Acute Patients (Middlemore Hospital)
If you are acutely unwell, your GP may refer you to the Acute Assessment and Admitting Service in the Emergency Department at the front of Middlemore Hospital. The Medical team working in the Emergency Care Department will look after you, and if your condition is an infection, advice may be requested from the Infectious Diseases specialty. You may be admitted to hospital for investigation and treatment. Once an antimicrobial plan is made by the Infectious Diseases team, you will be referred to the OPAT Clinical Nurse Specialist to assess your suitability to receive antimicrobial treatment in an outpatient setting.
Outpatients (Māngere Community Health Centre)
If the referral is less urgent and the referring doctor is requesting help in the management of your condition, the doctor will request an appointment in the Infectious Diseases outpatient clinic. Waiting times for the appointment depend on the urgency of the condition as outlined in the information supplied by your doctor, but vary between 2 weeks and 1-2 months.
In the outpatient clinic you will be seen by a member of the medical specialist team who will ask questions about your illness, examine you and possibly order further investigations. This may involve having, for example, x-rays or blood tests. Once a diagnosis is made, management of your condition will be outlined to you and you will either be requested to return to see the OPAT Clinical Nurse Specialist, return to the clinic or to see your GP for follow-up.
Infectious Diseases outpatient clinics are held at:
Not all OPAT referrals are seen in-person by the OPAT Clinical Nurse Specialist, some patients may receive advice via phone call or email.
