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Paediatric Surgery · 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 — Lateral neck masses, sinuses and fistula.
Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Rapidly non infected enlarging masses should be referred urgently for consideration of malignancy* - Progressive enlargement over 4 weeks - 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 *Referral should be made to paediatric oncology if that service is available in the area
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Recurrent infections - Discharging sinuses or fistula - Stable persistent enlargement lymph nodes > 3 months
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Non discharging sinuses or fistula - Benign low flow vascular anomaly
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Duration of symptoms - History of recent infection - Family history of TB (if applicable) - FBC (Category 1 only) - CRP (Category 1 only) - CXR results (Category 1 only) - Confirmation of out of home care (OOHC) (where appropriate)
The following conditions are out of scope for this service: - Cosmetic not related to congenital anomalies/abnormalities - Conditions of the mature breast - Circumcisions social/religious reasons - disorders of post pubertal menstruation and - conditions of pregnancy - Disorders of post pubertal menstruation conditions of pregnancy - Bariatric Service
Parent service: Paediatric Surgery
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