Guidelines for Referral to Psycho-oncology
Psycho-oncology services at St Vincent’s (including Caritas Christi) are
provided to oncology, haematology, surgical oncology and palliative care
units by two sessional psychiatrists, two full-time Clinical Fellows and a
psychologist who provides sessional service to palliative care patients
only. These sessional hours are supplemented by clinical fellows in
training.
The service offers inpatient and outpatient consultation, consultation with
family members of inpatients, staff support and educational sessions.
Availability:
Monday: (9.00am – 5.00pm) (clinical fellow)
Tuesday: (9.00am – 5.00pm) (psychiatrist, psychologist and clinical
fellow)
Wednesday: (2.00pm – 5.30pm) (psychiatrist and clinical fellow)
Thursday: (9.00am – 12.30pm) (psychiatrist) (12.30pm – 5.00pm
(clinical fellow)
(Dr Clifton’s OP clinic 1.00pm – 4.30pm – will review urgent referrals
after clinic;)
Friday: (9.00am – 5.00pm) (clinical fellow)
How to make a referral:
A. INPATIENT
1. Email Psycho-oncology team with details of your referral
providing your provider number, patient’s name, UR, age,
location, medical problems and treatments and reason for
referral, including known background, dynamics with staff
and family where relevant, degree of urgency, screen results
of the Distress Thermometer (DT), Screen for Psychological
and Existential Distress (SPED)(palliative care referrals)
and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Urgent
after-hours or weekend referrals will need to be referred
directly to the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry team by
paging the rostered CL clinician via switchboard. The
Psycho-oncology team will generally take over the referral
Dr Di Clifton FRANZCP, Medical Director of Psychosocial Cancer Services
SVHM 1/7/2010
after discussion with the CLP team. The two teams will
communicate by email to update on contacts.
2. the assessment and treatment plan will be written into the
patient’s medical record
B. OUTPATIENT
1. Fill out fax referral form (copies available from the
administrative secretary on 9288 2057 or from the intranet –
search psycho-oncology – keep a supply of copies for your
use). Fax back to 9288 4143. Make sure to provide patient
contact details and we will arrange an outpatient
appointment directly with the patient. Patients are bulkbilled and a medical practitioner with a provider number
must make the referral.
2. A typed letter will be sent to the referrer, GP and other
specialists involved in the care of the patient.
3. Follow-up appointments will be made directly with the
patient
 This service is available to rural patients as well as
metropolitan patients
 The clinic is held on Thursday afternoons 1.00 – 4.30pm
(Dr Di Clifton) at the Shadre Centre, 16 Gertrude St
Fitzroy.
C. Staff support – a regular programme is timetabled. Extra requests,
such as for critical incident response, should be directed to the
group e-mail address above
D. Educational requests in addition to scheduled sessions will be dealt
with case by case and should be directed via the group e-mail.
Dr Di Clifton FRANZCP, Medical Director of Psychosocial Cancer Services
SVHM 1/7/2010