Victorian Virtual Specialist Consults (VVSC) supports general practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals and other primary care providers by providing timely access to specialist expertise. VVSC aims to support the management of complex patients in the community, strengthen continuity of care, and ease pressure on outpatient departments across Victoria.
Three consult types are available:
- Case Conferences – involving the referring clinician, a VVSC specialist, and an additional healthcare provider.
- Co-consults – involving the referring clinician, patient, and VVSC specialist.
- Direct Patient Consults – involving the patient and VVSC specialist only (availability varies by specialty).
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VVSC enhances the capacity of primary care providers to deliver comprehensive care, offering an alternative to traditional outpatient referrals where timely in-community support is appropriate.
For a full list of available specialties and consult types, please select an option below:
Adult Specialties
Advance Care Planning
- Information about Advance Care Planning and how to navigate the process
- Advice for the MTDM regarding the person who lacks capacity to complete an Advance Care Directive
- Goals of care discussions
- Conflict in decision-making
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Cardiology
- Arrhythmia – including bradycardia or tachycardia
- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
- Atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Atrial flutter (AFL)
- Heart block and other bradycardia conditions
- Cardiac device-related issues – including pacemakers and defibrillators
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Continence
Clinical nurse consultant-led clinic for patients experiencing urinary / faecal incontinence
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Dermatology
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Rash (photos required)
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
- Hives / urticaria
- Scabies
- Fungal skin infections
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Endocrinology
General (Non-Diabetes)
- Thyroid disorders
- Thyroid cancer
- Calcium disorders
- Hypertension investigations
- Prolactin disorders
- Osteoporosis
- Sex hormones
- Obesity
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes not responding to medical management (e.g has tried at least 3 glucose-lowering medicines) with HbA1c >8%
- Type 2 diabetes with complications (e.g. cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, cerebral vascular disease, neuropathy)
- Management of unstable glycaemia due to use of medicines that impact on glycaemic control (e.g. corticosteroids, chemotherapy protocols)
- Diagnosis of diabetes
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Gastroenterology
- Liver problems – Hep B, deranged LFTs, autoimmune hepatitis, fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease (excluding newly diagnosed / decompensated cirrhosis)
- Gastro problems – altered bowel habits, abdominal pain/bloating, rectal bleeding, iron deficiency
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
General Medicine
- Hypertension management – medication review, lifestyle optimisation, monitoring guidance.
- Healthy ageing & lifestyle advice – preventive strategies, exercise, diet, and risk reduction.
- Medication reviews & deprescribing – polypharmacy assessment, side effects, rationalising treatments.
- Cognitive concerns (initial triage) – early screening for memory issues, basic functional assessment, referral guidance.
- Peripheral oedema assessment – venous oedema, lymphoedema, lipoedema.
- Specialist triage & advice:
- Guidance on referral pathways for complex conditions.
- Interpreting mildly abnormal tests.
- Preoperative risk assessment (low-risk procedures only)
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Geriatrics
- Falls
- Polypharmacy
- Bone health
- Cognition/memory, continence
- Review of chronic disease (e.g. dementia, heart failure, respiratory disease, hypertension, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)
- Optimising healthy ageing
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Haematology
General
- Investigation of FBE abnormalities (e.g. neutropenia, anaemia, etc.)
- Interpretation of iron studies
- Interpretation of specialised haematology tests (e.g. protein electrophoresis, flow cytometry, free light chain assay)
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Note: For patients <16 years old, please refer to one of the “Paediatric Specialties” below.
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Thrombosis
- Venous thrombosis
- Anticoagulation advice
- Bleeding disorder
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Infectious Diseases
- General infectious diseases
- Tuberculosis
- HIV and sexual health
- Fever of unknown origin
- Hepatitis B
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Nephrology
- Chronic kidney disease
- Kidney impairment for investigation
- Haematuria
- Proteinuria
- Recurrent kidney stones
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Neurology
General
- Migraine and tension-type headaches
- Restless legs syndrome
- Diabetic or idiopathic neuropathy
- Functional Neurological Disorders (FND)
- MRI Brain abnormalities – follow up for incidental or significant findings requiring further review.
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Epilepsy
- Migraine
- Stroke
- Post-concussion syndrome
- First seizure patients
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Ophthalmology
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Palliative Care
- Specialist palliative care with a life-limiting condition
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Physiotherapy (Musculoskeletal)
- Back pain & neck complaints including
- Simple back pain
- Sciatica
- Degenerative disc disease/Spondylosis
- Spondylolistheses
- Radiculopathy
- Soft tissue injuries including
- Shoulder: Post-dislocation, ACJ injuries, impingement, tendinopathy, bursitis
- Elbow: Sprain/strains, radial head fractures
- Wrist and hand injuries
- Hip pain, impingement, OA, tendinopathy, GTPS
- Knee pain, ligamentous injuries, bursitis
- Ankle & foot pain, soft tissues injuries, base 5th MT fracture
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
- Patients under the age of 16
- Workcover or TAC patients
- RACF patients
- Elderly patients with frequent falls, or falls as a primary concern (consider falls & balance clinics)
- Back pain with significant (Gd 3/5 power, of under) motor weakness or foot drop
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Back pain with new bladder/bowel dysfunction, saddle sensory change, bilateral lower limb motor or sensory disturbance
- Spinal fracture
- Possible spinal infection (discitis/osteomyelitis, abscess)
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Psychiatry
Adult (18-65)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Psychotic illnesses
- Mood disorder
- Personality disorder
- Comorbid substance use disorders
- Trauma and stress related disorders
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Older Adult (50+)
- Older adults with mental health issues not responding to first line treatments, or with complex comorbidities
- Support GPs when their mental health patients are having difficulty accessing other mental health service options
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Respiratory
- Airway diseases – asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis
- Sleep disorders – obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring, insomnia
- Pulmonary infections
- Diagnostic evaluation of dyspnoea
- Chronic cough
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Rheumatology
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Sexual Health
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Women's Health
Contraception Counselling
We empower and support patients in exploring contraception options through personalised counselling delivered in a co-consult setting.
Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTOP)
We provide safe and effective care for pregnant people seeking medical termination of pregnancy.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
-
- <14 years old
- Referral after 63 days gestation
- Patient has neither ambulance cover nor a responsible adult with a drivers licence available for next 72 hours
- Further than 2hrs drive from large hospital with blood products available in the event of catastrophic bleeding
Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Menopause
Providing supportive clinical assessment and management for patients experiencing perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms, with a focus on patient education, and collaborative care planning
Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
We provide assessment and management for patients who:
- are presenting for routine STI screening
- require treatment following an STI diagnosis
- present with symptoms suggestive of a sexually transmitted infection
Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Wound
Clinical nurse consultant-led clinic for patients with:
- Pressure ulcers
- Diabetic foot wounds
- Arterial ulcers
- Venous ulcers
- Slow healing acute wounds
- Wounds secondary to lymphoedema
- Burns
- Skin tears
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Paediatric Specialties
Allergy
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Non IGE Mediated allergic reactions (e.g. dairy proctocolitis, FPIES)
- Food contact reactions
- Acute/chronic urticaria
- Advice regarding eczema and concern about food allergy
- Localised reactions to insect stings
- Simple drug allergy (excluding drug anaphylaxis or complex cases)
- Simple IGE-mediated food allergy for patients living remotely
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Asthma
Clinical nurse consultant-led clinic providing patients with:
- Education
- Management
- Guidelines
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Note: For diagnosis / medication assistance, please refer to ‘Respiratory and Sleep’ or ‘General Paediatrics’ below.
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Complex Adolescent
- Mental health
- Eating disorders
- Gender care – consultation and community service navigation (no medical prescribing)
- Somatoform and functional concerns
- At-risk young people
- People in out of home care
- Drug and alcohol issues (no prescribing of methadone or similar)
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Continence
Clinical nurse consultant-led clinic for patients experiencing:
- Bed wetting
- Constipation
- Toilet training resistance
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Dermatology
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Rash (photos required)
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
- Hives / urticaria
- Scabies
- Fungal skin infections
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Endocrinology
- Abnormal thyroid function
- Puberty concerns
- Growth concerns
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Diabetes
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
General Paediatrics
- Developmental and behavioural concerns
- Growth concerns
- Asthma, eczema, hayfever
- Constipation and incontinence
- Abnormal blood tests
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Iron deficiency
- Recurrent abdominal pain
- Infant issues
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult:
Respiratory and Sleep
- Asthma diagnosis
- Allergic rhinitis / hayfever
- Chronic cough
- Unexplained breathlessness
- Unexplained noisy breathing
- Insomnia
- Parasomnia – night terrors, sleepwalking, sleep talking, REM-related issues
- Hypersomnia
Case conference / Co-consult:
Direct patient consult: