Your doctor may wish to refer you to a hospital or another service for treatment. They will discuss the options and your choices with you.
You may have a preference where you would like to be seen, or wish to be referred privately. Please discuss this with your doctor during the consultation.
What is E-Referral?
E-Referral is an electronic referral service that lets you choose the hospital or Clinic you wish to attend for your first appointment. It also gives you the choice of date and time that is convenient for you to fit in with your day to day life.
For more information and access the NHS E-Referral service, see the Electronic Referral website.
How E- Referral Works
When you and your GP agree that you need an appointment with a specialist, the E-Referral service shows your GP which hospitals or clinics are available for your treatment.
A referral letter is then dictated by the GP and this is passed to the secretary for typing and then an appointment request is raised on the E-Referral system and an appointment request letter is printed off which lists your unique booking reference number, your NHS number and a list of hospitals or clinic options for your to choose from. It also gives you a password with your appointment request letter. This is then sent to you through the Royal Mail.
Once you have received your paperwork you can then decide how you wish to book your appointment; this can be via the telephone, using a national number on the letter or via the internet. Please note that whilst the vast majority of appointments can be booked this way, in some cases you will need to telephone your chosen hospital directly to make your appointment. This is because the hospital appointments system does not link to Choose and Book.
Can I Book all my Appointments through E-Referral?
When you and your GP agree that you need an appointment with a specialist, you can book your FIRST hospital or clinic appointment using E-Referral. Any follow up appointments are arranged by the hospital themselves.
Hospital Appointments
If a patient has a query regarding an appointment made then the patient should contact that hospital direct. You can usually find their direct contact number on your clinic letter on the top right. Or you can ring the hospital directly as ask the switch board to transfer you to the appropriate consultant secretary.
If you have a query with regards to booking an appointment through the E-Referral system you can phone the E-referral number which you will have on the paperwork you received through the post. If you still have a problem you can speak to the Practice Secretary.