General Medicine offers a weekly consultant-led clinic with scope to see undifferentiated presentations or those with multiple comorbidities.

There is also a General Medicine Early Access Clinic for those who require a more urgent review within the next 24-48 hours (this service can only be accessed by GPs and health care providers).

Conditions seen

Barwon Health offers a General Medicine service for the following conditions:

  • Undifferentiated presentations where the diagnosis or specialty referral pathway is not clear
  • Patients with multiple comorbidities, where these could be potentially managed in a single visit rather than seeing multiple specialties
  • Transitions from general paediatrics for young adults with complex health needs

Conditions not seen

Barwon Health General Medicine does not accept referrals for the following conditions:

  • Possible rheumatological diagnoses may be accepted for initial workup, but there is no ongoing public rheumatology service.
  • Paediatric patients <16 years of age.
  • For advanced cognitive impairment, geriatric programs are likely to be more suitable.

How do I access this service?

To be seen in the General Medicine specialist 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.

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

General Medicine Clinic

3 - 6 months

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.

For urgent referral advice, please contact the specialty on-call registrar via Barwon Health switchboard on 03 4215 0000.

Early Access Clinic:

  • In hours: phone 0468 661 127
  • Out of hours: Fax a referral to: 03 4215 1546 or email [email protected]

General Medicine Clinic:

Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:

  • ReferralNet
  • Fax: 03 4215 0453

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 GP hotline on 03 4215 1398.

Page last updated: March 22, 2026