NHS e-Referral Service - What is it? ___________________________________________________________________________
The new NHS eReferrals Serviceis built on the successes of Choose and Book and uses the lessons learned. This isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it is about taking the next step.
“This is part of NHS England’s commitment to making all referrals electronic and the NHS paperless by 2018."
“We want a system that is quick, easy and beneficial for healthcare professionals to use and ultimately improves patient experience by providing flexibility and choice around the services we offer wherever the patient is.
The vision for the new NHS e-Referral Service was launched in June 2013. The announcement kicked off an extensive engagement with healthcare professionals and patients.
Feedback from consultations has helped drive the design of the new service and help develop a system that is simpler to use, adopts the latest technology and provides an improved service for users and better experience for patients, with a view to driving up utilisation.
The new NHS e-Referral Service will harness some of the new technologies used by the most successful IT companies in the world and, using the latest Agile development techniques, will deliver a service designed and assured by the users, that patients want and the NHS needs to deliver modern and efficient healthcare.
Book an appointment using the NHS e-Referral Service If you have been referred to a hospital or clinic through the NHS e-Referral Service, booking your appointment online is easy, safe and secure.
You will need:
The booking Reference Number stated on your booking letter
The Password or Access Code you were given by the person or organisation that referred you (for example, your GP Practice)
If you have been referred, but do not have your booking Reference Number or a Password or Access Code, contact the person or organisation that referred you.
How to choose your hospital or clinic In some cases, you'll have more than one Clinic or Hospital to choose from. The list of options will be the same if you book online or over the telephone.
Before you select your Clinic and appointment slot, consider all the options.
For example:
How long do I have to wait for my first appointment?
How quickly can I start my treatment?
How far away is the Hospital or Clinic?
In most cases, you have the legal right to choose the Hospital or service you'd like to go to. This will include many Private Hospitals, as long as they provide services to the NHS.
What to do if you have not been referred yet. If you want to be seen at a Hospital or Clinic, you'll need to speak to a GP. They'll help you decide what care is best for you and make any necessary referrals.