What happens after I have been referred?

When a referral is sent to the specialist service by your GP Practice, you have the right to choose which hospital or clinic you are referred to as long as it is offering a suitable treatment.

How can I find out how long I will have to wait for my referral appointment?

You can contact the dedicated referral support line on 01293 300 270 or visit the NHS My Planned Care website, that can provide an up to date lead time on secondary care appointments. Please do not contact the practice to find out how long you will be waiting, as we will not be able to provide any additional information regarding your referral. You can also contact the hospital specialist department you have been referred to by using the hospital contact numbers listed below.

How will I be contacted about my referral?

Services and specialist hospital departments vary in their approach to booking appointments. You may receive a phone call or letter informing you of the appointment date and time. This may be accompanied by information about what will happen during and after your first appointment.

Will my GP request any follow-up results or tests associated with my referral?

Once the referral has been sent by the practice, you are under the care of the hospital (secondary care), and no longer the GP for this condition. Any tests and investigations required by the specialists must be ordered and done by the service and the appointments sent to the patient. Usually there is a strict time frame to respond so it is essential that you read the letter carefully and respond appropriately.

After my hospital consultation, how long will it take for my practice to action any changes to me care plan requested by my consultant? E.g. changes in medication

GP practices receive hospital correspondence within 2-3 weeks after your visit and test results are always sent to the specialist who requested the test, not your GP. Once correspondence has been received by the practice, GPs may have to query certain points mentioned in the letters, for example, sometimes treatments, tests or onward referrals are recommended that can only be or are best initiated by the specialist rather than the GP.
 
It is important that you attend your appointment for your health and wellbeing. Patients are advised that it is their responsibility to make every effort to attend their specialist appointment or liaise with the booking administrator directly if changes are required as this may otherwise lead to a delay in their being seen.
 
Any blood tests the specialist requests must be done by the hospital not the GP surgery.