CLINIC - Urgent Pediatric Assessment Clinic (UPAC)

The Urgent Pediatric Assessment Clinic (UPAC) is a hospital-based pediatric clinic intended for urgent and semi-urgent referrals.  The clinic is located within the Pediatric Day Care at Victoria General Hospital. 

UPAC accepts referrals from Emergency Departments, community primary care, and sub-specialty clinics. It is intended to answer an acute question that can’t be answer by primary care providers. 

Residents and medical students’ pediatric ambulatory care teaching is delivered at the clinic. 

Please note:

• All urgent UPAC referral (needs to be seen within 48 hours) must be discussed by the referring provider and the On-Call Pediatrician at VGH.
• UPAC is not meant for follow up for patient who could be seen appropriately in follow up by their primary care provider.
• If the patient has a pediatrician and the patient does not need to be seen within the next 2 weeks, please send a referral to their pediatrician’s office directly. They will be able to triage appropriately where the patient should be seen. 
• We do not accept referrals related for: behaviour, school or learning challenges, child abuse, chronic problem (example: headache/abdominal pain/pain > 8 weeks), developmental delay, eating disorders, mental health or substance use. For infectious reasons, cases of acute infectious diarrhea cannot be seen.

We aim to discharge patients back to their primary care providers (or other specialists) once diagnostic workup is complete, management plans are in place and patients have achieved clinical stability. 

If referrals are deemed not appropriate, the referring physician will be getting a Decline Referral Letter Outlining the reasons why. 

For non-urgent pediatric consultations (more than 4 weeks), continue to refer to a pediatrician in the community accepting new referrals.

If physician to physician non-urgent pediatric phone advice is required, referring providers can utilize the RACE line. Service is available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to - 5 p.m.

How to get a Referral

Physician referral required.

Referral Forms (Physician only): 

UPAC Referral Form

Once we have received your referral, we will connect directly with the family to book an appointment. 

Given last minute schedule adjustments, it is possible that the appointment time will be changed by 30 minutes to 1.5 hours up to the day of the visit.