Specialist Outpatient Waiting Times

All requests for Specialist Clinic Outpatient appointments are scheduled according to the patient's clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine based on information provided in the referral.

• An urgent appointment is allocated if a patient has been referred to a specialist clinic and the clinician determines the patient should be seen within 30 days from the date the referral was received.
• A non-urgent or routine appointment is allocated if a patient has been referred to a specialist clinic and the clinician determines the patient does not need to be seen within 30 days, but should be seen within 356 days of the referral being received.

Waiting times to scheduled appointments vary across clinics and are impacted by factors including clinic demand, capacity and staffing.

What to do If you are concerned about your waiting period?

Speak to your GP or referring specialist.

Your referring GP is responsible for managing your condition while you are waiting to be seen. It is important that they update the clinic on any significant changes in your condition which may change the urgency of the appointment. They can discuss other suitable options with you.

Follow up appointments

After your first appointment, follow-up appointments will be based on your clinical need. Most patients are seen for an initial assessment, and two follow up appointments before being discharged back to the care of your GP or referring specialist. Your treating clinician will discuss this with you.

Do you still require our care?

We regularly contact patients who are waiting for an appointment to determine if they still wish to be seen. This is called a Waitlist audit.

Learn more about our Waitlist audit – Do you still require our care?

More information

Department of Health – Managing referrals to non-admitted specialist services in Victorian public health services