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Neurosurgery · Refer Your Patient
Back and/or Neck Pain
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Back and/or Neck Pain.
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Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Significant spinal nerve root compression or spinal cord compression with evolving neurological signs/symptoms
- Severe sciatica with new neurological deficit eg. Foot drop
- Severe neck & arm pain with new neurological deficit
- New onset or radiologically proven Cervical Degenerative Myelopathy with symptoms of spinal cord dysfunction
- Spinal tumours (benign or malignant)
- Spinal Infection
- Stable spinal fractures without evolving neurological deficit
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Acute cervical & lumbar disc prolapse with moderate to severe radicular symptoms and stable neurological signs
- Significant neurogenic claudication/limitation of walking distance with stenosis on imaging
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Moderate neurogenic claudication/limitation of walking distance with stenosis on imaging.
- Anterolisthesis/spondylolisthesis
- Severe scoliosis (>50 degrees)
- Coccydynia refractory to 6 months of conservative management including injection
Essential referral information
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Presence and duration of neurological signs and symptoms
- Presence or absence of concerning features
- age (at onset) < 16 or > 50 with new onset pain
- motor deficit e.g., foot weakness
- recent significant trauma
- weight loss (unexplained)
- previous history malignancy (however long ago)
- history of IV drug use
- previous longstanding steroid use
- recent serious illness
- recent significant infection
- Mechanism of injury
- Functional status
- Management to date (including previous spinal surgery and non-operative management)
- General medical history
- Oswestry Back Disability Index (ODI) for back pain / Neck Disability Index (NDI) for neck pain [https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/1440869/Back-Pain-Questionaire.pdf; https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/1440870/Neck-Pain-Questionaire.pdf]
- Pain Diagram
- CT / MRI for suspected nerve pathology – if unsure consider eConsult
- Nerve conduction studies if appropriate
Out of scope / wrong door
The following conditions are out of scope for this service:
The following are not routinely provided in a public Neurosurgery service.
- Fusion for back pain due to degenerative disease without correlating clinical symptoms or signs of neural compression
- Back and neck chronic pain – degenerative changes without acute neurology [https://www.goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au/referrals/services/neurology]
- degenerative changes without acute neurology (please refer to Spinal CPC) (Chronic pain is defined as any pain lasting more than 6 months)
- Non-specific headache without concerning features or not requiring surgical intervention should be referred to Neurology.
- Acute spinal trauma with neurological deficit should be referred to the Spinal Injury Service at Metro South. [https://metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/referrals/spinal-cord-injury]
- Pathology of the sacrum: refer to orthopaedics
Parent service: Neurosurgery
Send outpatient referrals to
- Smart Referrals preferred (Best Practice or Medical Director)
- Medical Objects GQ42150009Z (lookup qh → QHEALTH, GOLD COAST HEALTH OUTPATIENT)
- HealthLink EDI Qldgchsd
- Fax (07) 5687 4497 — Booking and Referral Centre
- Post: Booking and Referral Centre, Gold Coast University Hospital, 1 Hospital Boulevard, Southport QLD 4215
- Clinic enquiries 1300 559 083
How to refer — full order
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