Loss of balance, dizziness and falls are common problems for more than 30% of older people. Falls alone account for 69% of injury related to hospital admissions for Victorians aged over 65. Falls often lead to loss of independence at home. If the cause of your falls is unknown, you may benefit from an assessment at the Falls and Balance clinic.
Who does the assessment?
The clinic is staffed by a team of professionals with expertise and experience in the diagnosis of balance problems, dizziness and falls. The team consists of a rehabilitation physician (doctor), physiotherapist and occupational therapist.
What happens during an assessment?
The initial assessment may take up to two and a half hours. You will have the opportunity to discuss your needs with a specialist doctor and ask any questions you may have. A physiotherapist will look at your balance, muscle strength and coordination. A visit to your home by an occupational therapist may be offered if needed. At the end of your assessment, an individual care plan will be developed for you with our recommendations.
Conditions seen
Barwon Health offers a falls and balance service for the following conditions:
- Falls or nearly falling
- Dizziness
- Balance problems
Conditions not seen
Barwon Health Falls and Balance Clinic does not accept referrals for issues where the cause is already known.
How do I access this service
To be seen in this clinic you need to be referred by your GP, another specialist doctor or your Barwon Health doctor.
We are unable to see you in our clinics without a referral.
Wait time
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 see all ‘urgent’ referrals within 30 days. Our wait times for patients who are categorised as ‘routine’ are more variable, depending on the demand for our services.
The projected wait time listed below are only estimated timeframes for routine (non-urgent) patients.
No Wait times to show
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
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 03 4215 6385
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 the Falls and Balance Clinic on 03 4215 5511.
Page last updated: September 9, 2025