Acquired Brain Injury (Moderate - Severe) Rehabilitation

ADULT

  • 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.

    • Patients with severe symptoms indicating potential life-threatening complications or immediate neurological risks, such as:
      • Rapidly deteriorating consciousness or sudden confusion
      • Increasingly restless, agitated, or combative behaviours
      • Acute neurological change (e.g., with comma, weakness, hypertonicity, sensory changes)
      • Seizures or uncontrollable vomiting
      • Signs of raised intracranial pressure (severe headache, vision changes, unequal pupils)
    • Severe neck pain with suspected spinal cord involvement
    • Refer to HealthPathways for assessment and management recommendations.
    • Refer to Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (QPRS) for patients <16 years and refer to Geriatric Rehabilitation for patients >70 years

    Request for advice

    • GPs may use the Request for Advice (RFA) pathway when patients present with, stable conditions that does not meet criteria for urgent referral. This allows specialist input while supporting ongoing management in primary care and avoiding unnecessary waitlisting.
Minimum Referral Criteria
Category 1
(appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • New moderate to severe head injury requiring assessment or support with return to usual activities (e.g., household, parenting, work, study, driving etc)
  • At risk of hospitalisation due to deterioration in physical, cognitive or psychological health status
  • Reduced ability to manage safely at home: Patient struggling to perform daily tasks (e.g., feeding, toileting, mobility) safely with existing supports resulting in an unsustainable living situation and high likelihood of imminent hospital presentation
Category 2
(appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Patients who have completed inpatient therapy and returned to community
  • Return to work or study goals
  • Return to driving
  • The individual has specific, achievable and measurable rehabilitation goals, addressing definable functional, activity or participation limitations or restrictions due to the ABI
  • Recent acute admission with rehabilitation follow-up requirements not coordinated at time of discharge
Category 3
(appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • Patient with a brain injury living in the community with possible  functional change

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
  • 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

2. Essential referral information Referral will be returned without this

  • Reason for referral
  • Date, type and severity of acquired brain injury
  • Past medical and psychiatric history
  • Current medications: List of patient’s medications with doses
  • Current social situation: Detail the patient’s living arrangements, functional status, any support services in place (e.g., family, carers, funded support services), carer stress or burden (if present) and any barriers to clinic attendance

3. Additional referral information Useful for processing the referral

  • Allied Health reports (if available)
  • CT/MRI Scans
  • EEG
  • Blood tests completed
  • Outline potential rehabilitation goals, such as support with returning to work, study, or daily activities

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: 5 May 2026

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