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Neurosurgery · Refer Your Patient
Brain/ spinal tumours
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Brain/ spinal tumours.
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Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Intracerebral space occupying lesion, (suspected or confirmed on imaging) with minimal and/or slowly progressing symptoms
- Small benign intracranial tumours (e.g. acoustic neuroma/vestibular schwannoma, meningioma, craniopharyngioma, or other benign tumours without cerebral oedema or neurological symptoms or signs
- Suprasellar tumours with slowly progressive visual deficit and/or endocrine disturbance
- Pituitary tumours with no visual impairment, normal pituitary function and/or mild hyper-prolactinemia
- Spinal tumour confirmed on imaging
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Previously diagnosed neurofibromatosis for review or patient has moved from interstate
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - No category 3 criteria
Essential referral information
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Clinical neurological assessment
- MRI/CT report
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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