Referral to a Diabetes Educator or Dietitian

Dietitians provide medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counselling for:

  • Weight management and very low energy diets (e.g. Optifast)
  • Carbohydrate counting and awareness
  • Optimising nutrition

Diabetes Educators provide diabetes self-management education, instructions and support for people with diabetes. Specific services include:

  • Ambulatory insulin dose adjustment clinic (Specialist referrals required)
  • Continuous glucose monitoring service
  • Insulin pump service
  • General diabetes self –management education

Referrals accepted from:

  • General Practitioners
  • Specialists
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Registered Nurses

Eligibility:

  • Patients with established type 1 diabetes aged 16 years and over (for education on carbohydrate counting, sick-day management and other self-management issues)
  • Patients with newly diagnosed type 1 need an urgent referral to a Diabetes Specialist at the diabetes centre prior to seeing a diabetes nurse educator and dietitian. Please see ‘urgent referrals’.
  • Patients with type 2 diabetes aged 16 years and over and on insulin, other injectable diabetes medication or sulphonylureas

Please note: for blood glucose level stabilisation for those treated with insulin please refer to a Diabetes Specialist – see ‘Referral to a Diabetes Specialist’. The Specialist may refer to a diabetes nurse educator and/or dietitian as required.

 

How to refer:

STEP 1: Address referral to a Diabetes Educator or Dietitian.

STEP 2: Please include type of diabetes, past medical history, current medications, recent HbA1c, and any other relevant

information

STEP 3: Fax referral to (02) 8382 4665 or email to: svhs.diabetesfax@svha.org.au

STEP 4: The Diabetes Centre staff will contact the patient to arrange an appointment.

For enquiries please call the Diabetes Centre during office hours 8.00am- 4.30pm, Monday-Friday, excluding public holidays, on (02) 8382 2622.