New statewide referral criteria for a range of children’s surgery conditions come into effect from 1 December 2025 in all Victorian public hospitals.
Patients can be placed on a specialist clinic wait list when a referring GP provides information that shows the referral meets the new children’s surgery criteria.
The criteria identify the information that should be included in a referral to assess the referral and direct the patient to the best service available.
The Victorian Department of Health has developed and published statewide specialist referral criteria for a further eight children’s surgery conditions. The children’s surgery suite is among 19 suites of specialist referral criteria already in existence across Victoria.
Children’s surgery conditions:
- Abdominal wall, groin and umbilical hernias in children
- Assessment of congenital hand anomalies in children
- Assessment of ear anomalies in children
- Assessment of subcutaneous lesions and lumps in children
- Assessment of tongue mobility in children
- Birthmarks – children’s surgery
- Foreskin and penis conditions in children
- Testis conditions in children
- Trigger finger or thumb in children
All statewide referral criteria can be found here.
GPs and other primary care providers are encouraged to check HealthPathways Melbourne when making referrals – this will be the quickest way to understand a local public hospital’s requirements. It is also a helpful way to troubleshoot management of these conditions when a referral to specialist clinics is not indicated.
