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Maxillofacial – public patients

Clinical Lead - Dr Michael Burgess

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 Maxillofacial services at Mater Hospital Brisbane.

How to send a referral

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. 

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: 

  • facial fracture requiring urgent assessment
  • uncontrolled bleeding
  • airway compromise 

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.


Conditions in scope

Dento-Alveolar Pathology

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  •  Plain x-ray OPG +/- CT or MRI if appropriate
  • Aspirate / Biopsy results if available

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

Category is applied based on pathology results and severity of symptoms

Category is applied based on pathology results and severity of symptoms

Category is applied based on pathology results and severity of symptoms

Facial Deformities

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information
  • Plain Skull Films OPG / lateral / ceph

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • No additional information

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

No category 1 criteria 

Facial deformities 

No category 3 criteria

Facial Fractures

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General referral information
  • History and examination findings (including eye and neurosensory)
  • Facial XR results

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • OPG result if mandible involved
  • CT face results (axial and coronal) after discussion

Other useful information for management (not an exhaustive list)

  • Assess for head/spinal injuries
  • Contact ophthalmology or neurosurgery as necessary
  • All acute facial fractures that don’t need to go straight to emergency are category 1 and should ideally be assessed in a 3-to-7-day timeframe
  • Refer to Healthpathways or local guidelines

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

  • All facial fractures

 

No category 2 criteria

No category 3 criteria

Soft Tissue Lesion of Oral Cavity

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • Aspirate / Biopsy results if available 
  • Sialogram / Ultrasound / CT for salivary cancer if appropriate

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

Lesion suspicious / proven for malignancy 

 

Nonmalignant lesion

No category 3 criteria

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

Essential information (Referral will be declined without this)

  • General Referral Information

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

  • Plain x-ray OPG +/- CT or MRI if appropriate

Other useful information for management (not an exhaustive list)

  • Consider referral to a dentist or dental physiotherapist 

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

No category 1 criteria

 

Category is applied based on pathology results and severity of symptoms

Category is applied based on pathology results and severity of symptoms

Other Maxillofacial 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