Polio Services Victoria (PSV) was established by the Victorian Government in early 1998 to provide ongoing expertise and support for people with a history of polio.
Polio Services Victoria currently consists of a core allied health team that provide consultations to clients about their healthcare needs. A rehabilitation medicine consultant is also available to consult on polio related medical needs.
The team at Polio Services Victoria consists of:
- Rehabilitation Physician
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Social Worker
- Orthotist
- Psychologist
- Allied health assistant
Service objectives
To assist people with a history of polio to maximise their independence and participation through the provision of support and to facilitate access to appropriate services and resources for the individual and their carers.
The services currently offered by Polio Services Victoria include:
- Specialist allied health assessment and management
- Service planning
- Information and assistance to link into relevant community services and supports
- Referral to allied health, nursing, medical and surgical services within St Vincent's Hospital
- Referral to external health providers as required – this may be for a sleep study, orthosis provision, speech pathology or community health services
- Limited outpatient and home-based allied health service provision
- Assessment for aids and equipment
- Information and advice for people with a history of polio and for community service providers
- Access to specialist medical assessment and investigations
- Clinics in regional Victoria
Polio Services Victoria Brochure
Late effects of polio
What to expect at your appointment
Anaesthesia and surgery
Some of our In-house Programs
Gait and Balance Clinics
- Run weekly by a PSV Orthotist and Physiotherapist. Provides a comprehensive assessment and referral to appropriate local providers to assist with client needs. Some of the orthotic and physiotherapy needs may be managed in-house depending on complexity and availability of clinical time.
Aquatic Physiotherapy sessions
- A 10 week program aimed at assisting clients to learn an exercise program targeted to their specific needs and transitioning them into a local pool to continue the program independently. Runs throughout the year except during public holidays.
Fatigue management workshops
- Fatigue can be a major issue for people with a history of polio. PSV offers a comprehensive 5 week Fatigue Management course via Telehealth. Please contact us for dates.
Multi-disciplinary clinics
- Run every fortnight on a Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. The appointment is with a Rehabilitation Physician and members of the allied health team depending on your identified needs. A General Practitioner's referral is required to facilitate ongoing care and management. If your referral has expired, you will be requested to obtain a new referral from your GP.
Telehealth
PSV is now offering Telehealth appointments for medical and allied health appointments where appropriate for client needs. In addition, a group based Fatigue Management course is now available by Telehealth. If accessing technology is a concern, please contact us as we may be able to assist with some 'how to' advice for your setup.
Referral Forms and Guidelines
Refer to the SACS Referral Form area
Polio Services Victoria requests GP or medical specialists' referrals for medical appointments. It is not essential to have a referral to see allied health disciplines, however a referral may be requested if your medical situation has changed or our available medical information is not up to date. All referrals will be assessed in terms of urgency; appointments are allocated on this basis.
Send referrals to:
Service Coordinator
Polio Services Victoria
St Vincent's
PO Box 2900
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Fax: (03) 9231 3808
Email: psv@svhm.org.au
Individual discipline information
(Please use as a guide only as details are subject to change without notice)
Physiotherapy
- Medical or Allied Health Referral requested
Occupational Therapy
- Medical or Allied Health Referral requested
Orthotics
- Medical or Allied Health Referral requested
Rehabilitation Medicine
- Medical referral required (GP/Specialist)
Social Work
- Medical or Allied Health Referral requested
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Regional clinic dates 2024
Polio Services Victoria delivers services to the whole of Victoria. Regional locations and dates for in person clinics are:
Mildura 28/02/2024 & 29/02/2024
Warrnambool 08/05/2024 & 09/05/2024
Hastings 19/06/2024 & 20/06/2024
Wangaratta 14/08/2024 & 15/08/2024
Bairnsdale 09/10/2024 & 10/10/2024
Ballarat 20/11/2024 & 21/11/2024
Polio Services Victoria is located at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. Clinic appointments are held in the Polio Services Victoria clinic room, on the ground floor of the Bolte Wing (Building F). The Bolte Wing can be accessed directly from Nicholson Street, just north of Victoria Parade (red dot on the map below).
When you arrive at St Vincent's please report to the reception desk (information symbol on map below). The reception staff will notify the appropriate PSV staff member that you have arrived and provide you with further direction as required.
Parking and transport
There are boom gates installed at the entrance to the PSV driveway to improve access to the disabled car spaces near PSV. The boom gates have helped free up the parking spots, but a space cannot be guaranteed at the time of your appointment. For more information on how to use the boom gates for patient parking/ drop-off and pick-up, please click here.
Parking near Building F - Bolte Wing can unfortunately be difficult at times. We recommend that wherever possible clients should be dropped off at the service or take public transport.
A patient drop-off area is available in front of the Nicholson Street entrance to Building F - Bolte Wing (red dot on the map below).
For further information please feel welcome to contact the service or follow the links to the St Vincent's maps and parking and transport pages.
Contact
Tel: (03) 9231 3900 or 1800 030 324
Fax: (03) 9231 3808