Chronic Wound Service

Our Chronic Wound Service provides treatment to you if you have chronic or complex wounds. A chronic wound is persistent broken skin present for more than four weeks.

We aim to provide a tailored wound management plan guided by you and your carer. We use the most current research to guide our service and provide:

• assessment
• diagnosis
• advice and treatment, including agreed upon goals, outcomes and responsibilities
• education
• support​
• ongoing review as required alongside community dressing services.

The Chronic Wound Service operates as a hospital-based clinic. 

Our clinicians include:

• Specialist Doctor - Wound
• Clinical Nurse Consultants - Wound
• Can collaborate with other clinicians or programs as required

Service cost

This is a free service to Medicare eligible patients. You will not be charged for service consultation or dressing products used at the clinic. 

You and your carers are financially responsible for the products and equipment required between appointments.

• If you are are aged 16 years or older
• If you have persistent broken skin present for longer than four weeks

You cannot use this service if you: 

• have uncomplicated acute wounds (present <4 weeks) i.e. recent surgical wound already managed by Surgical Unit.
• are being managed by another Wound Service outside Western Health.
• are medically unstable or with severe infection/cellulitis that requires GP or Emergency Department intervention.
• have a diabetic foot wound. In this case your referral must be faxed to the Diabetic Foot Service (Western Health) Fax: 8345 6856.
• are a patient in residential aged care. In this case you must be seen by the specialist wound consultant associated with your residential aged care facility prior to referral. Please contact the service for requests for referral for patients from residential aged care.

We service the council areas of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Shire of Melton and Wyndham.

The Chronic Wound Service referral form​. 

Information and investigations needed include:

• Brief overview of wound history and current treatment plan (essential) - including other specialists/services involved in wound management
• Medical/Surgical history (essential)
• List of current medications (essential)
• Recent blood tests
• X-ray results
• Other relevant imaging results (duplex scans, MRI, angiogram etc)
• Wound swab results
• Biopsy results

Email: whchronicwoundservice@wh.org.au
Phone: 8345 1355

Fax: 8345 0777

Our service can involve other health care professionals in your ongoing care and management. These other key services include:

• Bolton Clarke or other District Nursing Services
• Chronic and complex care
• Community and private podiatry
• Dermatology
• Diabetic Foot Service
• Emergency Department
• General Practitioners and practice nurses
• Hospital In The Home (HITH)
• Other private specialists
• Other Private Wound Consultants
• Plastic Surgical Unit
• Podiatry 
• Vascular Surgical Unit https://www.westernhealth.org.au/Services/Vascular
• Western Health Wound Consultant