For GPs & referrers
Built for the GPs of the Sunshine Coast.
Decision support, referral templates and direct contact lines — so the conversation with your patient is easier, and the referral pathway is clearer.
Send a referral
How to refer.
By fax, email or HealthLink
- Fax: 07 5301 8154
- Email: referrals@scorthogroup.com.au
- HealthLink ID: scoorthog
- Consulting addresses: Suite 12, Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital, 3 Doherty St, Birtinya QLD 4575 · or Level 9, Maroochy Private Hospital, 12 Future Way, Maroochydore QLD 4558
What to include
- Specific clinical question or working diagnosis
- Brief history and examination findings
- Any relevant imaging (scanned report or radiology link)
- Current medications
- Urgency rating (routine / soon / urgent)
Urgent referrals
- Acute traumatic shoulder dislocation — call the rooms directly during business hours.
- Acute traumatic rotator cuff tear in a younger patient — direct phone referral; usually seen within 1–2 weeks for early surgical planning.
- Acute proximal humerus fracture — direct phone referral; many are managed non-operatively but the displaced and complex patterns are surgical, often within 2–3 weeks.
- Displaced distal radius fracture — direct phone referral; the unstable patterns and intra-articular fractures usually benefit from ORIF within 2–3 weeks.
- Suspected septic arthritis — refer to emergency.
WorkCover & RTW QLD — priority triage
Work-related injury patients with a confirmed WorkCover claim are triaged as a priority pathway — typically seen within one week of referral. Acute traumatic work injuries are seen the same week. Our care coordinator manages the insurer paperwork; case-manager reports go out within 48 hours of each consultation. See the WorkCover & RTW QLD pathway →
Telehealth follow-up
Available for selected follow-up and second-opinion consultations for regional and interstate referrals.
Decision support
When to refer — shoulder pain.
Rotator cuff tear (suspected)
- Imaging: Plain radiographs (true AP, axillary, outlet) plus targeted shoulder ultrasound — first-line on the Sunshine Coast.
- Trial of physiotherapy for partial / small full-thickness tears — 8–12 weeks of structured loading.
- Refer for opinion if: acute traumatic tear in a patient < 60; persistent night pain after 3 months of physiotherapy; weakness on resisted external rotation or abduction.
Shoulder instability
- First-time dislocator under 25 in contact sport — refer for opinion early; recurrence rate is very high.
- Recurrent dislocators — image with MRI; if >1 dislocation or bone loss suspected, send a 3D CT scan with the referral.
Frozen shoulder
- Diagnosis is clinical — loss of passive external rotation is the cardinal feature.
- Plain radiographs to exclude arthritis.
- Image-guided glenohumeral steroid injection ± hydrodilatation is the highest-yield intervention.
- Refer when symptoms persist beyond 6 months despite injection and physiotherapy.
Shoulder arthritis
- Plain radiographs are sufficient for diagnosis.
- Conservative management — activity modification, analgesia, image-guided steroid injection.
- Refer when pain dominates daily life or sleep despite conservative management.
Tennis elbow
- Diagnosis is clinical.
- Load management + 8–12 weeks of eccentric loading physiotherapy.
- Avoid early corticosteroid injection — associated with worse long-term outcomes.
- Refer if persistent beyond 6 months of well-conducted non-operative care.
Carpal & cubital tunnel
- Nerve conduction studies confirm and grade the compression — please send with the referral if available.
- Mild cases — night splinting first.
- Refer when symptoms persist despite splinting, or when motor weakness or muscle wasting develops.