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Cognitive Disorders Service · Refer Your Patient
Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.
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Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Presence of concerning features (may include but not limited to):
- Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) – moderate to severe stage include rapidly evolving (over weeks)
- Unresolved safety concerns in current living situation (patient or care giver)
- Suspected elder abuse or self-neglect: physical, psychological, or financial)
- Rapidly evolving (over weeks)
- Significant caregiver stress (patient's care provision at risk)
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Patients with a suspected dementia who do not meet category 1 criteria
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.
- Current list of medications
- Relevant medical, psycho-social history (psychological symptoms), co-morbidities, allergies, and assessment of medication adherence.
- Brief historyregarding the cognitive, behavioural and functional changes/decline and their timeline
- Safety concerns e.g. unsafe walking & driving, medication non-compliance, unintentional weight loss, living alone, compromised insight (if relevant) disorientation in public spaces; concerns re financial management &/or abuse
- Assessment of cognitive function with a validated instrument
- Investigation blood test results – FBC, ELFT, Calcium, TSH, Vitamin B12 (if available)
- Recent brain imaging reports (CT or MRI brain) (if available)
- Care-giver, disability support workers, or speech pathologists or other informant contact details (if patient consenting)
- Social situation: living alone; partner/family supports?
NB If a specific test result cannot be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent
reasons a clinical override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the body of
the referral.
Out of scope / wrong door
The following conditions are out of scope for this service:
- Outpatient follow-up of adults for acquired brain injury or neuro developmental disorder i.e., except whether there is a new onset of memory/cognitive decline.
- Presentations that would be more appropriately assessed and managed by specialist mental health services e.g. where a primary psychiatric diagnosis (e.g. major depression, generalised anxiety disorder, schizophrenia) is the most likely cause of the patient’s presenting symptoms
- Assessments of financial and testamentary capacity
- Formal occupational therapy driving assessments
- Residents of an aged care facility
Parent service: Cognitive Disorders Service
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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