07 September 2026
EMPHN is pleased to share an exciting update as part of the ongoing work by Eastern Health to strengthen communication between hospital services and primary care.
This work forms part of the broader CareSynergy project, a collaborative initiative proudly led and funded by EMPHN.
Eastern Health has expanded electronic information sharing with general practice to improve information transfer between the health service and local practices.
What is now live
From Wednesday 26 August 2026, referral status messages for patients referred to Eastern Health Specialist Clinics (Outpatients) began appearing in practice management software. These messages cover when a referral is sent for triage (high-priority HealthLink eReferrals only), accepted or not accepted (with a formal declined or correspondence letter to follow), and booked or waitlisted.
It builds on two earlier milestones: a fit-for-purpose hospital and specialist clinic event summary, co-designed with GPs, has been delivered electronically to practice software since 28 May 2025, and scope procedure reports have been delivered electronically since 29 July 2026.
What is coming
Eastern Health Specialist Clinics is working to expand notes to GPs to include allied health and surgical operation notes, extend electronic referrals to “at home” services, and upload specialist clinics, allied health, surgical operation notes and Endobase reports to My Health Record.
Why this matters for your practice
The changes are intended to close the communication loop on referrals and outpatient appointments, give GPs clear and actionable information, reduce duplication and follow-up calls, and support safer transitions between hospital and community care.
