Haematology services at The Children's Hospital at Westmead

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.

Updated June 2019

Haematology Clinic and referrals 

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: 1.30-4.30pm
• Tuesday: 9.30-12.30
• Wednesday: 1.30-4.30pm
• Friday: 1.30-4.30pm

Appointments

• Bandaged Bear Outpatient Clinic: (02) 9845 2525
• Email: schn-chw-haematology@health.nsw.gov.au 

Referrals

Our department is using Consultmed to manage referrals.

For GPs, specialists, allied health or health professionals

• The ConsultMed platform allows you to send e-referrals to us securely. Create an account to get started.

For parents and carers

• The Haematology outpatient service is predominantly for tertiary referrals, accepting internal referrals and external referrals from paediatricians and paediatric specialists.
• Please address a detailed referral letter together with all relevant blood tests to the Haematologist by name. 
• New referrals are triaged according to clinical priority on receipt of a detailed letter and all relevant test results.
• Following triage, accepted patients are advised in writing of their appointment or referrers are contacted for more information. 
• Please review the referral criteria and exclusions below. Referrals may be declined or redirected if they don't meet the criteria.

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.

Download the Referral form.

Consultants

• Dr J. Curtin (Head of Department)
• Dr T. Kilo
• Dr E. Ooi
• Dr B. Ross
• Dr J. Teo

Urgent cases

Contact the Haematologist on-call (02 9845 0000) or refer directly to the Emergency Department.

Referral criteria and exclusions

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.

Criteria

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 – 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 9845 0000 for further discussion.

Required referral information

All referrals must be addressed to a consultant haematologist by name or Dr J Curtin (head of department). Please include the following information so we can process your enquiry quickly:

• Patient’s 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.

Download criteria and exclusion information

Anticoagulant Clinic

The clinic manages children on anticoagulant therapy, including warfarin and low-molecular-weight heparin (e.g.Clexane). Patients are reviewed by the Haematology registrar (or Haematologist) after the blood test.

Dosage advice for parents

Parents calling for dosage advice by telephone should contact the Haematology registrar through the Hospital switchboard on (02) 9845 0000 during Anticoagulation Clinic times and ask to be put through to pager 6027.

A message containing the child’s name and INR results may also be left on the above pager and the Haematology registrar will return your call as soon as possible.

Location

The clinic is located in the Pathology Department, level 2.

Clinic days

• Monday: 3.30 - 4.30pm
• Wednesday: 9 - 10am
• Thursday: 3.30 - 4.30pm
• Friday: 9 - 10am

Referrals

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

For anticoagulant therapy education (parents/carers), please contact the Haematology registrar (pager 6027) prior to the patient’s discharge. 

Consultants

• Dr J. Curtin (Head of Department)
• Dr T. Kilo
• Dr E. Ooi
• Dr B. Ross
• Dr J. Teo