    Urgent outpatient referrals may be faxed directly to the case manager for immediate attention. Families are free to contact the case manager for support and advice during their treatment.

  • Outpatient services at Monash Children's

    Referral form

    The Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF) is the preferred referral tool (see downloads section of this page).

    Fax or post all referrals to

    Outpatients Department

    Monash Children’s

    246 Clayton Road

    Clayton Vic 3169

    Fax: (03) 959 iCARE (9594 2273)

    DDH referrals fax: (03) 9594 4226

    Appointment enquiries

    Tel: 1300 3iCARE (1300 342 273)

    For urgent referrals, please contact Paul Ferrier, Paediatric Orthopaedic Case Manager, (03) 9594 4073 or the paediatric orthopaedic registrar via the switchboard on 9594 6666.

    Referral guidelines

    See the paediatric orthopaedic referral guidelines in the downloads section of this page for further information about when to refer and what information is required.

    Clinic location

    Clinic B

    Monash Medical Centre

    246 Clayton Road

    Clayton Vic 3169
  • Outpatient clinics at Monash Children's

    Name of clinic

    Clinic description

    Clinic times

    Casting/General Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    (physio-led)

    Assessment and intervention for babies and children with conditions such as developmental dysplasia of the hip, congenital talipes equinovarus, postural variations, and minor paediatric orthopaedic conditions.

    Monday morning Tuesday morning

    Complex Care Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    A multidisciplinary clinic engaging the services of specialist paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paediatric orthotists and paediatric orthopaedic case manager.

    Thursday morning

    DDH/Complex Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    (physio-led)

    Assessment and intervention for babies and children with conditions such as developmental dysplasia of the hips, congenital talipes equinovarus, postural variations, and paediatric orthopaedic conditions that may require consultant opinion.

    Thursday morning

    Paediatric Fracture Clinic

    Review and management of uncomplicated paediatric orthopaedic trauma.

    Monday morning Tuesday morning

    Specialist Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    Review and management of complex paediatric orthopaedic conditions.

    Thursday morning

The Royal Children's Hospital

  • Introduction
    The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne is the major specialist children’s hospital in Victoria. Established in 1870 and located in Parkville since 1963, the hospital moved to its new site (adjacent to the old hospital) in November 2011.
  • Paediatric orthopaedic services

    The Royal Children’s Hospital orthopaedic department provides the full spectrum of primary, secondary and tertiary specialist paediatric orthopaedic services for children with orthopaedic conditions.

    It has a statewide role in the management of major trauma and high-complexity services, including scoliosis surgery, orthopaedic oncology and congenital limb deficiencies.

  • Outpatient services at the Royal Children's Hospital

    Referral form

    See the downloads section to download a copy of the Royal Children’s Hospital referral form.

    Visit the Specialty services: referring, forms & parent info page. The Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF) is also accepted.

    Fax or post all referrals to

    Specialist Clinics

    Royal Children’s Hospital

    50 Flemington Rd Parkville Vic 3052

    Fax: (03) 9345 5034

    Appointment enquiries

    Tel: (03) 9345 6180 (8.15am 4.30pm, Mon to Fri)

    GP Quick Access Line: (03) 9345 7060, #2

    Email: outpatients@rch.org.au

    Urgent referrals: please contact the outpatients department to notify them you are sending an urgent referral, phone (03) 9345 7060 #2 (8.15am 4.30pm).

    After hours, please phone the RCH switchboard on (03) 9345 5522 and ask for the orthopaedic registrar on call.

    Referral guidelines

    See the paediatric orthopaedic referral guidelines for further information about when to refer and what information is required.

    Clinic location

    Specialist Clinics Desk A1

    Ground Floor

    Royal Children’s Hospital

    50 Flemington Rd

    Parkville Vic 3052
  • Outpatient clinics at the Royal Childrens Hospital

    Name of clinic

    Clinic description

    Clinic times

    Cerebral Palsy

    Provides care for children with cerebral palsy and related conditions.

    Monday afternoon, Thursday afternoon

    Complex Spine

    Focuses on difficult spine problems in children and adolescents.

    Fortnightly on Tuesday afternoon

    Difficult Hip

    Focuses on difficult hip problems in children and adolescents.

    Monday morning once per month and Wednesday morning once per month

    Fracture

    Provides care for children presenting with fractures and those requiring follow-up to management in the emergency department and after inpatient admission.

    Daily clinics

    General Orthopaedics

    Provides care for children with general musculoskeletal conditions.

    Monday morning

    Tuesday afternoon

    Wednesday afternoon

    Friday morning

    Limb Deficiency

    Provides care for children with absence of all or part of a limb due to congenital or acquired conditions.

    Thursday afternoon (three times per month)

    Limb Reconstruction

    Provides care for children with limb length differences and limb deformities due to congenital or acquired conditions.

    Thursday morning and Tuesday afternoon

    Orthopaedic Assessment (physio-led)

    Provides assessment of simple musculoskeletal conditions considered not likely to require surgical assessment - includes postural variations such as bow legs and intoeing, knee pain, infants with hip dysplasia and some foot deformities requiring casting.

    Tuesday afternoon

    Wednesday morning and afternoon

    Thursday morning and afternoon

    Orthopaedic Assessment/ Casting (physio-led)

    Provides care for babies and young children with foot deformities who may require casting.

    Monday afternoon, Friday morning

    Orthopaedic Assessment (Orthopaedic Fellow)

    Provides care for children with general orthopaedic conditions.

    Tuesday afternoon

    Orthopaedic/Hip Ultrasound

    (physio-led)

    Provides care for babies aged under six months for assessment and management of hip dysplasia.

    Monday morning

    Friday morning

    Spina Bifida

    Provides care for children with spina bifida and related conditions.

    Bi-monthly on Wednesday afternoon

    Spine

    Provides care for children with spine condition such as scoliosis and back pain.

    Tuesday morning

Western Health

  • Introduction
    Western Health provides health services in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. It offers an extensive range of clinical services.
  • Paediatric orthopaedic services at Western Health

    Western Health’s Paediatric Orthopaedic Service is located at Sunshine Hospital.

    It provides a wide range of elective and emergency care in conjunction with the Royal Children’s Hospital.

    The team of paediatric orthopaedic specialists provides care for the common orthopaedic conditions of childhood.

  • Outpatients services at Western Health

    Referral form

    Use the Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF).

    Fax or post all referrals to:

    Sunshine Hospital
    Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic
    Furlong Rd, St Albans Vic 3021
    Fax: (03) 8345 1079

    Appointment enquiries

    Tel: (03) 8345 1616

    For urgent referrals, please contact the orthopaedic registrar on call on (03) 8345 6333.

    Referral guidelines

    See the paediatric orthopaedic referral guidelines for further information about when to refer and what information is required.

    Clinic location

    Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic
    Ground Floor, Sunshine Hospital
    Furlong Rd
    St Albans Vic 3021
  • Outpatient clinics at Western Health

    Name of clinic

    Clinic description

    Clinic times

    Fracture Clinic

    Review of paediatric orthopaedic trauma cases referred from Sunshine, Williamstown and Werribee emergency departments and local GPs.

    Monday morning

    Thursday morning

    Paediatric Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Clinic

    Review of paediatric orthopaedic patients referred to orthopaedics who are unlikely to require a surgical review (normal postural variations, simple knee conditions, asymptomatic flat feet, as well as conditions such as DDH and CTEV).

    Monday morning

    Tuesday morning

    Thursday morning

    Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic

    Review of non-traumatic paediatric orthopaedic cases including DDH patients for specialist, physiotherapy and orthotics review.

    Monday morning

    Tuesday morning

Downloads