When we refer patients to hospitals and other services, the referral is administered by the local NHS in a referral management centre. The referral management centre is responsible for allocating your referral to other services booking your appointment and normally sees full information about the referral, including any confidential information.
How we manage referrals is set out here (PDF, 1.39MB)
If we are referring you to other services and you feel there is information you wish to withhold from the referral management centre please inform us as soon as possible.
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 0845 650 0303.
An increase in the number of people being referred to specialist hospital care, coupled with the continued significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on NHS services, has meant that some people are having to wait longer than we would like for an appointment or treatment and we know that it can be difficult for those who find themselves in this position. We would like to assure you that your health and well-being are important to us and despite the additional pressure on NHS GP’s and hospitals, we are doing all we can to ensure those people who need our help are seen as soon as possible.
We know it is important that you have a realistic idea of when you will be seen and the My Planned Care website provides information on current hospital waiting times for many specialities provided by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. Due to the current situation, it is important that we prioritise treatment for those people who have greater clinical need as determined by hospital specialists, rather than prioritising those who have waited the longest. We know this isn’t ideal for those people who have been waiting some time, but we hope you understand that we must prioritise people with severe medical conditions that require urgent treatment.
If your clinical condition has not changed, please do not contact the hospital or your GP Surgery to try to bring your appointment forward as they will be unable to alter your waiting time or position on the waiting list, and it may contribute to further delays.
Important information for patients currently on hospital waiting lists
The NHS has been working hard to address the backlogs built up during the COVID pandemic. As part of these plans, the NHS will be proactively contacting patients who have been waiting a long time for NHS funded treatment to remind them of their right to request to move to an alternative hospital where they may be seen quicker.
From Tuesday 31st October new digital portal called the Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System (PIDMAS) will be introduced. Patients who have been waiting 40 weeks or more can use this portal to request an alternative choice of hospital.
Any patient who is eligible will receive either a SMS text message or a letter from their current hospital explaining how to request to choose a different hospital.
Please do not contact the practice regarding this process as we have no information regarding individual patients.
The hospital will contact you if you are eligible. Please do not contact them either.
Further information about alternative choice is available on hospital websites.
Hospital ‘expedite letters’
Millions of outpatient appointments and treatments have been delayed in NHS hospitals during the pandemic. When patients contact the hospital, they are sometimes told to ask their GP for an ‘expedite letter’. This is frustrating for you and for us, and we cannot guarantee that this will result in your appointment being brought forward.
Only the hospital can compare your needs with those of other patients on their waiting list and they will action your request accordingly.
If you want to inform a hospital of a change in your symptoms, you may use the templates below when contacting the hospital. One is for patients waiting for a first appointment with a specialist, the second is for patients waiting for a follow-up appointment, treatment, or operation. You should post your letter to either Outpatient Appointments (for first appointments) or your consultant’s secretary (for follow-up care).
Letter for a first appointment with a specialist:
Dear Consultant,
I am awaiting care from you for <Write your original problem here>. I have been referred by my GP at Stockwell Road Surgery.
I await an appointment and / or treatment but report the following change in my condition since my referral was sent to you:
<Explain briefly what has changed since your referral>
I request that you take the following action
• Review my hospital notes alongside this letter to determine whether my care might be expedited
• Contact me directly to inform me of the outcome of that decision, and my likely wait for further care
• File this letter and document your decision in my medical record.
Letter for a for a follow-up appointment:
Dear Consultant,
I am receiving care from you for <Write your original problem here>.
I await a follow-up appointment and / or treatment but report the following change in my condition since your last contact with me:
<Explain briefly what has changed since your last contact with the specialist>
I request that you take the following action:
- Review my hospital notes alongside this letter to determine whether my care might be expedited
- Contact me directly to inform me of the outcome of that decision, and me likely wait for further care
- File this letter and document your decision in my medical record.
Contact Information:
In the event of a change in a potentially life-threatening health condition – for example, a known cancer, or heart or lung symptoms – please contact Stockwell Road Surgery, 999 or 111 in the first instance.