What are Specialist Clinics?

Specialist clinics in the Victorian public health system can help you with a particular health problem, condition or service. The clinics provide specialised medical, surgical, nursing, midwifery and allied health expertise that is unavailable in the primary and community health sectors.

Specialist clinics in hospitals are an important link between hospital and community, providing access to:

• specialist clinical expertise for assessment, diagnosis and treatment;
• ongoing specialist management of chronic and complex conditions in collaboration with community healthcare professionals;
• pre- and post-hospital care;
• maternity care; and
• related diagnostic services, such as pathology and imaging.

These specialist clinics, which are sometimes referred to as ‘outpatients’, are for people who are not currently admitted to the hospital.