Trauma and Orthopaedic Service

Who not to refer

Occasionally, referrals have insufficient information to vet accurately or appropriately. Some referrals may be more appropriately seen by rheumatology, neurology, or specialist allied health professional services. Appropriate clinical work-up (history examination, relevant preliminary investigation) facilitates more efficient referral management. Where there is insufficient information to guide referral management, we may ask for further information or investigation to assess the need for referral.

Where a referred patient may be more appropriately seen by another speciality, the referral may be redirected appropriately.

We are happy to accept referrals where the diagnosis of an MSK problem is unclear. Such patients should have appropriate work-up and should have been seen by a physiotherapist unless there is a suspicion of cancer or infection where direct orthopaedic referral is required.

Referred patients may be appointed to attend one of our elective orthopaedic surgical clinics or to one of our specialist physiotherapy, podiatry or nurse-led clinics where this is considered appropriate.

When it is clear that surgery is either not appropriate or that there is no surgical solution for a problem, referrals may be returned to the referring clinician with an explanation of the decision making and advice to the referrer where appropriate.