Referral of patients to hospitals, specialists and other institutions is an essential part of primary health care. Patients are referred to specialists when they are done with the therapeutic session in primary care. Good communication between primary and secondary care is essential for the smooth running of any health care system.
Referral letters are the sole means of communication between doctors. Most of the time the communication breakdown could lead to poor continuity of care, delayed diagnoses, polypharmacy, increased litigation risk and unnecessary testing.
A referral letter also helps to avoid patient dissatisfaction and loss of confidence in family physicians. Referral letters are usually handwritten while these letters do not contain adequate information and retrieval of information is a problem due to poor legibility and clarity.
The objectives of introducing the structured referral letter is to improve the quality and is to save time for both general practitioners and specialists.
Advantages of the Form Letter
A referral letter will give advantage to general practitioners and recipients in many ways, some of them are as follow:
- Saves time of the general practitioners
- Better clarity
- Letter writing skills and language competence are immaterial
- It does not require any planning or thinking related to the letter’s format, because it is just based on filling up details about the patient.
- Headings in the referral letter improves the completeness of the information.
- Minimal cost
- Saves time of the recipient
- Facilitates research and audit
- Can be used for any patient irrespective
There are three type of referral letters
- Routine referral letters
- Urgent referral letters
- Emergency referral letters
FAQs
Why are referrals important in healthcare?
A referral, in the most basic sense, is a written order from your primary care doctor to see a specialist for a specific medical service. Most health insurance companies require referrals to ensure that patients see the right providers for the right problems.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Referral Letter?
At Prime Medicare, we can instantly issue specialist consultant referrals; hence, you can immediately get the further expert treatment you need.
A GP referral letter is also needed, especially if you plan to fund treatment through a private medical insurance company. Our experts can provide an urgent GP referral letter in a same-day GP consultation.
How Much Do a GP Referral Letters Cost?
One referral letter per consultation is provided for no additional or hidden private prescription charges. However, we retain the right to impose additional charges for multiple referral letters during the same consultation. If we agree to prescribe, it will incur a charge of £25 per prescription.
What is the purpose of a referral letter?
A referral letter is an essential means of communication between primary and secondary care, giving the receiving clinician/department a detailed summary of the patient’s presenting complaint and medical history to ensure a smooth transition of care.
What are three common reasons for a referral?
Common reasons for referral letter are meeting perceived community standards of care, patient requests, and self-education were cited most commonly, followed by patient education, reassurance, and motivation.
What Is The Importance of Communication Between Doctors?
Good communication between primary and secondary care is essential for the smooth running of any health care system and it is also vital for a safe and high-quality referral process.
Communication breakdown could lead to poor continuity of care, delayed diagnoses, polypharmacy, increased litigation risk and unnecessary testing. Communication between doctors of different experiences and expertise is also an important means of education for both.
Get in touch with our expert team of certified private GPs. They can generally solve most problems and provide treatment accordingly. But if you think you need a private referral or you’re unsure, your first step is to make a GP appointment with us.
Our team will first assess you, and if it is clinically appropriate, they may write a GP referral letter for you. Check our Pricing Page to know details regarding our private prescription charges.
