Getting started and our Welcome Pack - [STAGING] Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Your referral

A referral from your General Practitioner or Specialist should include as much information as possible about your medical history as well as the results of any recent scans or tests; this will help with getting started at Peter Mac.

Our specialists will review this information, usually within two business days, applying our referral criteria.

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.

What to expect

If your referral is accepted, we will organise an appointment. Appointment details are usually sent by post, but we will phone you if an appointment has been scheduled within two weeks.

Peter Mac is a public hospital and cancer treatment and care is provided free of charge to patients who are eligible for Medicare.

Download the referral form