GP referral for patients requiring blood transfusion

To facilitate referral, timely admission and transfusion where clinically indicated for community based patients including Residents in Aged Care Facilities, Western Health has implemented guidelines and  a referral process to enable GPs to be able to directly refer patients with known causes of anaemia for blood transfusions as a day patient.
The aim of these guidelines is to provide GPs with an evidence-based tool when assessing the clinical urgency of a transfusion for community-based patients. Unless assessed as urgent, community based patients and Aged Care Facility Residents should not be referred to the Emergency Department for the purpose of transfusion.

Only patients with a known cause of anaemia can be referred by GPs for transfusion in the Medical Ambulatory Day Unit (MADU) at Sunshine. Patients who do not have a known cause for their anaemia must have the cause of the anaemia appropriately investigated and diagnosed before referrals can be accepted.

Western Health has developed the 'Guidelines for Transfusion for General Practitioners' which are evidence based guidelines to asses the clinical urgency of a transfusion for community-based patients including residents in Aged Care Facilities. Please review these guidelines before referring.

As outlined in the  GP referral of Community Based Patients Requiring Blood Transfusion flow chart  to refer 'non-urgent patients with known causes of anaemia: 
 

1. Complete the GP referral for transfusion form and fax to MADU on 8345 0753
    
2. ​Complete the Dorevitch crossmatch request form SH  to ensure patient's crossmatch sample is sent to the SH blood bank. The crossmatch cannot be performed without the patient's UR number. The crossmatch MUST be done by Dorevitch pathology - no other pathology service can be accepted.

MADU Sunshine  Phone: 8345 1984