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Ophthalmology · Refer Your Patient
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Diabetic retinopathy.
Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following: - proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) - Vitreous haemorrhage - severe Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) - assessment of diabetic retinopathy in pregnancy - centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 500 microns of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudates)
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following: - moderate Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) - non-centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 2-disc diameters (but not within 500 microns) of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudates).
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - No category 3 criteria NB: Routine referral for screening without evidence of diabetic retinopathy, or for mild NPDR, will not be accepted.
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) (vision with most recent distance spectacles) - Date diagnosed/duration
The following conditions are out of scope for this service: - Cataract patients with best corrected visual acuity in the affected eye of 6/12 or better will not be accepted unless clinical modifiers apply (see standard referral information section) - Diabetic retinopathy (routine referral for screening and patients with only mild non-proliferative without evidence of diabetic retinopathy will not be accepted unless in those HHSs without primary photo screening or optometrist) - Age related macular degeneration (AMD) - dry AMD is not routinely seen unless the practitioner is concerned about progression to wet AMD - Glaucoma (patients with ocular hypertension with IOP less than 25mmHg and no other signs or risk factors for glaucoma will not be accepted) - Pterygium (pterygium less than 3mm from limbus to apex will not be accepted) - Lid lesions (patients with minor cosmetic eyelid lesions should not be referred) - Isolated Refractive error - (prescription of spectacles) - Mild dry eyes - Mild ptosis
Parent service: Ophthalmology
Sign in for localised assessment and management. HealthPathways does not send the referral. Register: gchealthpathways@health.qld.gov.au