Continence Service Referrals
Clients can contact the RPH continence service for clinical advice on (08) 9224 2653. Our clinicians are able to provide advice on local services to provide care close to home.
- Referrals for Continence from GPs and community health providers should be directed to Armadale Hospital, Bentley Hospital or Midland SJoG Hospital for EMHS residents.
- Referrals for Non EMHS residents should be directed to their local service.
- Referrals for Spinal Injury continence issues should be directed to FSH Spinal Urology service via CRS
- Please consider referral to Residential Care line or Silverchain services for immobile patients
- Annual assessment for Continence aids and Management and Support Scheme should be directed via Silverchain Silver Chain Continence and Catheter care
- NDIS assessments should be directed to private providers
- RPH is an Adult service, Referrals for child and adolescent health services should be directed to Perth Children’s Hospital
- For Country patients please consider a local service, view resources within AHCWA MAPPA
RPH Continence service is a tertiary level service and only accepts referrals from specialists and continence services.
Continence services are available to inpatients at RPH and with Specialist Outpatient referral.
- Assessment of Bladder and Bowel management in Adults
- Aged care
- Neurological
- Urology
- Women’s Health
- Catheter Management
- Trial of void for patients under specialist care of RPH
- Specialist referral for EMHS catchment area residents, see EMHS catchment map (PDF 400KB). Including EMHS linked WACHS areas – Kimberley, Pilbara, Eastern and Western Wheatbelt.
The RPH Continence nursing team liaise closely with the RPH Physiotherapy continence service as required.
Specialist Clinics/Services include
- Trial of Void for EMHS patients
- Catheter clinic
- Continence clinic
Specialists please use the WA referral form templates available referral form templates and email to the RPH referral office: RPH.OutpatientReferrals@health.wa.gov.au
Referrals will be returned without this information:
- Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
- Impact on functional activities
- Bladder chart/diary – time and volume chart
- MSU M/C/S results
- USS urinary tract and post-void residual
- UEC results
- Current Medication and dosages<
- Previous Physiotherapy and/or continence nurse management e.g. pelvic floor muscle exercises and bladder training
- Previous medical management including any surgical input
If a specific test result is unable to be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent reasons a Clinical Override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the referral.
Minimum Standard Referral is included in the standard referral template
Please ensure patient email and mobile phone numbers are included to facilitate patient contact
Patients can be flagged for Video or Telephone consultations at referral, triage or follow-up.
The following are not routinely provided in a public tertiary Continence service.
- Patients under 16 years – please refer to the PCH service
- Non EMHS catchment residents – Continence services are also available NMHS and SMHS hospitals
- Spinal injury continence issues – please refer to FSH Spinal Urology service via CRS
- Annual assessment for Continence aids and Management and Support Scheme should be directed via Silver Chain Continence and Catheter care
- NDIS assessments should be directed to private providers
- GP referrals – please forward referrals for EMHS residents to Bentley Hospital, Armadale Hospital or Midland SJoG hospital
EMHS is responsible for providing public health services to the people who reside within its boundaries.
The catchment map (PDF 400KB) outlines the suburb catchment areas for East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS). The country areas that flow to EMHS are Kimberley, Pilbara and Western Wheatbelt.
Referral to a hospital for assessment and/or treatment is based around multiple criteria. These include:
- Place of residence – most hospitals have catchments to help service people closer to home. For country patients, the residence of family with whom they will reside whilst attending appointments can be taken into consideration.
- Age – RPH is an Adult Hospital, children are only treated by some hospitals.
- Hospital location of specialty services – some conditions need designated specialist services that are not available at all hospitals.
Please use this information to guide referrals to the hospital servicing your patient's residence, and inform your patients of these criteria when you are referring them for public hospital services via the Central Referral Service (CRS).