Outpatient clinics
Austin Health palliative care clinic
Melbourne Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Northern Health
Western Health and Mercy Palliative Care Symptom Management and Referral Teams (SMART) clinics
Outpatient clinics of public hospitals involve people attending an appointment at the hospital to see a medical specialist and/or other professionals from a specialist medical care team.
Specialist palliative care clinics are run by hospital palliative care consultancy teams, sometimes in collaboration with community palliative care services.
In addition, staff from palliative care consultancy teams are often involved in other clinics where palliative care issues need to be considered.
Austin Health palliative care clinic
The Austin Health palliative care clinic is for people known to Austin Health. People need to be well enough to attend clinic without causing any distress to themselves or their carers. The focus of the clinic is specialist medical treatment advice. The clinic is not multidisciplinary.
To discuss possible referrals, contact the Registrar of the Austin Palliative Care Consult Service on 9496 5000 (Austin Switchboard).
Melbourne Health (Royal Melbourne Hospital) and Peter Mac*
Palliative care services of Royal Melbourne Hospital/Melbourne Health and Peter Mac operate together as a shared service – the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service – of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC).
For enquiries contact the Peter Mac Pain and Palliative Care team on 8559 7960 or see Peter Mac’s Pain and Palliative Care referral process summary. The Royal Melbourne Hospital Palliative Care Consulting Service can be contacted on 9342 7820.
Northern Health
The Northern Health Integrated Palliative Care Service offers an outpatient Symptom Management Clinic, operating fortnightly at Bundoora Centre. The clinic is suitable for patients with an advanced and/or life-limiting condition who would benefit from specialist palliative care involvement such as linking in with a community palliative care team, optimising symptom management or facilitating psychosocial support and end-of-life decision making. Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out how to contact Northern Health Palliative Care.
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Western Health and Mercy Palliative Care Symptom Management and Referral Team (SMART) Clinics
The outpatient SMART clinics are a combined initiative of the Western Health Palliative Care Consultancy Service and community palliative care service Mercy Palliative Care.
There are currently three SMART clinics.
The Footscray Hospital SMART clinic (Wednesday mornings) is open to all patients with a non-malignant life limiting illness and is run in parallel to general oncology and lung oncology clinics. Referral fax: 8345 6856.
The two SMART clinics at the Sunshine Hospital Radiotherapy Centre (Monday and Thursday mornings) are for cancer related issues. Referral fax: 8395 9830.
Patients require a medical referral to these clinics. For enquiries phone the Western Health Palliative Care Consultancy Clinical Nurse Consultant on 8345 1964 (Sunshine) and 8345 7068 (Footscray).
Werribee Mercy SMART Clinic
The Werribee Mercy SMART Clinic supports patients with end-stage, life-limiting non-malignant illness. Including; lung disease, heart disease, renal failure and liver failure. Our multi-disciplinary team of palliative care consultants, specialist palliative care nurses and social workers deliver a holistic approach to care. Carers are invited to the clinic, recognising the important role they play.
The clinic will operate Mondays 1:20pm – 4.20pm currently via telehealth.
Mercy Health recommends clinicians access the following for guidance in assessing, managing and referring;
The form to refer to the SMART clinic is also available with this link
*Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC)
Palliative care services of Melbourne Health and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) operate together as a shared service – the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service – of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). The services include inpatient beds, cancer and non-cancer outpatient clinics, and the inpatient palliative care consultation service that covers the Parkville Precinct (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Women’s Hospital and Peter Mac).