You will need a referral letter from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service. Your doctor will fax your referral letter to us. Once we receive it, we will send you a confirmation letter of your appointment or confirmation that you have been added to the waitlist.
Some tests and procedures will need a referral from a Cardiologist. Your GP will be able to advise you on which test is most appropriate for you and if a Cardiologist referral is needed. We accept referrals from private and public Cardiologists.
Your appointment
We are located on level 1 of the Bendigo Hospital. Please arrive 10 minutes earlier than your scheduled appointment. At times there may be a wait. Please advise our friendly reception staff if you have been waiting for more than 30 minutes.
Please read your appointment letter carefully for any medication instructions and call us on 5454 8017 if you are unsure.
What to bring
Please bring the following every time you visit our clinic
• Medicare card
• Health Care Card and/or concession care (if you have one)
• Private health insurance card (if applicable)
• Your medications or an updated current list
You may choose to bring one support person to assist you.
Bendigo Health provides the following cardiac tests. Please click on the link for more information.
Exercise stress echocardiogram
Event monitoring
An event monitor records the heart’s activity and rhythm for a period for 48 hours and is attached to a series of sticky dots (electrodes) which are positioned across the chest attached to a small portable recorder. During the monitoring period, the equipment must stay connected to the body and cannot get wet, therefore, patients cannot shower, bath or swim during this time and are worn while sleeping. Monitors are fitted by a Cardiac Technologist and take around 20 minutes to connect and must be returned to the department after 48 hours. Event monitoring is used to investigate symptoms such as palpitations, fainting and dizziness and patient are asked to push a button to record or monitor the incident. Usually an ECG is completed before an Event Monitor is positioned onto the patient.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
This measures blood pressure in patients who might have variable blood pressure. The portable blood pressure machine, worn in a pouch around your neck, has a cuff attached and is fitted by our Cardiac Technologist, to your upper arm. It takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes to fit. The machine is programed to inflate the cuff, take your blood pressure and release the air in cuff over a 24-hour period throughout the day and night. The machine’s computer stores the readings and a report is written and sent to your Doctor. You should wear loose fitting clothes, especially around the upper arm. You are not required to undress fully. If possible, please wear a blouse or shirt which buttons at the front - this allows easier fitting of the equipment. The Technician will ask you to keep a diary recording symptoms you might experience while wearing the blood pressure machine. While the monitor is being worn, the device must be kept dry so no showering can occur. Both the diary and the machine will need to be returned the next business day to Diagnostic Cardiology, Level 1 at Bendigo Health. There is a cost associated with this test. Please speak to our friendly staff.
St Vincents Private Hospital Melbourne
What happens during a Stress Echo test?
Henry Ford Allegiance Health
Victor Chang Cardiac Institute
What happens during a stress test?
British Heart Foundation
Your guide to a CT Angiogram heart disease test
Your guide to ICD and pacemaker implantation
Your guide to Echo (echocardiogram)
Heart Research Australia videos
The Road Ahead: Coronary Angiogram
100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550
For Stress Echocardiogram referrals, please use this form.
For all other referrals, please use this form.
The above forms or BPAC are our preferred referral pathways.
Please ensure you provide all clinical information required to triage your referral:
Priorities
Our service is experiencing a period of high demand. Referrals will be triaged according to clinical need for your patient’s condition.
Please check the patient meets the indications and eligibility criteria for the test on Murray HealthPathways and MBS Online prior to submitting your referral. Referrals that do not meet these criteria will be rejected.
Bendigo Health along with all Victorian public hospitals assess new referrals against the Victorian Government Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics.
Patients will not be provided with an appointment or placed on a waiting list unless a complete referral compliant with the Statewide Referral Criteria for Cardiology Clinics has been received.
Referral management
Referrals will be triaged in turn by a Cardiologist. To ensure appropriate and timely triage, include all demographic and clinical details as well as relevant investigation results.
The patient and GP will be advised if the referral has been waitlisted.
If you have concerns about the timeframe of the appointment, or the patient’s condition has changed or deteriorated, please send an updated referral with additional information. Patients requiring urgent assessment should be sent to the Emergency Department.
Our diagnostic testing includes:
For full eligibility and indications please go to Murray HealthPathways and MBS Online (Click on the links to review item numbers and eligibility criteria)
Dobutamine Stress Echocardiogram
Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE)
Holter Monitoring (or Event monitoring)
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
Sleep Deprived Electroencephalogram
Please note patient’s requiring surgical intervention (PPM/ICD/Coronary Angiogram/DCR) must be referred by a Cardiologist.
Interpreting services can be provided free of charge by the hospital. Please let us know if your patient may need an interpreter and which language they speak.
Minimum information for referrals to non-admitted specialist services
Statewide Referral Criteria for Specialist Clinics- Cardiology
100 Barnard Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550