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Referrals

Published on: 20 Jun 2023

Referrals

What do we mean by referrals?

A referral is when your GP wants the help of a specialist to decide how best to treat you. Specialists can carry out tests and investigations that we cannot do in practice.

The Doctor will discuss the reasons for referring you and if you are happy to be referred, they will get in touch with the relevant specialists.

Booking your specialist appointment

In most cases, you will be able to choose which hospital you want to be seen at and which consultant you wish to see you. You can only select from hospitals and consultants that offer the service the GP is referring you for.

You can read more about hospital choice and consultant choice on the NHS website.

Depending on the specialist service and the hospital, there can be different ways to book an appointment.

  • You may be able to book your appointment through the practice when you are here.
  • The GP may give you an appointment request letter with details to book it yourself online or over the phone.
  • The hospital may write to you with a proposed time and date, which you can confirm with them directly.

Can I ask to be referred or refer myself?

You are entitled to ask to be referred to a specialist service, but the GP will only do so if they think it is clinically necessary. Even a referral to a private specialist would need a referral letter from your GP, as they hold your health records and have the best understanding of your medical history and needs.

There are some NHS services that you can refer yourself to without needing to see a GP first. They include:

From the 2nd February 2026 we are moving to a Total Triage model.

Total triage is how we manage appointments at our practice.
You will fill out a e-consult rather than calling the surgery and tell us about your problem.

Ideally, patients will submit their own request however we appreciate that this may not be possible for some patients. If you are unable to use or access the online form then please contact the surgery by telephone and we will complete the request for you, which will be added to the triage list to be reviewed by the GP.

A clinician will review your information and decide the best way to help you, which may be advice, a phone call, or an appointment.

We will have three types of appointments:

• Same day – for emergencies (A member of staff will contact you to book the appointment)
• Within 5 days – for patients that need to see or speak to a healthcare professional soon, but not urgently.
• Within 10 days – for routine appointments.

The main purpose of total triage is to make sure you receive high-quality care by getting the right advice or appointment for your needs as quickly as possible.

Please ensure you have completed the e-consult in full with as much information as possible.

To fill out a e-consult please click here

for more help on filling out a e-consult on the NHS app please visit the e-consult NHS app guide.

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