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Referrals
This is the process when your doctor decides to refer you for further assessment and treatment at a hospital (or other care provider):
After seeing the doctor, you will be asked to go to Reception to ask to see our Secretary to complete the referral process
You will generally be able to see the Secretary straight away, or there may be a short wait if the Secretary is already processing a referral for another patient. The secretary is available from 9am to 12.30pm, and 1pm to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
If you cannot wait today, or it is after 4.30pm, then you must come back to Reception as soon as you can to meet the Secretary and complete your referral. IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE SECRETARY THEN YOUR REFERRAL CANNOT BE PASSED TO THE HOSPITAL AND WILL NOT PROCEED
The Secretary will meet with you in a room next to Reception, and will use the Government’s Choose and Book system to arrange your hospital appointment. You will be able to choose from any hospital in the country that offers the service you need, and most patients make their choice based on either; convenience of hospital location, or speed of being seen
When you have made you choice with the Secretary she will print out a letter containing information about your referral choices and details. This will contain your Unique Booking Reference Number (UBRN) and Password. You can use your UBRN/password and the Internet to check the progress of your referral. For some clinical services you may be referred using a Referral Management Service (more information below)
When your doctor has seen all of their patients for the day they will dictate a referral letter for you, which the Secretaries will then type, and after the doctor has checked it is correct, it will be attached electronically to your Choose & Book referral
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
COMPLAINTS ABOUT REFERRAL MANAGEMENT CENTRES
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
CHANGED YOUR ADDRESS?
if you change your address it is essential that you notify us. Every year we receive hundreds of letters from hospitals which have cancelled referrals because the patient did not respond to the hospital appointment letter. When we investigate we usually find it is because the patient has moved but didn't inform us or the hospital. You can notify us about address changed using our Address Page
Source: LSMP
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