Home · Orthopaedics · Condition
Orthopaedics · 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 — Heel pain.
Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Suspicion of malignancy or infection - Suspicion of foreign body - A child currently in out of home care (OOHC) or at risk of entering or leaving OOHC, where they have previously been on a waiting list for this problem and were removed without receiving a service
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Ongoing pain present at rest/night
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Severs disease or plantar fascia unresponsive to maximal medical treatment
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Clinical history and examination including key points: - evolution and duration of symptoms, including description of - pain characteristics (location, character, onset, duration, change with activity or rest, aggravating and alleviating factors, night pain) - trauma (acute macrotrauma, repetitive microtrauma, recent/remote - mechanical symptoms (locking, catching, clicking, instability, worse during or after activity); - inflammatory symptoms (morning stiffness, swelling); - neurological symptoms (weakness, altered sensation); - gait (limp, altered weight bearing) - Suspicion of infection or inflammation: FBC, ESR, or CRP treatment prescribed (analgesics, physiotherapy) and current level of function - X-ray only indicated in presence of swelling, rest pain, night pain and severe local tenderness to exclude infection or tumour - Suspicion of foreign body: Ultrasound - Confirmation of OOHC (where appropriate) 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.
The following conditions are out of scope for this service: - Aesthetic or cosmetic surgery - Disability assessment (refer to HealthPathways) - Referrals for assessment prior to application for the Australian Defence Force or Queensland Police Service
Parent service: Orthopaedics
Sign in for localised assessment and management. HealthPathways does not send the referral. Register: gchealthpathways@health.qld.gov.au