Referrals to other NHS Services are made according to clinical need and eligibility.  If you feel you need a referral, this will need to be discussed in a consultation with one of our clinicians.

When a referral is made for you to see a Specialist at the Hospital, information from your medical records will be shared with the Department you are being referred to.

What kind of Information do we share?

Your full name, date of birth, address and any telephone numbers we have on record for you will be included on the referral.  Please ensure that we have up to date contact details for you otherwise you will not receive your appointment.

Details of your current problem/reason for referral will be outlined in the content of the referral letter.  In addition to this a printout from your medical records will often be sent.  This printout will include:-

• All of your main medical problems e.g. Diagnoses of long term conditions and operations.
• Any surgery consultations within the last 3 months.
• All or your current repeat medication (these are the items that appear on your prescription re-order form in you have one)
• Any one-off medications that have been prescribed in the last month e.g. Antibiotics.
• The results of any tests that we have requested during the last 3 months e.g. Bloods, urine, etc.
• Any known allergies that we have recorded on your notes.
• Recent blood pressure readings, where available.
• Your smoking status.

You may feel that some of this information is irrelevant to the condition that you are being referred about.  However, by sharing this information it will give the Specialist a bigger picture of your general health and may help piece together causes for some of your symptoms.  This information may also prevent treatments being recommended that are inappropriate for your other conditions.

If you have any concern about any information that may be on your medical records that you would not want shared, please speak to the doctor who is making your referral.

If you would like a copy of your referral letter and the accompanying information that is sent, please speak to the doctor’s secretary, who will arrange for a copy to be left for your collection at reception.