To refer a patient to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre please complete the referral form and email to
Peter Mac's referral criteria
Peter Mac prioritises referrals for highly specialised cancer care from people across the state of Victoria.
Examples include patients with sarcoma, melanoma and patients referred for other highly specialised treatment. This also includes patients suitable for assessment for a clinical trial that is only offered at Peter Mac.
This approach recognises the statewide role of Peter Mac and partner services, particularly for rare and complex cancers and complex interventions.
Patients who require a broad range of cancer services should be treated at Peter Mac if it is the closest appropriate health service to provide cancer care, based on their home address.
This aligns with the Victorian Government’s aspiration to provide Victorians with greater access to healthcare services, closer to home.
Patients who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or who have complex care needs and/or co-morbidities can also be referred for a broad range of cancer services, regardless of their home address.
Patients from Peter Mac’s local area and patients with specialised cancer care needs will be prioritised during referral triage.
Referrals may be redirected to cancer care services that are closer to the patient’s home, if this is considered in the patient’s best interests, or is necessary to ensure patients with highly specialised care needs receive the urgent care they need.
Patients who have received specialised cancer care at Peter Mac (for example for cancer diagnosis and initial therapy or have been enrolled in a clinical trial) may be appropriate for referral to a health service closer to home once that phase of care has ended.
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Please be sure to include as much clinical information, including relevant reports and diagnostic information, as possible. This will help us to assess and treat the patient more quickly.
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Note that most cancer patients require multi-disciplinary assessment. By selecting “all services” on our referral form you will ensure prompt assessment by all relevant clinicians.
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If referring to a specific clinician, please include their full name to enable accurate Medicare billing and prevent administrative delays. For more information on Medicare referral requirements see our Specialist Clinics funding document.
Contact details
For referral enquiries phone the Outpatient Referral Team on (03) 8559 5021.
Templates to refer a patient
Referral templates are available within some medical software programs including Medical Director, Best Practice, ZedMed and Helix. Please complete and email to
Refer a patient guidelines
These guidelines will help you to provide the most relevant referral information and they also have tumour stream specific contact details.
- Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA)
- See Breast cancer information for health professionals
- Early Drug Development Clinical Trials
- Early phase drug clinical trials
- Familial Cancer Centre
- Gamma Knife
- Genitourinary cancers
- Gynaecological cancers
- Haematological cancers
- Head and neck cancers
- Late effects of cancer
- Lower gastrointestinal cancers
- Lung cancers
- Melanoma and skin cancers
- Neuro-oncology cancers
- Neuroendocrine tumour (NET)
- Paediatric cancers
- Preventing Cancer with Medications (PCMed) Service
- Sarcoma cancers
- Upper gastrointestinal cancers
- Voluntary Assisted Dying
Medical Professionals can also access the Health Pathways resource, when considering the best options for their patients.
Refer a patient - additional information
Refer a patient to a clinical trial
View our list of open recruiting trials to which you can refer a patient.
To refer a patient for a clinical trial, please complete the referral form and include:
- A request to be considered for a clinical trial
- Medical history
- Latest scans
- Blood results
- Histology
- Contact details (email and phone)
For more information, contact our clinical trials enquiry coordinator:
- Business hours Monday to Friday between 9am - 2pm
- Email:
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Radiation Oncology Services
Patient referrals can be made to our consultant Radiation Oncologists at Peter Mac sites in Melbourne, Bendigo, Box Hill, Moorabbin, and Sunshine.
We are a public hospital, meaning there are no costs for Medicare eligible patients.
Referrals are prioritised based on the patient’s medical needs. A consultation is usually scheduled with one of our Radiation Oncologists within one to two weeks of receipt of the referral.
- Refer to the Gamma Knife
- SABR: Make a booking via
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (03) 8559 8496.
Referring Medicare ineligible patients
For patients who are ineligible for Medicare, please contact our Medicare Ineligible Patient Coordinator on 03 8559 5267. This includes patients without a Medicare card and/or patients visiting from overseas.
Referring current inpatients
To refer a current hospital inpatient to us, please contact the relevant Registrar through our switchboard on 03 8559 5000. If you are unsure of which specialty to refer to, ask our switchboard to put you through to the relevant cancer stream nurse coordinator.
After accepting inpatient transfer, an interhospital patient handover form must be completed.
Refer a patient for a bone marrow biopsy
Book a bone marrow biopsy through the
- Phone: (03) 8559 5142
- Fax: (03) 8559 5519
- Email:
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Booking must be made by the close of business, the day prior. Numbers are limited, but you should discuss urgent cases/additions to the daily list with the duty Laboratory Haematology Registrar or the access coordinator.
Minimum patient information required to refer a patient
- Patient’s full name and their Date of Birth (DOB)
- UR (Unit Record) number
- Diagnosis/clinical notes/indication for procedure
- Name of Treating Team, requesting Doctor and contact details including pager number and the primary consultant
- Notification of VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci), MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and/or any infections requiring isolation is essential
Refer a patient to psychiatry
Referrals can be made by directly contacting our Psychosocial Oncology Program on
Refer a patient to radioisotope therapy
Health practitioners can submit a referral via
Refer a patient to late effects
Our Late Effects Service works with the patient’s General Practitioner to provide screening and surveillance of the possible long-term effects of cancer and its treatment:
- Download a copy of the Late Effects Guidelines for GPs.
Late Effects (long term follow up) Service:
- Download a copy of the Late Effects Service Referral Guideline.
Refer a patient for mainstream genetic testing through the Parkville Familial Cancer Centre
Cancer specialists can learn more about how to arrange mainstream genetic testing for a cancer patient.