Diabetes, including Diabetes Centres

The Department will periodically contact patients waiting for an outpatient clinic appointment via SMS, with a link to an electronic form.  This is part of routine waitlist auditing to ensure patient details are up to date.  If you receive this SMS, please update your details.

Assessment and management of complex diabetic patients

Availability

North South North West Statewide

Scope

THS Southern Region

Diabetes Services are aimed at Type 1 diabetes and those people with high risk Type 2 diabetes with complications, including those with ketonuria, foot ulceration, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy and failed adequate control of diabetes despite conventional medical management.

For gestational diabetes, or pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes please refer to the High Risk Antenatal Clinic.

For pre-conceptual planning and counselling of a diabetic woman please refer to the Gynae-Endocrine Clinic.

For patients <14 years old, please refer to Paediatric Diabetes Clinic.

Triage to the Young Adult Diabetes Clinic, Endocrine Nurse Clinic, High Risk Foot Clinic, Diabetes Emergency Clinic, Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring, Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes Multidisciplinary Clinic, Gestational Diabetes Group, Insulin Pump Clinic and Diabetes Educator Clinic is done by clinic specialty staff.  Please refer to the Diabetes Adult Service or Paediatric Service or Antenatal Clinic and the patient will be allocated from there.

Not for service: Newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetics who require initial dietary management, education and monitoring training only. Please refer to Diabetes Australia or a private Diabetes Educator in the community utilising a Team Care Plan.


THS Northern Region - John Morris Diabetes Centre (JMDC)

Model of care The JMDC is the THS Northern Region diabetes service and as such sits under the THS state-wide Endocrine Service. The JMDC provides clinical services and consultation to people living with diabetes during the whole of life (paediatrics and adults).  The provision of service is for people living with:

  • Type 1 diabetes
  • High risk and complex Type 2 diabetes
  • Other diabetes, i.e. Type 3C, Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), etc
  • Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
  • Pregnancy and pre-pregnancy counselling for women with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Education, training and clinical advice is also given to those associated with the above clinical population, such as families and carers.

The JMDC delivers services and consultation through:

  • Outpatient specialist clinics: either nurse led, doctor led, or multi-disciplinary (via clinician referral for Specialists or self-referral for Nurse led clinics)
  • Inpatient consultancy (via referral), and
  • Secondary consultation (education to other clinicians, e.g. Nurses and Doctors).

The JMDC also offers group education and training within the NICS.

Referrals

For urgent referrals, please call phone number 6777 4100 or see HealthPathways for direct contact phone number.

The JMDC prefers referrals to be completed on the JMDC multidisciplinary referral form.

Endocrinologist referral letters require either a name of specialist/’endocrinologist specialist’/first available specialist ’ . Please include patient summary, known allergies, medication list and recent pathology results (highly desirable Hba1c, UEC and lipids).

Pregnancy - Women with pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and women diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus are to be referred to Obstetric clinics in the North.

Refer newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes to Diabetes Tasmania. Diabetes Tasmania Referral Form.

Referrals can also be made to a private Diabetes Educator in the community utilising a Team Care Plan.


THS North West Region

Information unavailable at this time.

Emergency conditions

Emergency conditions/symptoms include (not an exhaustive list):

  • Diabetes with ketoacidosis
  • Unstable hypoglycaemia

Referral process

A referral is required for all new appointments and must conform to the Referral Standards as outlined on For Clinicians. eReferral is now the preferred method of referral for this service and is available in all THS regions. Please refer via HealthLink SmartForm eReferral through your software system (either Best Practice, or Medical Director). For instructions, see Quick Guide: Creating an eReferral.

Specific requirements are detailed in the individual clinic and condition referral guidelines.

Referrals are accepted from Specialists, GPs and Allied Health Professionals but may be redirected to other services if other services are thought to be more appropriate.

Please indicate if a GP management plan and a GP Team care arrangement is in place and include the documents in the referral.

The JMDC prefers referrals to be completed on the JMDC multidisciplinary referral form.

Clinic Appointments – Appointments are based on clinical priority and patients are allocated to the most appropriate clinic.

Please note if the referrer is not the regular GP that the nominated regular GP will be included in all correspondence to ensure continuity of care.

Emergency

Proceed to Emergency Department (ED).
LGH ED Reception  – Phone: (03) 6777 6405  Fax: (03) 6777 5201
MCH ED* – Phone: (03) 6478 5120  Fax: (03) 6441 5923
NWRH ED* – Phone: (03) 6493 6351 Fax: (03) 6464 1926
RHH ED Reception – Phone: (03) 6166 6100  Fax: (03) 6173 0489

Advice for medical practitioners can be given by the Medical Officer In Charge (MOIC) - see HealthPathways Tasmania for contact information.
*MCH and NWRH MOICs request GPs call them prior to referring a patient to ensure the patient is being sent appropriately to a safe destination.

Urgent / category 1

Urgent referrals should be accompanied by a phone call to the Consultant/Registrar to organise urgent review.

We will endeavour to see these patients within four weeks, or sooner if clinically indicated.

For urgent referrals to the JMDC, please call phone number 67774100, or see HealthPathways for direct contact phone number.

Semi-urgent / category 2

We will endeavour to see these patients within 12 weeks

Routine / category 3

Next available appointment

Additional information

Referrals for patients with Type 2 Diabetes needing Commercial Driver's Licence assessment will be accepted. These referrals will be Category 3 and will only be accepted if all elements of the Annual Cycle of Care are completed and noted in the referral, in particular details of diabetic education and cardiovascular assessment (including cardiology opinion if necessary).