Clinics & services

Falls and Balance Assessment Clinic

Falls and Balance Assessment Clinic referrals

We accept referrals from GPs, specialists and other health practitioners.

Refer your patient

For internal referrals

Cerner for inpatients – HIP Community Programs

Phone: HIP Central Intake, Ext 2211, press 1

For community referrers

Falls and Balance Service

Phone: 03 9496 2211

Fax: 03 9496 4337

Email: hipcentralintake@austin.org.au

Open hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm

We also encourage referrals through HealthPathways.

Find out more about referring your patient to our specialist clinic services.

Key information for referrers

Our Falls and Balance Assessment Clinic provides a specialist assessment service for people who are having falls or balance-related problems, and especially where the cause of the client’s falls risk or balance impairment is unknown. Clients may be referred if they’ve had a recent fall of unknown cause, or a fear of falling that significantly restricts activity.

If you have already identified that the cause of the clients falls is most likely to be of cardiac or neurological origin then we would recommend you refer directly to a cardiologist or neurologist as appropriate.

Clients are generally not eligible for the service if they’ve had a recent geriatrician and/or physiotherapy assessment or the cause of the client’s balance impairment is already known, in which case the client may be more suitable for a referral to the Health Independence Program - Community Rehabilitation Service for physiotherapy or exercise physiology to target this balance impairment.

If you’re wishing to refer the client for exercise based therapy to reduce their falls risk then instead please consider a referral to the Health Independence Program - Community Rehabilitation Service or the client’s local community health service.

Our catchment area

Distance from Austin Health is not a barrier for clients attending centre-based services, however we encourage referral to the clients nearest service.

Current wait times

The current wait time for this service (from receipt of referral) is between 1 to 2 months.

If you believe your referral is urgent then please call the Clinic Co-ordinator on 9496 4280.

Alternative local services