We help people with undiagnosed medical conditions or multiple active medical problems.
About this service
We provide hospital-level inpatient and outpatient care for people who have multiple medical problems or undiagnosed medical conditions.
Under our care, you will be assessed by multi-disciplinary teams (including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals) led by a consultant physician.
Our aim is to provide you with holistic and evidence-based care.
General medicine is also offered through North Canberra Hospital specialist outpatient clinics.
Who we care for
We care for adults between the ages of 16 and 80 years.
We offer these services for free if you have a Medicare Card or an Asylum Seeker Card. People who are not eligible for Medicare or a similar system will have to pay for services. This is particularly important regarding the Tuberculosis (TB) service.
How to access this service
Most people who use our inpatient service are referred from the Emergency Department.
We do also admit people referred by their General Practitioner or another hospital, when hospital level care is required.
For outpatient appointments, you will need a detailed referral from your treating doctor.
What to expect
Once we’ve received your referral, one of our doctors will review it and decide how soon you need to be seen. This process is called triage.
Some conditions are more urgent than others, so for this reason, you may be placed on a waiting list.
A member of our Community Health Intake administration team will contact you to book your initial appointment based on your triage category and place in the queue. You’ll also receive a letter in the post notifying you of your appointment.
We’ll also send you a reminder letter two weeks before your appointment. If you agree, we will text the appointment details to you three days before your appointment.
What to bring
- Medicare card
- Any letters or correspondence from your GP
- Health Care Card and/or concession card (if you have one)
- Private health insurance card (if applicable/if you want to use it)
- List of medicines you are currently taking (or the boxes), including medicines you have bought without a prescription, such as herbal supplements and vitamins
- Previous x-ray films, scans, ultra-sounds or any other test results or reports
Where we’re located
- Our inpatient ward is in Building 1, Canberra Hospital.
- Our General Medicine outpatient clinics are located in the Central Outpatient Department, Building 1, Level 2, Canberra Hospital.
We have directions to Canberra Hospital.
Our staff
- Dr Ashwin Swaminathan (Unit Director)
- Dr Ramila Varendran
- Dr Wei Meng Voon
- Dr Sarah Gardner
- Dr Jonathon Bromley
- Dr Zainul Qadri
- Dr Brooke Denyer
Information for referrers
Please see Community HealthPathways for detailed referral criteria and information. Referrals must be addressed to a consultant of the service and must be signed by a recognised referrer.
Referral options:
- Phone: (02) 5124 2415
- Fax: (02) 5124 5500
