Queensland Health facilities send patient correspondence to GPs and other private practitioners using details provided by practices in the Queensland Health Secure Transfer Services (STS) Address Book. Information sent using these details include outpatient clinic letters, inpatient discharge summaries, test results, emergency department (ED) clinical handover and other important patient correspondence.

It is important that patients, GPs, general practice staff, private specialists and other primary care providers all play their part in ensuring details are correct.

Community providers won’t receive updates about their patients if practice and GP details aren’t up to date.

Out of date information in the STS Address Book may delay receipt of information about your patient’s care, results and conditions.

Keep details up to date

Update the STS Address Book when:

  • a new GP starts at or leaves the practice
  • practice contact details change
  • the way you receive information changes (for example, changing from fax to Medical Objects or HealthLink).

Steps to update the STS Address Book

  1. Complete the STS Address Book update form (PDF 523 kB).
  2. Save the completed PDF in a location you can access later—you may also be able to reuse this for future updates
  3. Send the completed PDF to STS_External-Alerts@health.qld.gov.au.

Help patients help us

We will ask patients to confirm or update their GP’s details whenever they visit any Queensland Health facility. It is important patients have the name of their GP and the name of their practice because our staff will search the database for this information.

Practices can help by asking patients to record their GP name and practice address details—such as by saving in their mobile phone—and encouraging them to provide these details whenever we ask for them.

It is also helpful to remind patients to update their personal address and contact details with the hospital whenever they change.

Patient correspondence not received

If you didn't receive correspondence from us, it may be that a patient hasn’t confirmed or updated their GP’s details when they visited us. They may be given their information in a letter, either in person at the time of their visit, or it may be mailed to their home address.

Patient information may be available to you in The Viewer for external providers.

  • ED clinical handover and inpatient hospital discharge summaries are under the 'Encounters' tab
  • Outpatient correspondence is found under the 'Event Summaries' tab.

Misdirected patient correspondence

If you or your practice receives correspondence for a patient you don’t have, call your local hospital to let their medical records department know, then securely destroy the information. We’ll check who their GP is at the patient’s next hospital visit and update accordingly.

Where to get help

For help with completing the form or for more information about the STS Address Book, contact your local GP Liaison Officer.

Last updated: 22 July 2026