Why refer?
Our Healthcare Professionals will discuss with you and, or if appropriate, your carer, about why a referral is being recommended. It is usually because your GP wants a specialist’s help in deciding on the best way to treat and manage your condition. This might involve referring you for tests or investigations that cannot be carried out in a GP surgery.
Types of Referrals:
Signposting
We use this term in the practice when any Healthcare Professional directs you to an alternative service that may be better suited to meet your needs.
Self Referral
Not all referrals need to be made by a Healthcare Professional, there are services that you can self refer to. We do try and make the forms for these services easily accessible either from within the practice or on the practice website.
Advice and Guidance
This is a service that our GP’s access to specialist clinical advice which often enables a patients care to be managed in the most appropriate setting, strengthens decision making and may avoid unnecessary outpatient appointments.
Routine
You’re entitled to ask for a referral for specialist treatment on the NHS.
However, whether you’ll get the referral depends on what your GP feels is clinically necessary in your case.
Your GP also generally understands your health history and treatments better than anyone else and will base any decision for a specialist referral on this knowledge.
If you ask your GP to refer you to a specialist, they’ll probably suggest that you first try various tests or treatment options to see whether your condition improves.
A specialist will only see you with a letter of referral from your GP.
The letter will give the specialist essential background information, such as your medical history, and it’ll also contain details that the specialist needs to pay particular attention to.
At the Practice the majority of our referrals are made electronically via a system called eRS. Your referrals can be managed via your own online services; please assist the practice by signing up for an online service.
Urgent (2WW)
An Urgent of 2WW referral is a dedicated service for GPs, to refer patients that they suspect of having cancer. These patients with be offered an appointment with an appropriate specialist within 14 days of receipt of referral. Patient leaflet below:
Your 2 week Fast Track Appointment
Our GP feels that the symptoms you are experiencing should be investigated by a hospital specialist as quickly as possible and has referred you using the urgent two week referral process.
Does this mean I have cancer?
We understand that your urgent referral may cause you some worry, but please be assured that the urgent referral system exists so that you can be provided with the highest standards of care.
Most people will not have cancer but it is important that we act quickly as early diagnosis and treatment improves outcomes.
Please try to accept the first appointment offered to you. Inform your GP before you leave the practice if you have any holiday dates in the next 2 weeks or if you will have any difficulty in attending the hospital for this appointment.
What will happen now?
Your practice may book your appointment with you before you leave today or the Hospital Contact Centre will call you within a day or two:
- You may be asked to attend a diagnostic test for your first appointment. If you are taking medication, check with your GP if you need to make any changes.
- Many people find it helpful to take a friend or relative along with them to the appointment and you are very welcome to do so.
- You may find it useful to take some time beforehand and write down any questions that you want to ask during your appointment.
- Please ensure your practice has your most up-to-date contact details.
For Easy Read and British Sign Language leaflets and video relating to a Fast Track referral, please use this link to the Northern Cancer Alliance website.
Private
If you want to see a private specialist, you’re still advised to get a letter of referral from your GP.
Whether you see a private specialist, with or without a GP referral, or are referred to an NHS specialist, your GP is not obliged to accept the specialist’s recommendations.
