General Practices Eligible to Apply for Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme from July 2025
In the case of chronic foot wounds, it is not only the wound management plan and consumables used that need to be optimised. Multidisciplinary review, vascular and neurological foot assessment, appropriate offloading, pressure relief strategies, footwear prescription and escalation to medical specialty teams remain the most effective way to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. High Risk Foot Services play a key role in the coordination and facilitation of complex care planning for patients with hard to heal wounds. If you are concerned about prolonged wound healing time for patients with chronic wounds under your care, place an eReferral via HealthLink or contact the below services directly to discuss your case: The Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) High Risk Foot Service Phone: 02 9463 1242 NSLHD-RNSH-HighRiskFoot@health.nsw.gov.au Hornby Hospital High Risk Foot Service Phone: 02 9485 6777 NSLHD-HKH-PodiatryReferrals@health.nsw.gov.au
The Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme (CWCS) was announced in the 2023-2024 Federal Budget with the aim of improving the management of patients living with chronic wounds. From July 2025 the CWCS will allow GPs (alongside nurses, podiatrists and Aboriginal health practitioners) to order approved dressings, bandages and related supplies for eligible patients via an online portal, with the commonwealth covering the full cost. To use the portal you will need to complete a short training program being developed by Monash University (available from March 2025). The CWCS is limited to people with diabetes who have a chronic wounds and are ≥65 years old (or ≥50 years for First Nations patients) and does not apply to wounds already treated in hospitals, state-run community services, the NDIS or DVA programs. In practice, the CWCS gives GPs a funded, streamlined pathway to supply evidence-based consumables and removes the out-of-pocket costs that often cause patients to delay care. A stepped approach to managing chronic wounds should still be undertaken with timely escalation to appropriate hospital outpatient services when wounds stagnate or don’t heal as expected.
Feedback
We aim to improve communication between the hospital and primary care; improve patient experience of outpatients and ensure patients arrive back at their GP with adequate information to plan their ongoing care. We welcome your feedback on this information about the clinics at Royal North Shore. Please let us know if the format or content can be adjusted to better communicate the services available at the hospital. Email: NSLHD-GPLO@health.nsw.gov.au
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GP Link | October 2025
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