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Interdisciplinary Persistent Pain Centre · Refer Your Patient
Persistent Pain
Copied from the official Gold Coast Health condition page (27 Aug 2026). Hospital triage assigns the official category. Live source: Refer Your Patient — Persistent Pain.
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Cat 1 · 30 days
appointment within 30 calendar days. - Cancer pain where the patient’s specialist treating team is requesting Persistent Pain Management Service (PPMS) input
- Patients on a palliative care pathway where the patient’s specialist treating team is requesting PPMS input
- New onset neuropathic pain of less than 6 weeks duration relating to a recent diagnosis of a condition for example:
- herpes zoster (risk for post herpetic neuralgia)
- ischaemic pain
- trigeminal neuralgia
- brachial plexopathy
- diabetic neuropathy
- multiple sclerosis
- spinal cord injury
- post stroke pain
- Worsening pain following surgery, procedures, or trauma of less than 3 months duration (where a surgically treatable complication has been excluded and/or managed)
- Newly diagnosed or suspected new onset (3, months) of complex regional pain syndrome(CRPS) based on the Budapest criteria. [https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-policy/complex-regional-pain-syndrome-adults]
Cat 2 · 90 days
appointment within 90 calendar days. - Sub-acute pain (defined as lasting 6 to 12 weeks) with moderate to high risk of functional deterioration
- Exacerbation of neuropathic pain from pre-existing conditions as listed in Category 1
- Patients with frequent emergency department / primary care presentations for exacerbations of persistent pain despite attempts at management
- Adolescents and young adults who are at risk of non-attendance at school/study/work, or elderly and frail adults experiencing, or at risk of, declining quality of life
- Complex pain presentation resulting in marked psychological distress (note that patient must also be under the care of a mental health clinician where there are escalating risk concerns
- Pain with onset less than 6 months ago that is resulting in psychological and/or functional impairment, that is not responding to primary care management
- Functional impairment as a result of severe or complex side effects from pain medications that are not able to be managed in primary care
- Individuals at risk of work cessation due to persistent pain
Cat 3 · 365 days
appointment within 365 calendar days. - Pain with onset more than 6 months ago that is resulting in psychological and/or functional impairment, that is not responding to primary care management
Essential referral information
Referral will be returned without this. If a mandatory test cannot be obtained, say so in the referral.
- Pain history:
- date of injury/onset of pain
- likely proposed mechanism of injury
- location and nature of pain
- history of treatment for pain
- Detailed history of treatment for pain (both pharmacological and nonpharmacological)
- Physical examination findings
- Provisional diagnosis (if determined) from either GP or another treating specialist for the condition/s
- Relevant social information/history
- Vulnerable groups e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, refugees, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
- Accompanying carer or need for interpreter services
- Letters/reports/assessments by other health professionals involved in diagnosis or management of the pain issue, for example correspondence by other persistent pain service providers, physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, psychologists, Alcohol Tobacco, and Other Drugs Service
- Assessments by other persistent pain service providers and/or other specialist services including psychiatry/psychology/Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (Alcohol and other drugs - AODS)
- Current treatment from or referral to other specialist services for the same pain problem
- Medications including past analgesia/medication trialled for pain condition
- Any past medical history
- Statement of history, even if negative, of the following:
- History of alcohol/substance abuse and/or medication misuse
- History of opiates/drugs of dependence for more than eight weeks
- Use of marijuana in addition to medicinal marijuana / CBD oil
- Any patient that is prescribed one of the following medications should be checked through Q script by the relevant Health Professional.
- all schedule 8 medicines (e.g., opioids, alprazolam, nabiximols, dexamphetamine)
- the following schedule 4 medicines:
- all benzodiazepines
- codeine
- gabapentin
- pregabalin
- quetiapine
- tramadol
- zolpidem
- zopiclone
- Medicines Regulation and Quality (MRQ) (formally DDU) approval details and MRQ prescription history (if available) [https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/medicines/drugs-of-dependence/regulation]
- Functional status
- Psychological stressors / psychiatric history / cognitive function
Investigations as listed below depending on the reason for referral. Please refer to Choosing Wisely Australia to reduce unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures. [http://www.choosingwisely.org.au/home]
Back pain
- Orthopaedic or neurosurgery report (if available)
- Previous relevant diagnostic imaging: CT/MRI/Other (if available)
Headaches/Cranial Nerve Pain
- Recent neurology report (if available)
- Previous relevant diagnostic imaging: CT/MRI/Other (if available)
Joint pain
- Rheumatology report (if available)
Neuropathic pain
- Previous nerve conduction studies where relevant (if available)
Chronic visceral pain
- Urology and gastroenterology reports (if available)
Chronic pelvic pain
- Obstetric/gynaecological history
- Past procedures and treatment outcomes
Malignancy pain
- Past procedures and treatment outcomes
- Oncology or palliative care reports
Out of scope / wrong door
The following conditions are out of scope for this service:
- Patients who can be well managed in primary care (using appropriate guidelines where necessary)
- Previous Queensland Health PPMS patients who have not followed management recommendations unless there are extenuating circumstances or new issues
- Previous Queensland Health PPMS patients who have completed the pain management pathway / programs and for whom no new management approaches are available
- Patients undergoing treatment from other pain specialist services for the same pain problem without mutual awareness / agreement of cross referral by both teams
- Patients for whom it may be more clinically appropriate for treatment to be initiated by another specialist service
- Patients with untreated and unstable mental health conditions where these conditions require acute management in the first instance in order to facilitate safe and sustainable pain management
- Patients that have harmful non-therapeutic and/or recreational substance misuse without concurrent treatment by a drug and alcohol specialist
- Indefinite referrals are not accepted
Parent service: Interdisciplinary Persistent Pain Centre
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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