Haematology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead

Contact

General enquiries: (02) 7825 3295

Email: [email protected]

Bandage Bear outpatients clinic: (02) 7825 2525

Anticoagulant clinic: (02) 7825 0000 and ask to be put through to pager 6756

Urgent cases: Contact the Haematologist on-call via Switchboard on 02 7825 0000 or refer directly to the Emergency Department

About our service

The Haematology department at The Children's Hospital at Westmead provides a comprehensive clinical, consultative and diagnostic service in paediatric haematology and transfusion medicine.

Inpatient and outpatient care is provided for children with congenital bleeding disorders, haemoglobinopathies and other non-malignant haematological diseases.

The laboratory is a national reference centre for red cell enzyme assays and telomere length analysis.

Referral process for clinicians

Our department is using to manage referrals.鈥疶he Consultmed platform allows health professionals to send e-referrals to us securely. 鈥� 

Consultmed questions and technical support: [email protected]

Please see below for referral criteria and exclusions. 

Referral and appointment process for parents and carers

These criteria and exclusions apply to the Haematology outpatient service.

Referral requests and criteria

The Haematology outpatient service is predominantly for tertiary referrals, accepting internal referrals and external referrals from paediatricians and paediatric specialists.

Referrals require a letter together with all relevant blood tests to the Haematologist by name or Dr J Curtin (head of department). Please include the following information so we can process your enquiry quickly:

  • Patient鈥檚 name, DOB, address and contact details
  • Medicare card details
  • Contact details/address of parents/carers, including mobile number
  • Indicate need for interpreter services
  • Clinical details of reasons for referral. Referrals with inadequate clinical information and illegible letters will be declined.
  • Attach all relevant test results
  • Contact details/address of referring doctor

Referrals with inadequate information will be declined. New referrals are triaged according to clinical priority based on the information provided by the referring doctor, and parents/carers are advised of the appointment in writing.

Direct GP referrals are only accepted after discussion with the Haematologist on-call. The Haematologist on-call can provide telephone advice to GPs when required.

Please review the referral criteria and exclusions below. Referrals may be declined or redirected if they don't meet the criteria.

Referral criteria

These criteria and exclusions apply to the Haematology outpatient service.

We accept internal hospital referrals and referrals from paediatricians and paediatric specialists. Direct GP referrals can be accepted after discussion with the Haematologist on-call.

New referrals/patients accepted up to 15 years 9 months of age.

  • Significant isolated cytopenias
    • Haemoglobin < 80 g/L (< 100 g/L in adolescents), iron deficiency anaemia Hb < 80 g/L
    • Neutrophil counts < 1.0 x 109/L (< 0.8 x 109/L in infants aged < 1 year) if >2 weeks duration
    • Platelet count < 50 x 109/L, 50 鈥� 120 x 109/L if > 2 weeks duration
  • Bone marrow disease
    • Aplastic anaemia and congenital bone marrow failure syndromes
    • Significant cytopenias affecting more than one cell lineage
  • Haemoglobin disorders
    • Thalassaemias
    • Sickle cell disease
  • Haemolytic anaemias
  • Bleeding disorders
    • Haemophilia, von Willebrand disease, platelet disorders
    • Abnormal coagulation profile
  • Thrombophilia, thrombo-embolic disease
  • Management of anticoagulant therapy

Exclusions

  • Mild or borderline isolated cytopenias of less than 3 months duration
  • Thrombocytosis with platelet count < 800 x 109/L
  • Cervical lymphadenopathy
  • Reduced serum iron or ferritin with normal haemoglobin and red cell indices

If your referral does not meet the above criteria please contact the on-call haematologist via Switchboard on 02 7825 0000 for further discussion.

Track your referral

Our department uses Consultmed to manage referrals. Your referring clinician sends the e-referral to us using the secure Consultmed platform.鈥� 

Following triage, accepted patients are advised in writing of their appointment or referrers are contacted for more information. 

If your clinician has questions about Consultmed or require technical support, they can contact [email protected].  

Need support?

If you need help or have questions about the referral and appointment process, please contact us.鈥� 

Phone: (02) 7825 3295

Email: [email protected] 

Clinic information

Haematology clinic

The clinic provides consultations and management of children and adolescents with non-malignant haematological disease, including inherited bleeding disorders (eg. haemophilia), disorders of haemoglobin (eg. thalassaemia, sickle cell disease) and bone marrow failure.

Location: The clinic is located at the Bandaged Bear Outpatient Clinics, level 2

Clinic days

  • Monday: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Tuesday: 9:30am - 12.30pm
  • Wednesday: 1:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Friday: 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Appointments

Consultants

  • Dr J. Curtin (Head of Department)
  • Dr T. Kilo
  • Dr E. Ooi
  • Dr C. Bateman
  • Dr J. Teo
  • Dr S. Shanmuganathan

Urgent cases: Contact the Haematologist on-call (02 7825 0000) or refer directly to the Emergency Department

Anticoagulant clinic

This clinic manages children on anticoagulant therapy, including warfarin and low-molecular-weight heparin (e.g. Clexane).

Patients and families attending The Children's Hospital at Westmead for their child's INR or anti Xa level, should attend Pathology Collections on level 2 (in front of the main entrance).

Following the blood test or Coaguchek INR, please . 

You will be contacted by the Haematology registrar (or Haematologist) within 24 hours of the blood test.

If you do not receive a call before the next dose of anticoagulant, please continue on the current dosing regimen until we contact you.

If there is a critical result, patients and families will be contacted urgently. 

Dosage advice for parents

Parents calling for urgent dosage advice by telephone should contact the Haematology registrar through the Hospital switchboard on (02) 7825 0000 and ask to be put through to pager 6756 or the "warfarin pager".

Please advise the switchboard operator that you are a parent calling for dosing advice for an anticoagulant.

Location: Pathology Collections is located on Level 2 of The Children's Hospital at Westmead in front of main entrance

Clinic days: Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm

Referrals

External callers seeking advice regarding warfarin management for their patients should contact our team via the switchboard (02) 7825 0000.  Ask to speak to the haematology registrar on call between 8am and 5pm. 

Internal referral are made by hospital staff to a Haematologist by name.

For anticoagulant therapy education (parents/carers), please contact the ward pharmacist for education & inform the haematology registrar (pager 6756) prior to the patient鈥檚 discharge.

On referral, please provide the information below: 

  • Which team will be assessing the patient with regards to need for ongoing anticoagulation
  • When the patient will be seen by this team 
  • Ensure that the primary team overseeing need for anticoagulation will update the haematology team with any changes to the patient's management including medication changes, procedures etc. 

Consultants

  • Dr J. Curtin (Head of Department)
  • Dr T. Kilo
  • Dr E. Ooi
  • Dr C. Bateman
  • Dr J. Teo 
  • Dr S. Shanmuganathan

Support services

A smiling Aboriginal family.
Our Aboriginal Hospital Liaison and Education officers play an important role in the care and welfare of and advocacy for Aboriginal patients and families, helping ensure a responsive and respectful patient journey.
A young girl sits on her mother's lap on a hostpital bed.
We can arrange a free interpreter for you. Interpreters are available for over 50 languages. Tell us which language you speak when your child is admitted, or let your nurse know.
A mother sits with her baby at a laptop.
Virtual care, previously known as telehealth, allows patients. their families and carers to access healthcare services without leaving their home or community.