30Referrals: special cases

#### 30 Referrals: special cases (1) A referral is given for a professional service to a patient in a hospital who is not a public patient if the hospital records record the referring practitioner’s signature approving the referral. (2) A referral need not be given in writing if the referring practitioner decides in an emergency that it is necessary in the patient’s interests for the patient to be referred to the specialist or consultant physician as soon as practicable without a written referral. (3) Subregulation 29(5) does not apply if a written referral is lost, stolen or destroyed. (4) If, in an emergency, a specialist or consultant physician: (a) decides that it is necessary in the patient’s interest to give a professional service as soon as practicable and without a referral otherwise than under this subregulation; and (b) gives that service to the patient; the specialist or consultant physician is taken to have been the referring practitioner and to have given a referral for the service. (5) For the purposes of subregulations (2) and (4), an emergency is a situation where the patient is treated by a medical practitioner within 30 minutes of presentation and that patient is: (a) at risk of serious morbidity or mortality requiring urgent assessment and resuscitation; or (b) suffering from suspected acute organ or system failure; or (c) suffering from an illness or injury where the viability or function of a body part or organ is acutely threatened; or (d) suffering from a drug overdose, toxic substance or toxin effect; or (e) experiencing severe psychiatric disturbance whereby the health of the patient or other people is at immediate risk; or (f) suffering acute severe pain where the viability or function of a body part or organ is suspected to be acutely threatened; or (g) suffering acute significant haemorrhage requiring urgent assessment and treatment.