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Paediatric Medicine (General Paediatrics) · Refer Your Patient
Persistent and chronic cough
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Persistent and chronic cough.
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Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Systemic symptoms: fever, weight loss, failure to thrive
- Feeding difficulties (including choking or vomiting)
- Stridor and other respiratory noises
- Abnormal clinical respiratory examination including clubbing
- Abnormal CXR
- History of haemoptysis
- Severe paroxysms with vomiting or colour change
- A child:
- at risk of entering the child protection system (0 – 18 years of age)
- currently in out of home care (OOHC) (0 – 18 years of age), or
- Adolescents transitioning to adult healthcare following an out of home care experience (15 – 25 years of age)
- 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. - Recurrent episodes of chronic, wet or productive cough
- Recurrent pneumonia
- Most other referrals for persistent or chronic cough
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.
- History of the cough:
- duration
- paroxysm-related symptoms such as vomiting or colour change
- Report presence or absence of other respiratory illness
- asthma
- chronic lung disease
- cystic fibrosis
- Chest X-Ray
- Report presence or absence of concerning features
- Persistent fevers
- Night sweats
- Weight loss (if so estimate how much)
- Haemoptysis
- Significant contacts with TB or pertussis
- Confirmation of out of home care (OOHC) (where appropirate)
Out of scope / wrong door
The following conditions are out of scope for this service:
- Patients 16 years and over should be referred to the appropriate Adult Outpatient service closest to home.
- Services that should be initially provided by primary care or community based allied health care for children, including well infant care and advice, parenting and behaviour management for young children, developmental services for children with mild developmental delay
- Educational assessment of school-age children
- Gold Coast University Hospital does not offer the following Paediatric specialty services.
- Referrals will be redirected to General Paediatrics for initial assessment, management and consideration of referral for tertiary care at Queensland Children’s Hospital:
- Immunology
- Renal Paediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics (RBWH)
Parent service: Paediatric Medicine (General Paediatrics)
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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