PIPER provides rapid access to a Paediatric Consultant or Senior Registrar. Early referral enables us to discuss the diagnosis and treatment, mobilise our team and any other resources in a timely manner and to initiate any additional pre-retrieval management as needed.

There are patients who need an urgent response, which we refer to as ‘Go Now’ Criteria. These are not meant as thresholds for referral; in fact, for many of these children we would wish to be called earlier to serve as a trigger for immediate mobilisation by our retrieval team. If you are worried about a child on presentation, or they are not improving as expected with therapy please refer to PIPER for review and escalation. See PIPER Retrieval Team Response Times for more information.   

Please make your referral at any point in time when you need paediatric intensive care advice or retrieval. Our call coordinator will assist you and document the information in the I.S.B.A.R. format. For the I.S.B.A.R structure please refer to PIPER Paediatric Referral Information.

Related documents:

• PIPER Paediatric Referral Information
• PIPER Paediatric Preparation for Retrieval
• PIPER Retrieval Team Response Times
• PIPER Team at Referring Hospital
  
  

PIPER provides rapid access to a Consultant Neonatologist. The quality of decision making is enhanced if the most senior clinician responsible for the patient makes the referral where practical.

Factors that impact on decision making for any referral include:

• The severity of the infant’s condition
• The potential for deterioration
• The resources and capabilities of the referring hospital – both in general and specifically available at the time of the referral
• The need for specialist assessment
• The requirement for treatment and/or therapy only available in a tertiary center. 

Please refer to Referral to PIPER Neonatal Guideline for more information. 

Related documents:

• PIPER Retrieval Team Response Times
• PIPER Team at Referring Hospital 

PIPER provides rapid access to a Consultant Obstetrician. The quality of decision making is enhanced if the most senior clinician responsible for the patient makes the referral where practical.

Factors that impact on decision making for any referral include:

• The clinical requirements of the mother and baby i.e. level of Maternity/Newborn capability required
• Previous care at a health service
• Degree of clinical urgency (determined at time of referral)
• Known or anticipated maternity/newborn critical care system demands
• Geographic location of the referring health service
• Social needs and considerations of the patient/family 
• Risk of the referral triggering an “overflow” neonatal transfer from the accepting L6 hospital.

Please refer to Perinatal Referrals, Bed Finding & Defined Transfer Process for more information.