Referrals and ongoing care

Overview

A referral is a request for another clinician or service to contribute to your care. You may want help understanding a recommendation, discussing an unresolved concern or bringing together advice from different appointments. The useful starting point is the clinical question that needs answering.

Follow-up can also be about an existing condition. Tell the doctor what has improved, what remains difficult and which parts of the plan you have been able to follow. A fresh discussion should take account of earlier assessments rather than start from an incomplete summary.

By telephone

A telephone consultation can help organise the history, review available correspondence and consider whether primary care advice, investigation, an examination or specialist input would be appropriate. You can discuss what you hope a further opinion will clarify and any concerns about the next appointment.

Write down who is arranging each part of the plan. That includes tests, prescriptions, review appointments and communication of results. Ask what to do if symptoms change while you are waiting, and which service should be contacted about the referral itself.

What cannot be done remotely

A referral is not automatic, and an appointment does not establish that a particular procedure or specialist treatment is needed. Access arrangements and acceptance depend on the receiving service. This page does not promise a route into NHS or private specialist care or a particular waiting time.

If there is not enough information to decide safely, records or an examination may be required first. Private specialist recommendations do not automatically become an NHS prescribing or treatment arrangement.

What to prepare

• Prepare a short list of the unresolved problems you want the appointment to address.
• Have relevant clinic letters and the existing care plan ready.
• Explain pending referrals, tests or appointments to avoid duplicated work.
• Ask which clinician will oversee each next step.

Sources

• NHS: referrals for specialist care
• GMC: remote consultations