Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Acute inflammatory arthritis
Home · Internal Medicine · Condition
Internal Medicine · Refer Your Patient
Joint Pain
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Joint Pain.
CPC windows
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Early or stable inflammatory arthritis - Poly arthritis with functional impairment
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Complex osteoarthritis - Functional impairment and/or joint pain that persists despite optimal management, such as physiotherapy, weight loss and analgesics
Essential referral information
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Relevant medical history, comorbidities, and medications - Description of joints affected (swelling, pain, morning stiffness) - Details of treatments offered and assessments of efficacy - Interference with activities of daily living and working ability - FBC results - ELFTs results
Out of scope / wrong door
The following conditions are out of scope for this service: - Mental health disorders requiring psychiatric consultation - Genetic testing / counselling - Requests for respite care, ACAT assessments or other forms of assessment or supportive care in the presence of established diagnoses and management plans, or where patients with established mental capacity to make decisions refuse such assessments or care - Reviews relating to workers’ compensation claims, NDIS eligibility, disability pensions, driver license renewals, or other legal and administrative procedures - Reviews relating to drug withdrawal or detoxification
Parent service: Internal Medicine
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
HealthPathways
Sign in for localised assessment and management. HealthPathways does not send the referral. Register: gchealthpathways@health.qld.gov.au