REFERRAL TO HOSPITALS AND OTHER SERVICES
When your doctor decides to refer you to hospital (or other care providers) the following steps are involved:
- Your doctor dictates the referral letter and passes the dictation to our medical secretaries
- The secretaries type the referral letter, attach an electronic copy to your computer-based medical record, and print a copy
- The printed copy is passed to the doctor to check, and sign
- The letter is then processed using one of the following routes:
- It is sent to the local NHS referral management service, where it is assessed and directed to the most appropriate service/consultant/hospital. You will then either be sent an appointment, or will be sent a letter to use to make your own appointment
- We enter your referral into the electronic Choose & Book service, you will then either be sent an appointment, or will be sent a letter to use to make your own appointment
- We send your referral directly to the service, and they will contact you with an appointment
CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS?
if you change your address it is essential that you notify us, and
the referral management centre, as otherwise you may not receive
appointment letters and your referral may be cancelled. You can notify
us using our Address Page
MORE ABOUT REFERRAL MANAGEMENT CENTRES
Referral management centres receive referrals from primary care, and
are responsible for allocating your referral to other services.
They may link with patient booking services, decide the treatment
route for patients (including deciding between types of provider,
e.g. consultant, GP with Special Interest, specialist nurse or alternative
health provider) or even triage referrals. In some cases referral
management centres may offer direct access to diagnostics and treatment
for certain types of referral such as musculo-skeletal and dermatological
problems
CONFIDENTIALITY OF YOUR REFERRAL
The referral management service normally sees full information about
the referral, including any confidential information. The personnel
working there have an obligation to respect confidentiality. If you
feel there is any information you wish to withhold from the referral
management centre please inform your doctor as soon as possible during
normal surgery hours. We will make clear to the referral management
centre that you have restricted the sharing of your information,
and stipulate that such details will be supplied to the consultant
personally by you either verbally or in a letter
Referral management centres may keep referral letters and patient details on file. This information is subject to the Data Protection Act and data subjects have the right to expect their health data to be processed in a fair and lawful way
COMPLAINTS
If you experience problems with the referral management centre or wish
to discuss its role further please contact the Patient Advice and
Liaison Service (PALS) on 0113 206 7168
Abridged source: GPFC
NHS
Direct 0845 46 47 www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
