On 1 November 2021 the Adult Urology Referral Access Criteria (RAC) will be implemented and apply to all public adult Urology outpatient services in WA. A separate RAC for Paediatric Urology will be published in the coming months. The RACs will be available via the WA Department of Health Central Referral Service webpage to provide clear guidance on:
- What conditions will be seen in a public outpatient specialty
- When a patient will be accepted by public outpatient services
- What investigations are required to support effective and appropriate triage and indicative triage categories (by conditions).
All Urology outpatient referrals to metropolitan public hospitals will continue to be submitted via the Central Referral Service (CRS).
The CRS will ensure that all mandatory information as outlined in the RAC has been provided before allocating the referral to the appropriate hospital, based on the patient’s clinical requirements and catchment area. Clinical triage will remain the responsibility of the receiving hospital.
The RAC project is part of the broader Outpatient Reform Program being led by the System Clinical Support and Innovation unit at Department of Health. Further information including a series of FAQs is available on the WA Department of Health CRS webpage or for specific questions email the project team at DOHSpecialistRAC@health.wa.gov.au.