Referrals

NHS referrals

Havering Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) controls how GPs in Havering refer to specialists.

Referrals to NHS consultants are done using the Electronic Referral Service.

For some specialties we can refer directly-cardiology, respiratory

For some we have to refer to a locally commissioned service run by GPs with additional training-dermatology, ENT, gynaecology

For most ophthalmology we have to refer to a service run at the Westland Medical Centre in Hornchurch.

For others we have to refer to a referral centre which assess and then re-directs our referral – physiotherapy, orthopaedics, rheumatology, neurosurgery.

We increasingly use an electronic ‘Advice and Guidance’ service where we can to get fast advice from a specialist without you having to see them.

Private referrals

When a GP recommends you see a specialist and you choose a private referral then :

• if you are self-paying you can contact the private hospital of your choice and arrange to see the specialist. Once you have let our secretarial staff know whom you are seeing and where, the GP will provide a referral letter.
• if insured your GP will provide you with an “Open Private Referral Letter”. You will need to contact your insurer and let them know you are being referred. They may guide you in the choice of consultant and hospital. 

Please be aware that Havering GPs, on CCG advice, no longer request tests or prescribe medications recommended by private consultants during an “episode of care”. That means the patient or their insurer will need to pay for all tests, investigations and prescriptions recommended by a private consultant during this episode. Once they are discharged from their care (i.e. the episode of care has ended) ongoing treatment may be prescribed by the GP if in receipt of written recommendation from the specialist, and provided the medication is approved for prescription by a GP.