Glomerular Disease

ADULT
Minimum Referral Criteria
Category 1
(appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Acute Glomerulonephritis (proteinuria and haematuria) with a decline in kidney function (>25% decline in eGFR within 6-12 weeks)

Note: If there is any uncertainty regarding the urgency of an acute referral, please contact your local Kidney Medicine clinician, as direct ward admission may be considered.
Category 2
(appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Previously diagnosed chronic Glomerulonephritis  patient requiring ongoing specialist follow up
Category 3
(appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • No Category 3 criteria

Please insert the below information and minimum referral criteria into referral

1. Reason for request Indicate on the referral

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention not otherwise accessible to the patient
  • For advice regarding management
  • To engage in an ongoing shared care approach between primary and secondary care
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Presence of comorbid conditions such as SLE or other autoimmune condition, hypertension, diabetes, vascular disease or known chronic kidney disease
  • List of medications and allergies
  • FBC and ELFT results
  • Serial urea, creatinine and eGFR results
  • Urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) or urine protein creatinine ratio (PCR) (ideally early morning sample but a random sample is acceptable)
  • Urine midstream M/C/S (including testing for red cell morphology, casts and crystals preferable)
  • Recent BP results

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • Timeline of symptoms
  • Ethnicity (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population especially at risk)
  • Family history of kidney disease
  • Examination findings including oedema, rash, recent throat infection, other systemic findings
  • Ultrasound (kidney, ureters & bladder) or alternative kidney imaging results
  • Other supportive investigative tests if indicated including:
    • ANCA, ANA, ENA & anti DNA Abs (if suspected or confirmed autoimmune condition that may impact on kidney function)
    • Hepatitis B/C serology especially if proteinuria
    • Paraprotein testing e.g. FLC, SEPP, urine BJP if myeloma suspected
    • Complement C3/C4
    • Anti GBM antibodies
    • Anti-streptococcal antibodies
  • Kidney biopsy report (if previously performed)

4. Request

  • Patient's Demographic Details

    • Full name (including aliases)
    • Date of birth
    • Residential and postal address
    • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
    • Medicare number (where eligible)
    • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
    • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
    • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

    Referring Practitioner Details

    • Full name
    • Full address
    • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
    • Provider number
    • Date of referral
    • Signature

    Relevant clinical information about the condition

    • Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
    • Physical findings
    • Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
    • Body mass index (BMI)
    • Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
    • Current medications and dosages
    • Drug allergies
    • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

    Reason for request

    • To establish a diagnosis
    • For treatment or intervention
    • For advice and management
    • For specialist to take over management
    • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
    • For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
    • Reassurance for the patient/family
    • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
    • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

    Clinical modifiers

    • Impact on employment
    • Impact on education
    • Impact on home
    • Impact on activities of daily living
    • Impact on ability to care for others
    • Impact on personal frailty or safety
    • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

    Other relevant information

    • Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
    • Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
    • Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

  • If any of the following are present or suspected, please refer the patient to the emergency department (via ambulance if necessary) or follow local emergency care protocols or seek emergent medical advice if in a remote region.

    • Please note that where appropriate and where available, the referral may be streamed to an associated public allied health and/or nursing service.  Access to some specific services may include initial assessment and management by associated public allied health and/or nursing, which may either facilitate or negate the need to see the public medical specialist.

    • A change in patient circumstance (such as condition deteriorating, or becoming pregnant) may affect the urgency categorisation and should be communicated as soon as possible.

    • Please indicate in the referral if the patient is unable to access mandatory tests or investigations as they incur a cost or are unavailable locally.

Last updated: 23 September 2025

© State of Queensland (Queensland Health) 2023

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced, communicated or adapted without permission from Queensland Health. To request permission email ip_officer@health.qld.gov.au1.