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Dermatology – public patients

Clinical Lead - Dr Jim Muir

Catchment criteria applies for referrals for this service. Patient referrals from outside the Mater SEQ Catchment (which includes Metro South and West Moreton Hospital and Health Services) may not be accepted.

This page contains information for general practitioners on how to refer patients aged 16 years and over to Dermatology and Minor Skin Lesions services at Mater Hospital Brisbane. 

The Dermatology service offers a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient service staffed by skilled Dermatologists.

The service provides a Multidisciplinary team meeting fortnightly for people with complex skin cancers in combination with the Plastics and Reconstruction Service, Radiation Oncology, and also the Rheumatology and Haematology Departments.

The service is staffed with clinical nurses, registered nurses and wound care nurses. There is direct access to the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons when required. 

'My Advice' Service

An online advice only service for dermatology is available through the Mater Doctor Portal. You can submit images and will receive specialist response to a clinical question in 3 business days. This service does not constitute a referral. More information is available here. 

How to send a referral

Contact us

If you would like to discuss a referral, including clinical criteria, or update the status of a current patient please contact our priority GP phone line on 07 3163 2200 

Emergency care

If any of the following are present or suspected, phone 000 to arrange immediate transfer to the emergency department or seek emergency medical advice if in a remote region: 

  • Where failure of immediate treatment would result in significant morbidity e.g.
    • Severe bullous disease / eruptions
    • Severe blistering, purpuric or pustular drug eruptions, toxic epidermal necrolysis, sweet’s syndrome, cellulitis
    • Erythroderma, pustular psoriasis, acne fulminans
    • Eczema herpeticum, infections with immunosuppression 

Bulk Billed Clinics

Mater Health Services offers patients the opportunity to attend bulk billed clinics. To provide your patient with the opportunity to attend a bulk billed specialist clinic, please provide a named referral to one of our specialists listed above.

Current Waiting Time for Appointments

We provide up to date data on how long patients are waiting for their first appointment by specialty here.

Referral Guideline Development

These Mater Referral Guidelines align with standardised best practice tools for referral to publicly funded specialist outpatient services developed in Queensland through the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria project. 


Conditions in scope

Inflammatory rash

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information
  • Medical history including current medications
  • History of condition being referred
    • Location
    • Distinguishing features (size, colour, shape, discharge)
    • Duration of symptoms
    • Treatments trialled and response
    • Level of distress / impact on ADLs

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • Photograph – with patient’s consent, where secure image transfer, identification and storage is possibl
  • Biopsy results (where a biopsy has been performed) 

Other useful information for management (not an exhaustive list)

  • No additional information

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Category 1 – urgent

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 30 days

Category 2 - Priority

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 90 days

Category 3 - Routine

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 365 days

  • Severe skin infections
  • Severe unstable dermatoses
  • Extensive inflammatory dermatoses
  • Severe symptomatology (causing distress or preventing work)
  • Stable dermatoses causing distress
  • Minor skin infections
  • Congenital skin disorders
  • Acne, mild-moderate severity
  • Psychiatric diseases manifesting in the skin
  • Minor Skin Conditions

 

Skin Cancer/Skin Lesion

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General referral information
  • Features of pigmented lesions: size, shape, colour, inflammation, oozing, change in sensation.
  • Biopsy results unless clinically contraindicated – excision biopsy is the preferred method for suspected melanoma
  • Smoking status
  • History of anticoagulant therapy

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • Photograph – with patient’s consent, where secure image transfer, identification and storage is possible
  • USS lesion result (for a suspicious lipoma)

Other useful information for management (not an exhaustive list)

  • Advise patient regarding sun avoidance and use of sunscreens
  • Educate patient on skin cancer surveillance and arrange annual skin checks

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Category 1 – Urgent

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 30 days

Category 2 - Priority

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 90 days

Category 3 - Routine

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 365 days

Appointment required within 7 days

  • Skin lesion highly suspicious for melanoma or excision biopsy proven melanoma
  • Rapidly growing skin lesions especially on the face
  • Complex non-melanoma skin malignancies and any of the following:
    • ulceration and bleeding
    • rapidly enlarging
    • neurological involvement
    • lymphadenopathy
    • poorly differentiated or infiltrative tumour on biopsy
  • Other subcutaneous and deep tissue malignancies e.g. Merkel, sarcoma
  • Skin lesion causing substantial obstruction to vision
  • Suspicion of malignant liposarcoma
  • Poorly differentiated SCC
  • Appointment required within 30 days
  • Prior malignancy at the same site
  • Uncomplicated non melanoma skin malignancies (BCC/SCC/IEC)
  • Skin lesions:
    • Causing functional problems or significant disfigurement or
    • Diameter exceeds ≥ 5cm in size or rapid growth over short period of time or
    • Significant persistent pain that is not solely pressure related or
    • Fixed to deep tissues, i.e. muscle or fascia or
    • Recurring after a previous excision or
    • Prone to recurrent infection or
    • Diagnosis in doubt or needs confirmation
  • Benign soft tissue lesions e.g. lipoma, ganglion not suitable for primary health management
  • Clinically significant benign lesions

Other Dermatology Condition

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information
  • Relevant condition information
  • Relevant pathology and imaging reports

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Category 1 – urgent

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 30 days

Category 2 - Priority

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 90 days

Category 3 - Routine

Clinically recommended timeframe for initial appointment is 365 days

 

 

Conditions not in scope

Non-routine conditions

The following conditions are not routinely provided at Mater Hospital Brisbane: 

  • Laser therapy
  • Photo therapy
  • Consult on referrals for cosmetic treatments