Self-referrals
Click on the different services below to see what is available and how you can self-refer
Referrals
As part of your care with the Practice we may refer you to the hospital to see a consultant or for tests that we are unable to perform at the Practice.
If you have been referred but are yet to hear about an appointment within 4-6 weeks, below are useful numbers to contact to enquire about your appointment:
- UHL (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital or Glenfield Hospital) Outpatient Appointments – 0300 303 1563
- Radiology Department (X-ray, Ultrasound and MRI appointments) – 0116 258 8765 (select appropriate option)
- Main Switchboard for University Hospital of Leicester – 0300 303 1573
Please contact the hospital first with any queries about your appointment prior to contacting the Practice. Alternatively to find out the current average waiting times for referrals in the Midlands please visit the My Planned Care website.
You will need to select the hospital you have been referred to followed by the specialty.
Two week wait referrals
If you have been referred by the Practice on to the Two Week Wait referral pathway, and you have not heard about an appointment after 10 days, please contact their booking office on 0116 250 2543.
Private referrals
If you request to be referred to one of the local private hospitals (SPIRE, NUFFIELD) you will require a supporting letter to take with you to your appointment/to book the appointment.
Once it has been agreed that a Private Referral is to be completed, please allow for 7 days for this request.
Please keep this in mind when booking an appointment, at the hospital, as we will be unable to guarantee requests for referrals at short notice.
NHS APP
If you have signed up for the NHS App, you can see upcoming and past appointments under “your health” including details of any referrals.
Expedite requests
Have you been told to speak to your GP about getting your referral expedited by the hospital? If so, please read on.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of outpatient appointments have been cancelled and delayed in the NHS.
When patients contact local hospitals to find out when they might be seen or if their symptoms and condition have worsened, they are often asked to contact their GP and request an 'expedite letter'.
This is frustrating for you and the surgery as it rarely results in appointments being brought forward and gives patients a false hope that the GP can change the waiting times.
Furthermore, it is very difficult for a GP to measure to what extent your condition has worsened. We take your word for this, and the hospital should do the same. When making decisions about who to prioritise it is only possible for the hospital to compare your condition and needs against all the other patients on their waiting list.
If you would like to request an expedite letter, please submit an admin query to us online using the link below, we will then send you a link to a questionnaire to complete with all of the necessary information.
Our medical secretaries will use this information to create the letter to forward to the hospital departments for their consideration of an expedited appointment.