Neuroscience across Barwon Health consists of teams of health clinicians at University Hospital Geelong, McKellar Centre, Community Rehabilitation Centres and the Neuroscience Clinic. The clinicians have specific skills in management of neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), motor neurone disease (MND), epilepsy/seizure and other diseases of the brain and nervous system.

Conditions seen

Barwon Health offers a Neurology service for the following conditions:

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Epilepsy
  • Motor Neurone Disease
  • Stroke & Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
  • Movement disorders (Parkinsons disease, Huntington’s disease)
  • General Neurology
  • Neuromuscular disorders
  • Cognitive disorders (Alzheimer’s, dementia, Lewy Body etc.)
  • Vestibular Neurology (dizziness, vertigo)

Conditions not seen

Barwon Health Neurology does not accept referrals for the following conditions:

  • Concussion
  • Non neuropathic pain disorders
  • Subdural cerebral haematomas (Neurosurgery specific)
  • Mild or tension headache
  • Untreated typical migraine
  • Isolated migraine in patients with an established diagnosis
  • Chronic migraine already being managed by a neurologist
  • Movement disorders that have already been assessed and have a current management plan
  • An old stroke identified on imaging that has been previously addressed
  • Age appropriate, asymptomatic deep white matter disease or T2-hyperintense lesions
  • Chronic vascular risk factors without an acute transient ischaemic attack or stroke
  • Primary prevention of vascular risk
  • Patients with mild or brief orthostatic dizziness
  • Dizziness due to a medicine, hypoglycaemia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
  • Patients who are being treated for the same condition at another Victorian public hospital
  • Children under 18 years of age

How do I access this service

To be seen in one of our specialist clinics 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 Victorian Agency for Health Information also publishes information about the waiting time for routine first appointments.

Routine first appointments | Victorian Agency for Health Information

Speciality
Projected wait time

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.

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

Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:

  • Email:
  • Fax: 03 4215 0757
  • Deliver in person or via post (Neuroscience Department, Kardinia House Level 2, 59-89 Bellerine Street Geelong VIC 3220)

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 Neurosciences on 03 4215 0710.

Page last updated: September 8, 2025