Patients are eligible if they are: 18 years of age, experiencing persistent pain which has lasted for more than 3-6 months, diagnosed with persistent pain, not suited for surgical or urgent pain specialist intervention, suitable for and willing to participate in group education, able to understand English written and spoken, willing to give consent for their de-identified data to be collected to evaluate the program.

Central Western Adelaide region

• painprogramwest@adelaidephn.com.au
  phone: 0450 539 733
  fax: 08 8440 5299
  
  Adelaide Medical Solutions 
  850 Port Road, Woodville, 5011

Northern Adelaide region

• pnorth@adelaidephn.com.au
  phone: 08 8354 9800 
  
  CHG Elizabeth Vale 
  44 John Rice Avenue, Elizabeth Vale, 5112
  8.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday 

Please note: Adelaide PHN is working towards a dedicated but distinct Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) chronic pain program - for informaion please contact Adelaide PHN 8219 5900. 

Please note: This service is not suitable for residents with significant behavioural issues, dementia with severe cognitive features, delirium, or severe and persistent complex needs that would be better managed by specialised health or mental health services.  

As an innovative service being introduced across the Adelaide PHN region, a phased implementation process will be undertaken. Services will not be available across the Adelaide metropolitan region immediately but will commence February 2020 and expand over the following months. 

Residential aged care facilities must register to be part of the program. The process for a RACF to register is described in the RACF Implementation Guide that can be accessed by contacting the Adelaide PHN Mental Health Enquiry Line: 1300 898 213, or go to the registration page here 

All referrals for services will be allocated through the Adelaide PHN Central Referral Unit (CRU)* for Primary Mental Health Care Services.  

• Send by Secure Message (ReferralNet or Argus):
  ReferralNet Name: Central Referral Unit
  URN: refnet:CRU
   
• Mental Health Enquiry Line: 1300 898 213  

Referrals should be completed on the Mental in Residential Aged Care Facilities Referral Form (download here) by a registered nurse, GP, psychiatrist or psychologist who can confirm a diagnosis of mental illness. It is preferential that the GP is the referring agent; this is because a medical review may be required prior to commencement of psychological services.  

*CRU fax referrals are currently being phased out. If you need support with a CRU referral please contact the mental health enquiry line. For support with setting up practice software or using secure messaging, please contact our digital health officers digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au

Referral to any of the four Priority Care Centres (PCCs) - Marion, Elizabeth , Para Hills West and Hindmarsh - is detailed on SA Health's website at sahealth.sa.gov.au/prioritycarecentres. 

In summary:

• When a patient arrives at a public hospital ED or if they call an ambulance for transport, SA Health clinical staff will assess their condition. If their condition is assessed as appropriate and eligible for care by a PCC, the patient will be offered the opportunity to visit their local PCC or they can wait to be seen at the ED. 
   
• General practitioners can also refer to a PCC, if the patient is eligible and the centre has capacity - the referral pathway for GPs document details the process to be followed to assist GPs to refer patients to the PCCs. An information sheet for patients referred by a GP to the PCCs is available here as well as a GP information sheet regarding the PCCs. 

Patients referred to a PCC will not incur any additional costs provided they have their Medicare card on hand.