Community Rehabilitation provides a range of outpatient programs for people who are recovering from an injury, illness, medical or surgical procedure. Teams of Specialist medical, nursing and allied health professionals provide time-limited rehabilitation that is guided by goals developed with the patient. Rehabilitation can be provided individually or within groups.

Conditions seen

Barwon Health offers community rehabilitation in the following specialist streams:

  • Amputee Rehabilitation – For prosthetic and non-prosthetic users.
  • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Rehabilitation – Includes rehabilitation for all severities of brain injury, including concussion.
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation Program – A specialist assessment followed by an 8-week education and exercise program for people who have had a recent cardiac event.
  • General Rehabilitation – Focuses on reconditioning after complex hospital admissions or periods of functional decline.
  • Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) – Tailored for older adults with complex medical conditions associated with aging.
  • Neurology Rehabilitation – Including stroke, vestibular and progressive neurological conditions.
  • Oncology Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation – Supports individuals preparing for cancer treatment or surgery, as well as recovery following treatment.
  • Orthopaedic Rehabilitation – For recovery after fractures or orthopaedic surgery.
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program – A specialist assessment followed by an 8-week education and exercise program for people with COPD and other lung conditions.
  • Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) rehabilitation – Comprehensive support for individuals recovering from or adapting to life after spinal cord injury.

Conditions not seen

Barwon Health community rehabilitation does not accept referrals for the following:

  • Chronic disease management
  • Chronic pain management
  • General musculoskeletal conditions
  • Paediatric speech and language disorders
  • Assessment for the purpose of Disability Support Pension (DSP) or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) applications

How do I access this service?

To be seen in these clinics you need to be referred by a health professional, your GP, another specialist doctor or your Barwon Health doctor.

We are unable to see you in our clinics without a referral.

Appointment timeframe

All requests for specialist clinic appointments are scheduled according to the patient’s clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine, based on information provided in the referral.

Barwon Health aims to offer a first appointment within 30 days to all patients with urgent problems. Patients with routine (non-urgent) problems are offered appointments as they become available.

The estimated waiting time for routine (non-urgent) first appointments is listed below as a general guide. This waiting time is reviewed and updated regularly.

Speciality
Estimated timeframe

Community Rehabilitation Clinics

Less than 1 month

For Health Professionals

State-referral criteria may apply for conditions under this specialty requiring further assessment and management. Referring clinicians are encouraged to utilise Western Victoria Community HealthPathways for referral guidelines and requirements for all conditions.

Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:

  • ReferralNet
  • McKellar Community Rehabilitation Centre
  • Belmont Community Rehabilitation Centre

Referral templates for Barwon Health services are available for importing into Best Practice, Medical Director or ZedMed. Please see the Referral templates page for the most up-to-date forms.

If you do not use the above clinical software, please complete a referral letter on your practice/health service letterhead, ensuring all required referral information is included.

If you need to contact us regarding the templates, please contact the GP Liaison Unit on 03 4215 8845 or [email protected].

For patients who require reassessment, a new referral should be sent through. To facilitate earlier access, the new referral must contain the following information:

  • State the referral is an update for a current patient
  • Date of original referral
  • Reason for requesting a review of referral (e.g. deterioration in clinical condition, pathology)

The referrer will be notified of the outcome of the re-triage process.

GPs or referring doctors wishing to discuss the triage of their patient’s referral, or who require additional information, please ring Community Rehabilitation 03 4215 5301.

Page last updated: January 13, 2026