For Patients and Visitors:
What is the Colorectal Clinic Service?
The Northern Health Colorectal service is run by specialist Colorectal Surgeons, who are members of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand, with the support of their Fellow & Registrar. The service runs clinics at both the Northern Hospital: Thursday mornings (Clinic D) & Monday mornings (Clinic A & D) with some Wednesday & Thursday afternoon clinics and at Broadmeadows Hospital (Specialist Consulting Clinics) on Fridays.
The Colorectal Surgical Clinic service sees patients with a variety of disorders of the bowel and the anus & rectum.
Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer), inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, and a number of other bowel diseases such as diverticular disease are managed through this clinic.
The Colorectal clinic also provides consultation for patients who based on either symptoms or family history or past history are at risk of either the development of Colorectal cancer or pre-malignant diseases such as polyps.
The Colorectal Clinic also sees patients who have been found to have a positive Faecal Occult Blood test through patient participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening program or through GP screening and provides a service also to patients with overt rectal bleeding, alteration in bowel habit or unexplained iron deficiency anaemia.
Colorectal Surgeons who work through the Colorectal service are trained in both laparoscopic (keyhole), open, hybrid & trans-anal colorectal surgery as well as being accredited and trained in colonoscopy & gastroscopy.
Anal diseases such as anal fistula, anal fissure & haemorrhoids are also managed through this clinic along with less common anal diseases such as anal Crohn’s disease & anal cancer.
How to refer to the service
A referral is required from your General Practitioner in order to be seen by a specialist in the Colorectal Surgical clinic. New consultations or requests for colonoscopy require a standard 12 month GP referral.
Patients who have had treatment for Bowel Cancer require an Indefinite referral and are usually followed up for 5 years after operation.
What can I expect from the service?
Patients will be seen by a specialist Colorectal surgeon or on some occasions by our Fellow or Registrar under supervision of a Colorectal Surgery specialist.
Patients will give a history of their symptoms and previous surgery & investigations and will then be examined. Abdominal examination and rectal examination are common examinations performed in the Colorectal clinic.
Patients may require further tests such as colonoscopy or colonoscopy and gastroscopy or blood tests, CT scans, MRI scans or Ultrasound scans.
Patients may require surgery and may need to sign a consent for surgery (or colonoscopy) or may be managed without surgery.
What do I bring/need for my appointment?
Please bring with you/have available the following items:
- Patient must bring films to appointment (eg: CT scans of chest, abdomen & pelvis)
- Medicare Card
- Private Health Insurance card (if insured)
- Reports of previous colonoscopies/gastroscopies (including recently performed colonoscopies if done in centres other than Northern Hospital or Broadmeadows Hospital)
- Reports of pathology: eg: patients who have had polyps or tumours biopsied outside Northern Health
- Recent blood tests eg: Full blood examination, Iron studies, CEA (tumour marker for patients who have previously been diagnosed with bowel cancer), U & E, LFT
- Stool tests: patients who are being referred for positive Faecal Occult blood tests, or Stool microscopy & culture for patients with diarrhoea
- Updated accurate list of medications
- Letter from National Bowel Cancer Screening program if that is reason for attendance
- Name & Clinic address of your General Practitioner
- You may wish to bring a close family member or support person
To contact us
Phone: 8405 8335
Email: SpecialistClinics@nh.org.au
For Health Professionals:
Service Overview
The Northern Health Colorectal service is run by specialist Colorectal Surgeons, who are members of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand, with the support of their Fellow & Registrar. The service runs clinics at both the Northern Hospital: Thursday mornings (Clinic D) & Monday mornings (Clinic A & D) with some Wednesday & Thursday afternoon clinics and at Broadmeadows Hospital (Specialist Consulting Clinics) on Fridays.
The Colorectal Surgical Clinic service sees patients with a variety of disorders of the colon and the anus & rectum.
Colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, and a number of other bowel diseases such as diverticular disease are managed through this clinic.
The Colorectal clinic also provides consultation for patients who, based on either symptoms or family history, or past history are at risk of either the development of Colorectal cancer or pre-malignant diseases such as adenomas, dysplasia.
The Colorectal Clinic also sees patients who have been found to have a positive Faecal Occult Blood test through patient participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening program or through GP screening and provides a service also to patients with overt rectal bleeding, alteration in bowel habit or unexplained iron deficiency anaemia.
Colorectal Surgeons who work through the Colorectal service are trained in both laparoscopic, open, hybrid & trans-anal colorectal surgery as well as being accredited and trained in colonoscopy (Conjoined Committee for Recognition of Training in Endoscopy) & gastroscopy.
The Colorectal Clinic holds a fortnightly multidisciplinary cancer meeting to discuss and plan the treatment of patients with colorectal cancers. Further information about this meeting can be found at NEMICS Click here
Anal diseases such as anal fistula, anal fissure & haemorrhoids are also managed through this clinic along with less common anal diseases such as anal Crohn’s disease & anal cancer.
Inclusion criteria:
Colorectal Cancer – confirmed. Please phone Colorectal service phone directly or contact Colorectal Surgery Fellow or Registrar,( 8405 2336) or through Northern Hospital: 8405 8000 for proven new cancer referrals from outside of Northern Health.
- Suspected bowel cancer: eg: CT scan abnormality of bowel suggestive of neoplasm
- Family History of Colorectal cancer
- Positive Faecal Occult Blood test (eg: National Bowel Cancer Screening Program)
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease ( Crohn’s disease & Ulcerative colitis)
- Diverticular Disease
- Rectal bleeding
- Altered Bowel Habit
- Rectal prolapse
- Unexplained iron deficiency anaemia
- Requests for adenoma surveillance with histology & colonoscopy reports (according to National Health & Medical Research Council Guidelines please)
- Haemorrhoids
- Anal Fistula
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Crohn’s
- Anal Cancer
Exclusion criteria:
Where recent colonoscopy, gastroscopy, biopsies and CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis have already been done and have been found to be normal consideration can be made to making a direct referral to Gastroenterology (diarrhoea, bloating), Gastro Dietitian(Bloating, diarrhoea, suspected dietary intolerance). Alternatively direct referral can be made to a Continence Physiotherapist ( BECC / BHS), eg: constipation or incontinence in the absence of a surgically correctable colorectal problem and where recent colonoscopy and biopsies were normal.
How to refer:
All referrals to Northern Health should be viaa Healthlinks eReferral: Refer to Northern Health Referral information
Referral must include:
- Reason for referral
- Working diagnosis
- Medical & Surgical History – current and relevant past
- Current medications
- Relevant Investigations and pathology – please include reports and histology eg: iron studies, FBE, faecal occult blood tests, stool microscopy, CEA in patients who have had colorectal cancer resection.
- Patients who have had colonoscopy already performed in either the private sector or other public health service need the colonoscopy report & histopathology report attached.
- Current management of condition and response to this
For detailed referral criteria and required supporting information please see HealthPathways Melbourne via the link below:
HealthPathways Melbourne
Head of Unit
Mr Neil Strugnell, FRACS
MBBS, MPH, Dip. Management
Member Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand
CCTRE Colonoscopy & Gastroscopy
